European journal of sport science最新文献

Despite well-established guidelines for carbohydrate (CHO) intake to support endurance performance, many athletes fail to meet these targets, and in-race intake is often estimated based on planned consumption rather than measured intake. We aimed to quantify actual CHO intake during endurance races and explore behavioral and psychological predictors. Sixty Tier 2 endurance athletes (38 marathoners and 22 cyclists) participated in two official races. Athletes' planned, perceived, and actual CHO intake 24 h before and during the race were assessed using food diary analysis, and pre- and post-race weighing of sports products containing CHO. Sleep behavior (ASBQ), pre-race anxiety (CSAI-2R), and gastrointestinal symptoms were also evaluated using validated questionnaires. Across the cohort, actual CHO intake (31.7 ± 23.5 g/hr) was lower than planned (38.0 ± 27.3 g/hr; p < 0.001). The absolute planned-actual gap was larger in cyclists (58.9 → 49.1 g/hr; Δ = 10.3 g/hr) than in marathoners (25.9 → 21.7 g/hr; Δ = 4.2 g/hr); proportionally, the shortfall was similar (∼16%–17%) in both groups. Cyclists planned substantially higher CHO intakes and achieved higher actual intakes than marathoners. Regression analysis showed that race type, better sleep behavior, and lower cognitive anxiety predicted higher actual intake (R² = 0.41, p < 0.05). Despite similar intentions, marathoners consumed less CHO than cyclists and overestimated their CHO intake, highlighting behavioral gaps. Sleep and psychological readiness played key roles in fueling success. Findings support the importance of measuring actual intake and considering individual behavioral factors to optimize endurance nutrition strategies.

Body composition is an important health parameter during childhood and adolescence. In this study, we investigate the associations between body composition and age, physical activity, side jump, standing long jump, physical working capacity at 170 beats per minute pulse, screen time, and socioeconomic status in a nationwide German sample. A total of 2.869 children and adolescents (1.456 girls) aged 6–17 years from the Motorik-Modul study (2014–2017) were stratified by sex and three age groups (6–10, 11–13, 14–17 years). Physical activity was quantified by accelerometers, while physical fitness parameters were measured as part of the Motorik-Modul field-based fitness test battery. Body composition analysis (BIA 2000-S; Data Input, Frankfurt, Germany) included phase angle as well as height-adjusted indices for fat mass and fat-free mass. Potential correlates of body composition were examined by testing 18 preregistered hypotheses via multiple regression analyses. We found a general increase in fat mass index, fat-free mass index, and phase angle during childhood with sex-dependent changes in these trajectories occurring between the ages of 10 and 14 and persisting up to age 17. Besides age, the most important correlates were standing long jump and physical working capacity. Higher screen time and lower socioeconomic status accompany higher fat mass index but do not predict a lower fat-free mass index. Physical activity correlates negatively with fat mass index only among 6 to 13-year-olds. These findings emphasize the complex interplay between body composition, physical fitness parameters, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic background in childhood and adolescence.

Gaze behaviour is associated with decision-making in team sports. For instance, the final fixation of basketball players typically reflects the decision they make. However, it is not clear how athletes adapt in invasive team sports where they also control the ball using an implement (e.g., field hockey or lacrosse). In these sports, decision-making might be related to information fixated earlier on rather than the final fixation. This study investigated the relationship between gaze behaviour and decision-making in the dynamic sport of field hockey. We recorded the in situ gaze and decision-making accuracy of 15 skilled youth field hockey players in specific 3 versus 3 small-sided scenarios. Gaze behaviours were compared between players who made correct and incorrect decisions. Results indicated all players looked towards the ball in their final fixation before executing their decision, reflecting a critical difference from other invasive team sports such as basketball, where the ball carrier is in direct contact with the ball. Strikingly, it was the first fixation, rather than the last or second-to-last, in each scenario which was most associated with correct decisions. In particular, players who directed their first fixation towards the open space appeared most likely to make correct decisions in the scenarios we presented. The results emphasise the sport-specific nature of gaze behaviour and raise doubts about the transferability of gaze behaviour between closely related sports. These findings contribute to our knowledge of gaze behaviour and the decision-making processes of athletes in dynamic team sports.

We prospectively examined whether psychological factors influence (a) respiratory tract infection (RTI) risk and (b) the mucosal immune response to exercise. In Study 1, n = 406 adults (67% male) recorded RTI symptoms for two weeks before and after a marathon. In Study 2, under controlled laboratory conditions, n = 45 adults (51% male) completed 60 min of running at 65% V̇O_2peak (EX) and seated rest (CON) in randomised order. Anxiety, total mood disturbance (TMD) and perceived psychological stress were measured before exercise. Saliva collected pre- and post-exercise was analysed for secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA). Fifty runners suffered an RTI post-marathon. Runners prospectively reporting high trait anxiety or TMD were more likely to suffer an RTI post-marathon (OR [95% CI] = 1.06 [1.02–1.11] and 1.04 [1.01–1.07], respectively). Higher trait anxiety and TMD were associated with a greater reduction in saliva SIgA (p < 0.05). There was no association between mucosal immunity and RTI risk (OR [95% CI] = 1.00 [0.97–1.01]). In Study 2, despite no significant difference between EX and CON (p > 0.05), psychological factors were associated with the SIgA secretion rate response to exercise in men (trait anxiety, state anxiety, TMD, psychological stress: r = −0.55, −0.65, −0.61 and −0.66, respectively; p < 0.01). In conclusion, anxiety and mood disturbance were prospectively associated with infection risk after a marathon and the mucosal immune response to exercise. Athletes should optimise psychological well-being to support immune health. Researchers should take account of psychological factors when examining the mucosal immune response to exercise.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of three practice orders in the contextual interference and differential learning frameworks on motivation and motor learning of novice basketball players. For this purpose, 84 female students were divided into seven groups (progressive practice–contextual interference framework, random practice–contextual interference framework, blocked practice–contextual interference framework, progressive variations-differential learning, stochastic variation-differential learning, predictable variation-differential learning, and control). After a pretest (18 trials), participants practiced the basketball jump shot for three consecutive days according to their grouping (3 blocks of 18 attempts each day). The contextual interference groups varied in shooting distances: random (different distance each trial), blocked (same distance all day), or progressive order (blocked first day, serial second day, random third day). The differential groups varied in body positions: random (unpredictable changes), blocked (predictable daily changes from head to foot), or progressive order (blocked first day, serial second day, random third day). After the last block of the third day of practice, participants completed the motivation questionnaire, as motivation can affect motor learning. Three days after the acquisition, participants performed two retention tests with fixed and variable targets. Additionally, a transfer test including 18 trials from a different distance was performed. Results indicated that the blocked practice–contextual interference group performed more accurately than other groups during acquisition. However, a higher transfer was observed for differential learning groups. Additionally, differential groups and random practice–contextual interference group showed higher motivation. These findings were discussed according to the role of noise in the exploration of the solution space of the task.

Advanced footwear technologies (AFT) improve road running performance. AFT have been incorporated into trail running footwear despite little evidence of their benefits in this context. In this study, we compared the effect of traditional (TRADI-f) and AFT foam (AFT-f) on running economy and perceptual measures across different gradients. Fourteen well-trained athletes completed assessments on a treadmill at gradients of FLAT (0% gradient, 14 km.h⁻¹), UP (+10%, 8 km.h⁻¹) and DOWN (−10%, 14 km.h⁻¹). Two shoes were randomly allocated in a counterbalanced order. The shoes were matched in construction but differed in midsole foam performance, where the AFT-f shoe included a more compliant and resilient foam than the TRADI-f shoe. Oxygen consumption and heart rate were collected for 6 min, twice with each shoe at each gradient, alongside perceived effort and affective measures. Across the three gradients, oxygen consumption was 1.2% lower (p = 0.008) when participants were wearing the AFT foam compared to the TRADI foam. The effect of the AFT-f shoes on oxygen consumption appeared to be more pronounced in the FLAT (+2.1%) and UP (+1.0%) conditions compared to DOWN (+0.2%). This interaction effect was, however, not statistically significant (p = 0.050). RPE was lower (p = 0.008) and affective valence more positive (p = 0.027) in AFT-f compared to TRADI-f. No differences in arousal were reported between TRADI-f and AFT-f (p = 0.728). The findings of this study suggest that an AFT foam in trail running shoes can improve running economy, reduce perceived effort and increase pleasure while running in a trained athlete population.

In sports, injury prevention is a key factor for success. Although injuries are challenging to predict, new technologies and the application of data science can provide valuable insights. This study aimed to predict injury risk among professional rugby union players using machine learning (ML) models. We analyzed data from 63 professional rugby union players during three seasons, categorized them into forwards and backs, and further classified them into five specific positions (tight five, back row, scrum-half, inside backs, outside backs). The dataset included GPS data and derived metrics such as total workload in the 1, 2, and 3 weeks prior to injury, acute-to-chronic workload ratio over different time windows, monotony, and strain. Injury prediction was assessed separately for different player positions using five ML classification models: logistic regression, naïve Bayes (NB), support vector machine, random forest (RF), and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). RF performed best for forwards overall, with XGBoost excelling in the tight five and SVM in the back row, whereas among backs, RF led for inside backs and NB for outside backs. Additionally, feature importance plots were used to examine the impact of various factors on injury occurrence. In conclusion, our ML-based approach can effectively predict injuries, with average F1 scores up to 0.66 (± 0.14), particularly when applying a combination of GPS-derived metrics. Additionally, key characteristics indicative of injury for players in various positions have been successfully identified. These findings underscored the potential of ML to enhance injury prediction and inform tailored training strategies for athletes.

A novel method for estimating V̇O₂peak using seismocardiography (SCG eV̇O₂peak) at rest was developed some years ago, and this study investigates an updated version using data from a trained population. Forty five subelite female and Sixty seven elite male football players were tested and included in a cross-sectional accuracy comparison between SCG eV̇O₂peak and V̇O₂peak obtained from an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) performed on a treadmill. In addition, the ability of the method to detect changes over time was assessed by comparison of changes in V̇O₂peak over 3 months (female and male, n = 60), 6 months (female, n = 17), and 1 year (male, n = 18) for CPET and SCG, respectively. No difference and a fair agreement were found between combined sex cross-sectional SCG eV̇O₂peak and CPET V̇O₂peak (bias ± 95% CI: −1.0 ± 0.9 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹ and limits of agreement [95%]: ± 9.1 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹), with similar agreement between sexes. The standard error of estimation and mean absolute percentage error were 4.8 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹ and 7.4%, respectively. V̇O₂peak was only increased over 6 months for females (CPET: 2.2 ± 1.1 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹, SCG: 1.2 ± 1.1 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹, and p < 0.05) with no difference between methods (p = 0.170). A correlation between ΔV̇O₂peak for CPET and SCG was found for 1-year analyses (male, R² = 0.62, and P < 0.05) but no other correlations were significant. The SCG method is accurate in estimating V̇O₂peak in both subelite and elite football players, with fair agreement and low estimation errors. The SCG method was able to detect an association of 1-year changes but not for changes over shorter times; however, these results require more investigation due to small sample sizes.

Increasing the length of the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) fascicle is one of the objectives of hamstring injury prevention programs. This study aimed to investigate training-induced adaptations in BFlh architecture and performance measures after a six-week resistance training program with gravitational or inertial 45° hip extension (HE) exercise and a subsequent detraining period. Thirty-two resistance-trained males were assigned to a group doing a HE training program with gravitational loading (HE-G), HE by inertial loading (HE-I), or to a control group (CG). BFlh architecture, knee flexion and hip extension strength, jumping performance by means of the countermovement (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) tests, and soreness before and after each training session were evaluated. HE-I participants modified the initial length of the BHlh fascicle (9.86 cm), increasing it by 1.64 cm at the end of the intervention and remaining 1.48 cm longer than baseline after the detraining period. Both HE modalities improved hip extensor strength (51.2 N for HE-G and 65.0 N) and only HE-I improved knee flexor strength (69.9 N). Soreness for HE-I exercise showed lower values than gravity-loaded performance, with at least one point difference across sessions, and more than two in some of the final sessions. This study provides evidence suggesting that HE performed with inertial loading is an effective exercise for lengthening the BFlh fascicle and promoting improvements in knee flexion strength and SJ performance, aspects not modifiable by the gravitational modality.

Caffeine and taurine are commonly co-ingested pre-exercise but elicit different thermoregulatory responses; however, their combined effect on thermoregulation is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of oral caffeine and taurine co-ingestion on time to exhaustion (TTE) and thermoregulatory responses to cycling in the heat at the gas exchange threshold (GET). Ten healthy nonheat acclimated participants took part in a double-blind crossover study, completing a TTE in the heat (35°C; 40% relative humidity), cycling at a power output associated with the GET and 1 h after ingesting: caffeine (5 mg/kg) and taurine (50 mg/kg) combined or placebo. Pulmonary gas exchange, core and mean skin temperatures and whole-body sweat rate (WBSR) were recorded throughout. Heat production was determined using partitional calorimetry. There were no differences in TTE between conditions (p = 0.608); however, the rate of oxygen consumption (p = 0.017), minute ventilation (p = 0.029) and heat production (p = 0.019) were higher following the supplement. There were no differences between conditions for skin (p = 0.539) and core temperature (p = 0.699), mean skin blood flow (p = 0.119), respiratory exchange ratio (p = 0.546) and WBSR (p = 0.897). Pre-exercise co-ingestion of caffeine and taurine in the heat had no ergogenic effect despite increasing the ventilatory and metabolic demand. Collectively, these data indicate minimal effects on whole-body thermoregulation.