Frontiers in Sports and Active Living最新文献

{"title":"Football and symbols: a Bayesian analysis of symbolic consumption in sports club brands.","authors":"Ruby Lorena Carrillo, Alfredo Guzmán, Nestor Ordoñez, Dario Jose Espinal","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1807788","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1807788","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Contemporary football operates as a cultural system in which club brands function as symbolic resources through which fans construct identity, lifestyle, and social belonging. However, existing research has largely relied on linear analytical approaches, limiting the understanding of how real social identity, ideal social identity, and lifestyle interact as an integrated symbolic system.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study aims to analyze how football club brands generate a sense of belonging through symbolic consumption, considering the interrelationships among real social identity, ideal social identity, and lifestyle.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A quantitative, cross-sectional, non-experimental design was employed using a non-probabilistic sample of 786 Colombian football fans. Data were collected through validated symbolic consumption scales measuring real social identity, ideal social identity, and lifestyle as perceptions of brand-self congruence; the sense of belonging was not directly measured but theoretically inferred. A Bayesian network analysis was conducted using a Gaussian graphical model to estimate conditional dependencies among items and identify the most central nodes of the symbolic consumption network.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results reveal a cohesive yet differentiated symbolic network composed of nine nodes and 21 significant conditional relationships. Items measuring ideal social identity showed the greatest relational prominence in the network, exhibiting the highest levels of closeness, betweenness, and expected influence. Real social identity items occupied a more peripheral position, while lifestyle items showed a moderate integrative role, linking identity perceptions to self-reported lifestyle congruence. These findings suggest that the perceived symbolic connection with football brands is, in this sample, more strongly associated with aspirational self-projection than with congruence with the current self-image.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Within the scope of the nine items analyzed, the sample studied, and the cross-sectional design, symbolic consumption in football appears to be predominantly aspirational. The results suggest that football club brands may operate as narrative and cultural devices through which fans project desired identities. Methodologically, the study illustrates the value of Bayesian network analysis for exploring the relational structure of symbolic consumption in sport.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1807788"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662070/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149192844","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":"From monitoring metrics to decision evidence: validating actionability in applied sport science.","authors":"Cyril Besson, Frédéric Stucky","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1983979","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1983979","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In high-performance sport, athlete monitoring and management systems now make physiological, biomechanical, and contextual data easier to collect and share than ever before. Yet it remains unclear whether this expansion has produced better decisions or improved athlete-relevant outcomes. Existing frameworks classify monitoring tools, establish standards for verifying and validating biometric technologies for a stated use, and, increasingly, link patterns of monitoring signals to candidate coaching actions. These advances are necessary, but they do not establish whether valid monitoring information influences decisions or improves the outcomes those decisions are intended to affect. In this Perspective, we argue that actionability should be treated as a claim about decision utility rather than as an inherent property of a metric or monitoring system. We distinguish two levels of evaluation: decision impact, whether monitoring information influences the decision that would otherwise have been made; and outcome evidence, whether the resulting decision improves or protects athlete-relevant outcomes. Practical value also depends on whether a pathway is implemented as intended and whether its benefits justify the burden of implementation. To support evaluation in applied settings, we outline feasible approaches ranging from descriptive audits and decision-impact studies to pragmatic outcome designs. Although our primary focus is high-performance sport, the same decision-evidence logic may extend to health, rehabilitation, and amateur sport. Ultimately, monitoring should be judged by the strength of evidence linking its use to decisions that serve the athlete's best interest.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1983979"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13661024/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181227","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":"Does the different function of the lead vs. trail foot lead to functional asymmetry in balance performance of sub-elite youth cross-country mountain bikers? A pilot study.","authors":"Sam Limpach, Matthias Lauer, Moritz Schreiber, Katharina Borgmann, Thomas Muehlbauer, Stefan Panzer","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1944180","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1944180","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>During descents, cornering, or coasting over obstacles, cross-country mountain bikers use an isometric split stance with horizontally aligned pedals, establishing a distinct \"lead\" and \"trail\" leg. This pilot study investigated whether the different functions of the lead compared to the trail foot are associated with inter-limb functional asymmetry (FA) in proactive and reactive balance performance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twelve sub-elite youth cross-country mountain bikers (10 males, age: 13.5 ± 1.7 years, training history: 4.7 years) were assessed. Proactive balance was evaluated using the Y-Balance Test-Lower Quarter (YBT-LQ). Reactive balance was assessed via Time to Stabilization (TTS) during single-leg drop landings. Statistical analyses utilized Kruskal-Wallis H-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare performance differences between the lead and trail leg.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant differences between the lead and trail leg were observed across any reach directions or the composite score of the YBT-LQ. Contrarily, TTS revealed a significant difference (<i>Z</i> = 2.59, <i>p</i> = .010, <i>r</i> = .75) for the mediolateral plane, with the lead leg having a faster TTS.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Chronic participation in mountain biking was associated with an FA in measures of reactive balance specifically isolated to the ML plane. Since off-road descents present unpredictable, high-speed perturbations, the rider must rely heavily on a mediolateral \"hip strategy.\" The superior reactive stabilization of the lead leg suggests that this specific FA could serve as a sport-specific performance indicator.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1944180"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13661986/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181178","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 relationship between technostress and work engagement among college physical education teachers: a chain mediation model of job crafting and emotional intelligence.","authors":"Yihang Deng, Tong Liu, Genzhong Yin, Xudong Jin","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1938579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1938579","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Technostress refers to a psychological stress state arising from an individual's inability to cope with the demands or expectations associated with information technology use, and is closely related to teachers' work attitudes and behavioral performance. However, the psychological mechanism through which technostress is associated with work engagement among college physical education (PE) teachers remains unclear. This study tested a theoretically-based chain mediation model examining the associations among technostress, job crafting, emotional intelligence, and work engagement among college PE teachers, with a particular focus on the theorized sequential mediating roles of job crafting and emotional intelligence.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The sample consisted of 1,000 college PE teachers from multiple universities across China (52.6% male, 47.4% female; mean age = 38.5 ± 8.7 years). They completed measures of technostress, job crafting, emotional intelligence, and work engagement. Mediation analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 with the PROCESS macro (Model 6), and indirect effects were estimated using 5,000 bootstrap resamples.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Technostress was significantly and negatively correlated with work engagement. Regression analyses showed that technostress was found to be a significant negative predictor of job crafting, emotional intelligence, and work engagement, while job crafting and emotional intelligence were positive predictors of work engagement. Mediation analysis indicated that technostress exerted significant indirect effects on work engagement through job crafting alone, emotional intelligence alone, and their sequential pathway. The total indirect effect accounted for 38.04% of the total effect, suggesting a meaningful but not exclusive mediating role of these two variables.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Technostress is negatively associated with work engagement among college PE teachers, with job crafting and emotional intelligence serving both independent and chain mediating roles. These findings highlight that technostress, job crafting, and emotional intelligence represent important psychological pathways associated with work engagement, offering practical implications for designing targeted teacher intervention strategies that are consistent with the theoretical model.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1938579"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657982/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181220","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 between environmental heat stress and 30:15 intermittent fitness test performance in youth football players: a two-season observational study.","authors":"Vincenzo Rago, Edgar Schwarz, Júlio A Costa, George P Nassis, Pedro Figueiredo","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1896010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1896010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intermittent field tests in football are commonly conducted outdoors, exposing players to environmental heat stress. This study examined the influence of environmental heat stress on the 30:15 Intermittent Fitness Test (V_IFT) performance in highly trained young football players. A total of 642 V_IFT assessments were collected from 312 male players (U14-U19) across two seasons. Environmental conditions were obtained from an open-source service. Heat stress was quantified via the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and categorized into unrestricted (<22 °C), low-risk (22 °C-28 °C) and high-risk (>28 °C) conditions. Linear mixed models were used to analyze the associations between anthropometric, neuromuscular, and environmental factors on V_IFT performance. V_IFT decreased by ∼0.4 km/h in low-risk and ∼1.5 km/h in high-risk heat conditions (<i>d</i> = 0.12-0.45; <i>P</i> < 0.01) compared to unrestricted. These differences persisted after adjusting for anthropometric characteristics and CMJ performance, except in U19 players, where the V_IFT decrement in low-risk conditions disappeared (<i>P</i> = 0.183). The V_IFT declined by 0.09-0.15 km/h for every 1 °C increase in WBGT (<i>r</i> = -0.74 to -0.28; <i>P</i> < 0.05). Our findings suggest the V_IFT performance might decrease by one running stage (0.5 km/h) for every ∼5 °C increase in WBGT. Practitioners should account for environmental conditions when profiling players and prescribing training based on the V_IFT.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1896010"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658194/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181128","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":"Isometric trunk strength in seated para-athletes: relationship to manual muscle testing and comparison with non-impaired controls.","authors":"Marie Lund Ohlsson, Frida Lidén, Johanna S Rosén, Kajetan Ciunelis, Karina Sá, Yves Vanlandewijck, Anna Bjerkefors","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1888235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1888235","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Trunk muscle strength is an important performance indicator in para-athletes competing in seated sports and is commonly assessed in classification systems using manual muscle testing (MMT), together with functional and sport-specific tests. Quantitative isometric strength measures may provide complementary information about force-generating capacity. However, the relationship between isometric trunk strength and MMT-assessed trunk and hip strength is not well described in para-athletes with neuromusculoskeletal impairments. This study aimed to examine isometric trunk strength in seated para-athletes and compare it with 1) MMT scores of the trunk and hips and 2) isometric trunk strength in a reference group without physical impairments.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Male para-athletes competing in seated sports (<i>n</i> = 32, 34.7 ± 13.7 years, 8.7 ± 4.1 exercise h/week) and a reference group without physical impairments of similar age and weekly exercise (<i>n</i> = 10, 35.0 ± 12.5 years, 9.8 ± 6.4 exercise h/week) participated. Isometric strength was measured seated for flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral flexion using a strength rig. MMT of the trunk and hips was summed to obtain an MMT Trunk-Hip score. Associations with isometric strength were examined using Spearman's rank correlation. Para-athletes were categorized into Very Low, Low, Moderate, and High MMT Trunk-Hip groups. Group differences were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher MMT Trunk-Hip scores were associated with greater maximal isometric trunk strength in all movement directions (<i>p</i> < 0.001), with large effect sizes. The High group did not differ from the reference group, whereas the Very Low and Low groups consistently demonstrated lower strength across directions. The Moderate group showed greater heterogeneity, with strength varying by movement direction.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>MMT Trunk-Hip scores were strongly associated with isometric trunk strength in seated para-athletes, supporting MMT's ability to capture meaningful differences in trunk and hip muscle strength. However, direction-specific variation indicates that MMT does not fully characterize force-generating capacity. Quantitative isometric strength testing may provide complementary information for evaluating and monitoring trunk strength, particularly for performance enhancement. In para-sport classification, these findings support the construct validity of MMT while highlighting the potential value of quantitative strength measures for developing and validating multidimensional assessment methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1888235"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658499/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181230","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":"Angle-torque relationship and muscular activity patterns during concentric contractions with a novel variable cam system.","authors":"Renato da Costa-Machado, Diogo L Marques, Runer A Marson, Letícia Costa de Sousa, Hugo Plácido da Silva, Hugo Louro, Daniel A Marinho, Ana Conceição","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1913115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1913115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Understanding the angle -torque relationship requires recognizing that torque can differ across contraction modes. This study aimed to analyze the performance of the Variable Moment Arm Cam® (VMAC®) by examining torque production and muscle activation during concentric leg extension contractions across the full range of motion (ROM) (100°-0°) and comparing them with those obtained using an isokinetic dynamometer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In total, 22 young men (20.55 ± 2.19 years; 175.41 ± 7.21 cm; 72.80 ± 9.90 kg; 18.00 ± 5.83% body fat; 23.63 ± 2.82 kg·m⁻²) participated in four randomized moments of torque and muscle activity assessments, two using the VMAC® and two using an isokinetic dynamometer. Torque and muscle activity data were synchronized and recorded across the entire ROM (100°-0°) and evaluated at 5° intervals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The VMAC® system produced strength curves that closely matched those observed when using the isokinetic dynamometer across the initial and mid-ROM joint angles (100°-35°), peaking around mid-ROM (70°-65°). Muscle activity differed across conditions while the torque production remained similar.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The VMAC® generated torque patterns comparable to isokinetic dynamometry, showing the strongest alignment at mid-ROM, supporting the use of this system to replicate natural human strength curves while highlighting the opportunity to refine cam geometry.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1913115"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181191","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":"Does exercise environment moderate the effects of Tai Chi on depression and anxiety? A systematic review and meta-analysis of indoor vs. outdoor practice settings.","authors":"Nan Zhang, Guidan Hu, Xiujie Ma","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1955833","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1955833","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent mental disorders that impose a substantial global health burden. As a traditional mind-body exercise, Tai Chi has demonstrated well-established non-pharmacological benefits for alleviating negative emotional symptoms. However, previous meta-analyses have primarily focused on intervention dosage (e.g., frequency and duration) or participant characteristics, while largely overlooking the potential influence of the physical exercise environment as a contextual ecological factor. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the overall effects of Tai Chi on depression and anxiety and to determine whether indoor and outdoor practice settings moderate these mental health benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was performed in CNKI, Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase for studies published from database inception to June 2026. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating Tai Chi as the primary intervention and reporting outcomes related to depression and/or anxiety were included. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias using the RoB 2.0 tool. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's &lt;i&gt;Q&lt;/i&gt; test and the &lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; statistic. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed to examine the potential moderating effect of the exercise environment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 15 RCTs involving 847 participants were included. Tai Chi significantly reduced both depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.93, 95% CI: -1.25 to -0.61, &lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 75.1%) and anxiety symptoms (SMD = -0.93, 95% CI: -1.23 to -0.64, &lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 62.9%). Although univariate subgroup analyses descriptively showed larger effect sizes in outdoor settings than in indoor settings for both depression (SMD = -1.06 vs. -0.88) and anxiety (SMD = -1.08 vs. -0.90), outdoor subgroups comprised few studies (&lt;i&gt;k&lt;/i&gt; = 4) with substantial heterogeneity (&lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; &gt; 78%). Crucially, multivariable meta-regression analyses confirmed that the exercise environment was not a statistically significant independent moderator for either depression (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.90) or anxiety (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.21) after adjusting for age, intervention duration, and dosage parameters.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Tai Chi is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating depression and anxiety. However, current empirical evidence does not support an independent moderating effect of the exercise environment. The observed numerical differences between indoor and outdoor settings should","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1955833"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13660419/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181199","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":"Low-overshoot control method for tennis trainer based on active disturbance rejection control.","authors":"Jin Zhong, Chenhao Luo, Jin Chen","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1832801","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1832801","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional tennis trainers employing passive return mechanisms (springs or rubber bands) suffer from fixed return angles, non-adjustable damping, inability to measure hitting speed, and monotonous training modes. To overcome these limitations, this paper presents an active return device based on a joint motor and proposes a low-overshoot control method using Nonlinear Active Disturbance Rejection Control (NLADRC). The device integrates a joint motor with an encoder, an embedded controller, and a striking target mounted on a rotating arm, enabling real-time speed calculation, adjustable damping, and precise active return. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of ADRC to an active return device for striking-sports training, and it constitutes the primary innovation of this work. In MATLAB simulations, NLADRC reduces the 0°→180° step-response overshoot by 82% and the post-disturbance settling time by 62.5% compared with a tuned PID controller. Hardware experiments on a prototype closely match the simulations, with a step-response overshoot of about 2.8% and a disturbance recovery time of about 0.4 s under NLADRC. A four-unit cooperative training system demonstrates sequential and random multi-target modes with audio-visual feedback, and a preliminary usability survey with 30 amateur players yields mean ratings above 4.2 out of 5 on five dimensions. These results validate the proposed device and controller and demonstrate the superiority of NLADRC over PID for this application together with acceptable preliminary usability; direct effects on tennis skill acquisition or training outcomes are beyond the scope of this study and remain to be examined in future longitudinal work.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1832801"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655093/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164220","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":"Perception of quality of an international recreational gymnastics event: the case of the GIMNASTRADA 2019.","authors":"Vicente Luis-Del Campo, Jesús Muñoz-Jiménez, Héctor Valentín Jiménez-Naranjo, Kiko Francisco León","doi":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1806745","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fspor.2026.1806745","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The GIMNASTRADA is an annual, non-competitive gymnastics event, held in the city of Cáceres (Extremadura, Spain) since 1996. The 2019 edition was the largest in number of participants with around 3,700 gymnasts and 12,000 spectators. The aim of this study was to determine whether the perception of quality of GIMNASTRADA 2019 was influenced by the type of participation that different groups of attenders developed in this gymnastic event (gymnasts, gymnastics group leaders, family members, audience, organisational staff).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To this end, a total of 331 participants completed a short four item-questionnaire created ad hoc for this study in order to evaluate the perceived quality of certain management processes existing in this sporting event (e.g., quality of facilities, planning, organisation and development). The questionnaire, based on single-item measures of previous validated scales as EVENTQUAL and IPA4RE, was answered anonymously by the participants using their own mobile devices via a Google Docs form.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed differences in questionnaire scores between groups of participants. It is concluded that the type of participation influenced the perception of quality between groups of attenders in GIMNASTRADA 2019.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>It would be advisable for sports managers to design sporting events tailored to different participant profiles, including activities adapted to their specific interests, with the aim of providing a positive experience that would promote their participation in future editions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12716,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sports and Active Living","volume":"8 ","pages":"1806745"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655125/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166111","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}