Frontiers in Sports and Active Living最新文献

{"title":"Understanding significant experiences of adolescent athletes' participation in competitive sports life: a systematic review.","authors":"M Fadli Dongoran, Heny Setyawati, Agus Kristiyanto, Hermawan Pamot Raharjo, Caly Setiawan","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1515200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1515200","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This research aims to investigate the significant experiences of adolescent athletes in competitive sports activities and their development through the available literature. This study systematically reviews research on adolescent athletes participating in competitive sports over the past 10 years. We evaluated and reported 19 studies in four sections: sample characteristics, research design, significant experiences, and key findings related to the development of adolescent athletes. This study includes adolescent athletes who participate in various sports and pursue careers in organized and competitive sports using qualitative and mixed methods designs. This study employs a systematic literature review as its research method. The initial online search was conducted in April 2023 and updated on January 2025 on electronic databases: Web of Science (WoS), PubMed, and Scopus. The process of searching for articles used the PRISMA guidelines proposed by Moher. We synthesized and interpreted the findings in each article. The main findings of this study lead to three main themes: meaningful experiences for adolescents, barriers in the development of adolescent athletes, and that influencing athlete development. This study concludes that working with adolescent athletes requires attention to unseen factors to ensure that they are in a supportive environment that encourages their positive development into elite athletes in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1515200"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11973273/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143803090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing the impact of \"The Daily Mile™\" vs. a modified version on Irish primary school children's engagement and enjoyment in structured physical activity.","authors":"Luke Hanna, Con Burns, Cian O'Neill, Lisa E Bolger, Edward Coughlan","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1550028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1550028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The repetitive nature of The Daily Mile may affect long-term engagement. This study compared the impact of The Daily Mile with a modified version on engagement and enjoyment of structured physical activity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A ∼7-year-old and ∼11-year old cohort from six primary schools participated in this study, which primarily evaluated pre- to post-assessment changes within each group. Two schools were assigned to The Daily Mile (<i>n</i> = 102 children; <i>M</i> = 8.81 years, <i>SD</i> = 1.97), two schools to the modified version (<i>n</i> = 87; <i>M</i> = 9.16 years, <i>SD</i> = 2.76), and two schools served as controls (<i>n</i> = 79; <i>M</i> = 10.05 years, <i>SD</i> = 1.9) for 10-weeks. Health assessments conducted included cardiorespiratory fitness (550 m Run), fundamental movement skills (Test of Gross Motor Development-2), and health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-27). Accelerometers measured school-based physical activity, while enjoyment was assessed using a modified PACES questionnaire. Post-intervention focus groups (<i>n</i> = 10) included teachers and children.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both the Daily Mile (∼7-year-old: <i>p</i> < 0.001; ∼11-year-old: <i>p</i> = 0.004) and its modified version (∼7-year-old: <i>p</i> < 0.001; ∼11-year-old: <i>p</i> < 0.001) had a significant impact on cardiorespiratory fitness. Participation in the modified version led to significant improvements in fundamental movement skills (∼7-year-old: <i>p</i> = 0.034; ∼11-year-old: <i>p</i> < 0.001), unlike participation in The Daily Mile (∼7-year-old: <i>p</i> = 1.000; ∼11-year-old: <i>p</i> = 0.807). A significant positive effect on health-related quality of life was attributed to participation in the modified version (<i>p</i> = 0.036), but not to The Daily Mile (<i>p</i> = 0.205). Enjoyment scores were significantly higher for the modified version (4.61 vs. 4.43; <i>p</i> = 0.024).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Participation in The Daily Mile is associated with improved health outcomes. Nevertheless, modifying the initiative to include greater variety has the potential to offer broader health benefits, longer engagement, and increased enjoyment. Future research should explore the long-term implementation of this modified version in schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1550028"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11973259/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143803049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use of accelerometers to quantify external load in rugby league match play.","authors":"Jemma A Turner, Robert Delves, Heidi R Compton, Lachlan Penfold, Grant M Duthie","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1560877","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1560877","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study quantified the distribution of accelerometer data in rugby league competition.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A squad of 35 male professional National Rugby League (NRL) players (age: 26.0 ± 3.4 years; height 187.8 ± 6.4 cm; weight 98.7 ± 9.7 kg) wore inertial measurements units (Vector S7, firmware; 8.1, Catapult Sports, Victoria, Australia) during the 2023 NRL season. Three-dimensional 100 Hz acceleration data were exported and manually processed for each individual game file. An \"acceleration index\" was calculated by combining the three accelerometer signals, subtracting the influence of gravity, and removing periods of rest (5 s of less than 0.3 G). The \"acceleration index\" demonstrated a bimodal distribution of each individual player game file. A Gaussian mixture model was fitted to the acceleration index resulting in a mean, standard deviation and proportion of low and high-intensity activity for each individual player game file. Linear mixed models were used to quantify the magnitude of differences in each of these variables between positional groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, across all positions, 33% of game play is spent completing low-intensity activity and 67% of high-intensity activity. There were minimal differences between positional groups in the mean, standard deviation and proportion of low and high-intensity activity, with total volume reflective of time spent on the field.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The lack of differences between positional groups suggests that accelerometers quantify both the running and contact that occurs within rugby league competition. As such, accelerometers may provide a measure of total high and low-intensity work in a contact based running sports, providing alternative and/or additional information to running metrics derived from global positioning systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1560877"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11973288/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143803088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The perspectives of volunteers with disabilities and sport event organizers on educating and employing volunteers with disabilities.","authors":"Marlene Jobst, Christoph Kreinbucher-Bekerle","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1543502","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1543502","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Inclusive sport events can increase the social inclusion of people with disabilities. While originally, people with disabilities are represented as athletes, they could also be a valuable resource volunteering at sport events. However, barriers to their inclusion exist due to a lack of accessibility at the event venue or missing knowledge of the event organizers about collaborating with people with disabilities. Training courses for volunteers with disabilities are rare but would help to integrate them at sport events. The present study reflects on the training course and the participants' implementation in different sport events.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Therefore, six so called sport management assistants with disabilities (4 female and 2 male; age: <i>M</i> = 31.67; <i>SD</i> = 6.07) and five sport event organizers (3 female and 2 male; age: <i>M</i> = 41.20; <i>SD</i> = 9.04) were interviewed with a semi-structured guideline.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The feedback of both groups concerning their experiences was mainly positive. The training course prepared the sport management assistants with disabilities for their tasks at the sport events. The sport management assistant graduates were satisfied with their roles at the events but criticize the lack of accessibility. The organizers praised the enthusiastic workforces added to their teams and want to cooperate with volunteers with disabilities in future events.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Thus, preparatory courses for people with disabilities as an educational tool should be encouraged to promote inclusion at sport events on a larger scale.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1543502"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11968761/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143795083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sports training in virtual reality with a focus on visual perception: a systematic review.","authors":"Kerstin Witte, Dan Bürger, Stefan Pastel","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1530948","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1530948","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>There is an increasing endeavor to use Virtual Reality (VR) technologies in sports training. Because visual perception is crucial for sports performance, it should also be considered in the development of VR tools. The aim of this review is to summarise the literature on the application fields and domains of sport in VR and to examine what needs to be considered when developing such VR training tools with regard to visual perception and its manipulation. Furthermore, it is still unclear to what extent the user's body or that of their teammates or opponents must be visualized in VR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The literature search was conducted based on five databases: PsychInfo, Pubmed, Scopus, SportDiscus, and IEEE Explore. Review articles and original articles written in English and published between 1 January 2015 and 31 March 2024 were considered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Through a qualitative analysis of the selected research, we identified 12 reviews and 46 research articles. While the applications of VR in sports initially focussed on endurance sports at the beginning of the development of VR tools, within the last 5 years VR was found in almost all sports, such as team sports, martial arts, and individual sports. The most common sports domains in which VR is used are motor learning, training of visual perception, decision making processes, and anticipation skills, as well as many sport-specific trainings. The review provides an overview of the extent to which visual aids in VR can be used to optimize motor learning and training, also taking into account the transfer to the real world.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>VR offers many opportunities to visually support sports training and motor learning. It has been shown that training in VR based purely on visual perception can be successful in many sports and sports domains. The following visualization options are already being used: different viewing perspectives, variation of the demonstrated speed of movement, use of virtual mirrors, visualization of the necessary body parts, visual manipulation to identify important stimuli, display of movement trajectories, and graphic aids. In future, more studies should be conducted to compare training under virtual conditions with training under real conditions and to investigate transfer effects. Eye tracking should also be used for this purpose in order to compare visual perception in VR and in reality. Less is known about how VR training can be realized in terms of frequency, duration, and intensity and how VR training can be combined with training in the reality world.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1530948"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11966202/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143779830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global research trends on physical education practices: a bibliometric analysis and science-mapping study.","authors":"Vicenç Hernández-González, Josep Maria Carné-Torrent, Carme Jové-Deltell, Joaquin Reverter-Masia","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1532754","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1532754","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Physical Education teacher training, specifically internships, require the application of theory to real-life contexts. Although these internships are mandatory in training programs, they are often undervalued. This study aims to provide an overview of research in this field and highlight future trends to contribute to the development of strategies for improving teacher training. The study analyzes the training of Physical Education teachers, emphasizing the importance of professional practice in applying theory to real-world contexts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To identify trends and improve teacher training, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on 83 publications retrieved from the Social Sciences Citation Index and the Science Citation Index Expanded in Web of Science.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Since 2010, a significant increase in publications on this topic has been observed, mostly in English, with 1,827 citations and an average of 22.01 citations per article. The documents had 198 authors from 27 countries, with the United States being the most prolific. The analysis revealed three research clusters: one focused on \"attitudes\" and \"inclusion\" of children with disabilities, another on \"Physical Education\" and \"teachers' beliefs,\" and a third centered on \"practices\" and \"perception\" in adapted Physical Education. International collaboration was variable, with institutions predominantly from the United States, Brazil, and Spain. The most influential journals included Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study reveals a notable growth in research on Physical Education practicums since 2010, with three main thematic clusters and a low level of author collaboration.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1532754"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11965659/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143779821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of sleep hygiene knowledge and physical activity with sleep quality in nursing and medical students: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Jacksaint Saintila, David Javier-Aliaga, Norma Del Carmen Gálvez-Díaz, Luz Antonia Barreto-Espinoza, Noemi A Buenaño-Cervera, Yaquelin E Calizaya-Milla","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1453404","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1453404","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sleep quality and physical activity are fundamental factors in the optimal functioning of the human organism and maintaining overall health. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between knowledge of sleep hygiene and physical activity in relation to sleep quality among nursing and medical students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a cross-sectional online study, a suitable and convenient sample of 300 nursing and medical students from a private university located in Chiclayo, Peru, was collected. Data were collected using the following instruments: a questionnaire concerning sleep hygiene knowledge, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The data collection period spanned January and February 2024.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the total sample, 59.3%, 51.7%, and 69.7% reported insufficient knowledge of sleep hygiene, low physical activity and poor sleep quality, respectively. Sleep hygiene knowledge and physical activity explained 17.9% of the variability in sleep quality (<i>R</i> ² = 0.179, <i>F</i> = 32.31, <i>p</i> < 0.001). In addition, there is a positive and significant association between knowledge of sleep hygiene (<i>β</i> = 0.27; <i>p</i> < 0.001) and physical activity (<i>β</i> = 0.24; <i>p</i> < .001) with sleep quality.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings indicate that interventions designed to improve sleep hygiene knowledge and physical activity may be effective strategies for improving sleep duration among nursing and medical students.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1453404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11965603/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143779814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of the disbandment of elite ice hockey teams in Korea and measures for improvement.","authors":"Young Man Park, Mi Ae Shin, Dong Hyun Won","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1517277","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1517277","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>As Korea's elite ice hockey teams continue to disband, the elite ice hockey environment continues to deteriorate. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the phenomenon, identify problems, and suggest improvement measures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Delphi technique was conducted in three rounds with the nine research participants who had experience with team dissolution.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The de-tailed items were identified by the categories of coaches, players, and parents, and the coaches' detailed items were \"lack of coaches\" college entrance exam solving capabilities', \"student assault incidents committed by coaches\", and \"poor working conditions and treatment of coaches\". The detailed items for players were \"lack of basic knowledge of team sports\", \"lack of basic manners in team sports\", \"decline in teamwork due to individual egoism\", and \"perception that parents\" opinions are prioritized over coaches'. The detailed items for parents were \"parental involvement in training\", \"parental involvement in hiring coaches\", \"parental involvement in player management\", \"parental involvement in school operation\", and \"parental involvement in game participation\".</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Based on the problems and discussions that emerged from this study, if we conclude, coaches, players, and parents should recognize that each of them has their own problems, rather than blaming each other, and in the actual field, practical efforts for improvement should be reflected at the team level. In particular, an atmosphere in which parents truly want to change should be created, and in order to improve in the long term, efforts should be made based on academic data.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1517277"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11961866/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143772132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness and acceptance of virtual reality vs. traditional exercise in obese adults: a pilot randomized trial.","authors":"Evlalia Touloudi, Mary Hassandra, Evangelos Galanis, Gerasimos Pinnas, Charalampos Krommidas, Marios Goudas, Yannis Theodorakis","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1520068","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1520068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Obesity is a significant global health concern, increasing the risk of various diseases and health complications. Effective and engaging exercise interventions are urgently needed for obesity management. This pilot study examines the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-based exercise compared to traditional exercise, both combined with Self-Determination Theory (SDT)-based counseling, individuals with obesity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty individuals with overweight/obesity were randomly assigned to either a VR-based exercise group (intervention) or a traditional exercise group (control), with both groups receiving SDT-based counseling over 4 weeks. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants in the VR-based exercise group showed significant reductions in BMI (2.6%) and body fat mass (5.3%) and consequently in hips circumference, compared to the control group. They also exhibited greater increases in physical activity levels, and improved psychological outcomes, including basic psychological needs (BPN), self-efficacy, self-esteem, and attitudes toward the program comparing with the control group. Moreover, the intervention group scored higher in interest/enjoyment and attitudes towards exercise compared with the control group and showed great results in perceived enjoyment, intention for future use, usability, and positive perceptions of using the VR system. Based on the participants' interviews, VR-based exercise was found to be more enjoyable and engaging.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings suggest that VR-based exercise combined with counseling is more effective than traditional exercise in reducing weight, increasing physical activity, and improving psychological outcomes individuals with obesity. The immersive nature of VR may enhance motivation and adherence to exercise programs, offering a promising alternative for obesity management. However, the study's small sample size, short duration, and reliance on self-reported measures may limit its generalizability. Future research should explore long-term adherence, effectiveness in diverse populations, psychological mechanisms behind engagement, and comparisons with emerging fitness technologies like AI-powered platforms.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1520068"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11962008/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143772137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How far along the future path do individuals recognize the path for stepping on multiple footfall targets? A new evaluation method under virtual reality.","authors":"Ryotaro Waki, Kazuyuki Sato, Junki Inoue, Minoru Yamada, Takahiro Higuchi","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1526576","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2025.1526576","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The ability to visually recognize the path ahead during walking is essential for adjusting gait patterns in an anticipatory manner to mitigate perturbations induced by tripping. In this study, we aimed to develop a walking task within a virtual reality (VR) environment, termed the VR multi-target stepping (VR-MTS) task, as a method to evaluate the extent to which individuals can recognize the path ahead while continuously stepping on footfall targets.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>As an initial study for the development of the VR multi-target stepping (VR-MTS) task, we tested a sample of young individuals (8 males and 5 females, aged 26.2 ± 3.7 years). Participants donned a head-mounted display (HMD) and walked for a distance of 4 m, under four distinct conditions. Participants were instructed to step on squares of specific color and that participants were instructed to step onto white squares that had been of the footfall target color for all conditions. In three of these conditions, all three colored squares present in the same row-located either one, two, or three rows ahead of the participants-were programmed to change to white (i.e., N + 1, N + 2, and N + 3 conditions). This setup was designed to evaluate the participant's ability to recognize the colors of the footfall targets at varying distances. In the control condition, no changes occurred in the colored squares during the walking task.</p><p><strong>Results and discussion: </strong>The rate of stepping failure was significantly higher under the N + 3 condition compared to the other three conditions. This finding suggests that young individuals are capable of recognizing footfall targets approximately two rows ahead when performing the VR multi-target stepping (VR-MTS) task but encounter difficulties when attempting to recognize targets located three rows ahead. Under the N + 3 condition, participants frequently stepped onto distractor squares, indicating a failure to recognize the stepping target situated three rows ahead, resulting in a random selection of the square to step on. Based on these findings, we conclude that the VR-MTS task is a valid method for evaluating visual recognition of the future path while stepping on multiple footfall targets.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"7 ","pages":"1526576"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11961907/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143772142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}