{"title":"Foot-strike angle affects performance and injury risk during cutting in soccer athletes.","authors":"Alex N Denton, Emily Karolidis, Michael E Hahn","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2741752","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2026.2741752","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Female soccer athletes experience elevated rates of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries, particularly during cutting tasks that require rapid energy absorption and generation at the knee. This study examined the effects of sex and fatigue on knee joint power and foot‑strike angle during unanticipated cutting in cleated footwear. Twenty athletes (10 M/10F) completed unanticipated cuts before and after a standardized fatigue protocol. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected, and knee joint power and foot‑strike angle were calculated using standard inverse dynamics. Neither sex nor fatigue significantly influenced peak positive knee joint power (<i>p</i> > 0.05), although greater power was associated with faster approach velocities (<i>p</i> = 0.040). In contrast, peak negative knee joint power was greater in females, indicating a greater rate of energy absorption at the knee (<i>p</i> = 0.027). Foot‑strike angle differed by sex (<i>p</i> = 0.026), with females demonstrating greater angles at initial contact. A moderate negative correlation was observed between foot‑strike angle and peak negative knee joint power (r = -0.64, <i>p</i> = 0.005). These findings suggest that sex-related differences in cutting strategy may influence how energy is absorbed at the knee, with foot‑strike emerging as a potential contributor to these mechanical patterns.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149111229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimism and athlete thriving: The roles of attribution of disciplinary coaching and mental toughness.","authors":"Rong Fan, Lan Pang, Pengfei Chu","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2717030","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2717030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Grounded in Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, this study examined how dispositional optimism predicts athlete thriving through the sequential mediating roles of Attribution of Disciplinary Coaching (ADC) and mental toughness. A national sample of 610 elite Chinese athletes completed relevant measures. SEM with Bootstrap analysis (5,000 resamples) revealed that optimism directly predicted thriving (β = .19, 95% CI [0.077, 0.327]; H1). Functional attribution positively mediated this relationship (indirect effect = .11, 95% CI [0.059, 0.192]; H2a), while hostile attribution negatively mediated it (indirect effect = .02, 95% CI [0.002, 0.050]; H2b). Mental toughness also functioned as a significant mediator (indirect effect = .13, 95% CI [0.074, 0.239]; H3). Functional attribution and mental toughness together formed a significant sequential mediation pathway (indirect effect = .04, 95% CI [0.018, 0.082]; H4a), whereas the hostile attribution pathway was not supported (H4b). These findings identify causal attribution as a previously understudied cognitive mechanism linking optimism to thriving, and position mental toughness as a generative resource built through positive cognitive processing rather than a purely defensive buffer. Practical implications for attribution retraining and coach communication are discussed, with the acknowledgement that cultivating athlete psychological resources should complement rather than substitute efforts toward more supportive coaching environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"2809-2823"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148707029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yalu Li, Mingyue Yin, Huakun Zheng, Zhuolin Tang, Henghao Yan, Niels B J Vollaard, Qian Liu
{"title":"Effects of sprint interval training on markers of metabolic health: A three-level meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.","authors":"Yalu Li, Mingyue Yin, Huakun Zheng, Zhuolin Tang, Henghao Yan, Niels B J Vollaard, Qian Liu","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2735681","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2026.2735681","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sprint interval training (SIT) has been proposed as a time-efficient strategy for improving cardiometabolic health. However, uncertainty remains about its effects on metabolic health. We systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing SIT with no-exercise control or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Three-level meta-analysis, subgroup analyses, and meta-regression were performed. Forty trials involving 1,460 participants were included. Compared with no-exercise control, SIT significantly improved glycemic outcomes, insulin responses, and lipid-related outcomes, although heterogeneity was substantial to considerable and some estimates were sensitive to study or effect-size removal. No significant differences were found between SIT and MICT at the outcome-domain level. Outcome-specific analyses favored SIT for fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and total cholesterol (TC) versus no-exercise control, and for HOMA-IR versus MICT. Health condition moderated glycemic outcomes, while measurement type and exercise modality moderated lipid-related outcomes. Intervention duration, sprint duration, and number of sprints per session were not significant moderators. Evidence certainty was low to very low. SIT may improve metabolic outcomes compared with no exercise and produce broadly comparable effects to MICT, but findings should be interpreted cautiously because of heterogeneity, sensitivity, and limited evidence certainty.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-25"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149111240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna J Butcher, Sarah Ward, Tracey Clissold, Jim Richards, Kim Hébert-Losier
{"title":"Biomechanical differences across pubertal maturation stages and sexes in a single-leg drop-land and a single-leg drop-land-and-cut task.","authors":"Anna J Butcher, Sarah Ward, Tracey Clissold, Jim Richards, Kim Hébert-Losier","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2741489","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2026.2741489","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries account for 45% of internal knee injuries, often having prolonged recovery and substantial care costs. Higher non-contact ACL injury rates have been reported in post-pubertal females compared with males and pre-pubertal individuals, which is potentially linked with biomechanical changes associated with musculoskeletal and neuromuscular development. Up to 80% of non-contact ACL injuries occur during single-leg landing or cutting; hence, a single-leg drop-land and single-leg drop-land-and-cut task were used to investigate the effect of sex and maturation on biomechanics associated with ACL injury risk. Sixty-nine males and females at three maturation stages (Males <i>n</i> = 16 pre-pubertal, 11 mid-pubertal, 11 post-pubertal; Females <i>n =</i> 10 pre-pubertal, 9 mid-pubertal, 10 post-pubertal) were categorised using Tanner stages, peak height velocity and the pubertal maturation observation scale. Biomechanical metrics were compared using 3D motion capture and force plate technology using a two-by-three-way ANOVA. Post-pubertal females did not exhibit biomechanics suggesting comparatively higher ACL injury risk. Pre-pubertal participants exhibited greater relative vertical ground reaction forces and knee moments that suggested a lack of resistance to potentially injurious positions, compared to the other groups. Implementing screening and injury prevention pre-puberty could help develop safer movement patterns that reduce ACL injury risk with maturation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149111246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Charlotte M Robertson, Sean Williams, Stephen W West, Simon Kemp, Matt Cross, Keith A Stokes
{"title":"Changing playing surfaces is associated with increased injury incidence and burden rates in men's elite rugby union.","authors":"Charlotte M Robertson, Sean Williams, Stephen W West, Simon Kemp, Matt Cross, Keith A Stokes","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2713871","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2713871","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined the association between playing surface changes and match injury risk in professional men's rugby in England. Nine seasons of injury data (2013/14-2021/22) were collected from 15 clubs. Incidence, severity and burden of injury were compared between conditions involving surface changes in matches from 1 week to the next ('change') and consistent surface use ('no change'). Injury burden was significantly higher under 'change' conditions ('change' 2,739 d/1,000 h, [2,571-2,917] vs. 'no change' 2,210 d/1,000 h, [2,131-2,292], <i>p</i> < 0.001, RR = 1.24 [1.15-1.33]), primarily due to higher injury incidence. Changing <i>to</i> artificial surfaces resulted in greater injury incidence ('change to artificial': 92.6/1,000 h, [85.19-100.8] vs. 'change to hybrid/natural': 74.1/1,000 h, [67.4-81.5], RR = 1.24 [1.10-1.42]), severity ('change to artificial': 35 days, [32-38] vs. 'change to hybrid/natural': 31 d/1,000 h, [28-34], <i>p</i> < 0.001) and burden of injury ('change to artificial': 3,206 /1,000 h, [2,946-3,489] vs. 'change to hybrid/natural': 2,265 d/1000 h, [2,060-2,491], <i>p</i> < 0.001, RR = 1.42 [1.25-1.61]) compared to changing to hybrid/natural surfaces. Surface transitions, particularly to artificial surfaces, are associated with significantly higher injury incidence and burden. These data can inform player preparation strategies and interventions to mitigate injury risk during surface transitions.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"2672-2679"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148794750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brooke McGregor, Vivian Y J Lee, Kate M Edwards, Melanie Keep, Sophie Lewis
{"title":"A qualitative exploration of Australian women's experiences of returning to physical activity after early pregnancy loss.","authors":"Brooke McGregor, Vivian Y J Lee, Kate M Edwards, Melanie Keep, Sophie Lewis","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2717025","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2717025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Early pregnancy loss is common and can have significant physical and psychological impacts on women. Physical activity may support emotional and physical recovery; however, no specific guidelines exist for women following early pregnancy loss, and little is known about their experiences of returning to activity. This study explored how women navigated their return to physical activity after early pregnancy loss. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who had experienced early pregnancy loss in Australia, and data were analysed thematically. Three key themes were generated: 1. A lack of clear professional guidance about physical activity increases uncertainty, 2. The complexity of deciding when to return to physical activity, and 3. The perceived benefits of physical activity during recovery. No participants reported receiving proactive advice about physical activity from health professionals, contributing to uncertainty about how to safely resume activity. Participants' decisions about returning to activity were shaped by physical symptoms, emotional readiness, past exercise experiences and social relationships. All participants described meaningful benefits from re-engaging in physical activity, including emotional relief, well-being, and a sense of control. These findings highlight the need for flexible, evidence-informed physical activity guidance that reflects both the emotional and physical dimensions of recovery following early pregnancy loss.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"2783-2793"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148766592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Martinez-Navarro I, Vicente-Mampel J, López-Grueso R, Collado-Boira E, Hernando C
{"title":"Acute effects of a submaximal 5-km downhill running bout upon uphill walking economy and lower-limb strength in trail runners.","authors":"Martinez-Navarro I, Vicente-Mampel J, López-Grueso R, Collado-Boira E, Hernando C","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2717034","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2717034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Our aim was to investigate the effects of downhill running (DR) on lower-limb strength and uphill walking (UW) economy, ventilatory pattern, and step kinematics. Thirty-six experienced trail runners (11 females; 45 ± 8 years, BMI: 23 ± 2.4 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, VO<sub>2</sub>peak: 57 ± 8 ml O<sub>2</sub>.kg<sup>-1.</sup>min<sup>-1</sup>) completed a cardiopulmonary exercise test to determine first ventilatory threshold (VT<sub>1</sub>). During a second visit, UW economy at VT<sub>1</sub> (5 min at 20% gradient), expressed as vertical oxygen cost (OC<sub>vert</sub>) and energy cost of transport (EC<sub>vert</sub>), was tested before and after a DR bout (5 km at -15% gradient; intensity set by matching HR to HR at uphill VT<sub>1</sub>). Isometric ankle plantar flexion and half-squat strength (PF and SQ) were assessed pre- and post-DR. During UW, minute ventilation (V<sub>E</sub>), frequency of respiration (F<sub>R</sub>), tidal volume (V<sub>T</sub>), step length (SL), and frequency (SF) were recorded. DR did not alter OC<sub>vert</sub> or EC<sub>vert.</sub> PF and SQ exhibited small declines (d = -0.49 and d = -0.25, respectively). V<sub>E</sub> and F<sub>R</sub> rose slightly (d = 0.17 and d = 0.43, respectively), while V<sub>T</sub> decreased marginally (d = -0.15). SL remained unchanged, whereas SF dropped slightly (d = -0.15). A 5-km submaximal DR bout did not deteriorate UW economy. However, the ventilatory response shifted slightly towards a more superficial breathing pattern, and a small impairment in lower-limb strength was observed.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"2824-2834"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matheus Benoti Ribeiro da Silva, Sebastião Henrique Assis Silva, Mariana Luíza de Lima, Markus V C Souza, Fábio L Orsatti
{"title":"Reliability, accuracy, and responsiveness of the five-repetition sit-to-stand estimated power for detecting menopausal status and monitoring intervention effects in women.","authors":"Matheus Benoti Ribeiro da Silva, Sebastião Henrique Assis Silva, Mariana Luíza de Lima, Markus V C Souza, Fábio L Orsatti","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2722769","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2722769","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to determine whether menopausal status (MS) is associated with output power in the five-repetition sit-to-stand test and to assess the reliability, accuracy, and sensitivity of an equation-based power estimate in postmenopausal women (PMW). A total of 122 women (100 PMW) performed the five-repetition sit-to-stand (5STS) test on a force platform. Power was analyzed for reliability, accuracy, and responsiveness using baseline, test-retest, and training data. MS significantly influenced power (<i>p</i> < 0.01), with an interaction between age and MS (<i>p</i> = 0.038). Estimated power showed excellent test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.90) and agreement (ICC = 0.87), increasing 7.6% on retest, although prediction error exceeded 45 watts. Compared to platform values, estimated power had good consistency (ICC ≥ 0.88) but moderate agreement (ICC ≤ 0.78), affected by transition time (<i>p</i> < 0.001). After 3 months of resistance training, 75 women showed power gains with both methods (<i>p</i> < 0.05): 7.7% with the equation and 4.3% with the platform (difference of 6.2 watts, <i>p</i> = 0.146). Method agreement in detecting changes was 84%, with similar outcomes in PMW. These findings suggest menopause is linked to lower 5STS power and that the estimation equation offers a reliable, accessible alternative for assessing power in PMW.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"2907-2919"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148818770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A St Clair Gibson, Y X R Harley, K Sharwood, L Grobler, T D Noakes, M Collins, M I Lambert, E A Raja, A J Lee
{"title":"Age-related force output changes in the knee extensors are different to those in the arm flexors.","authors":"A St Clair Gibson, Y X R Harley, K Sharwood, L Grobler, T D Noakes, M Collins, M I Lambert, E A Raja, A J Lee","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2715264","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2026.2715264","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined the effect of age on force output and muscle anthropometric differences in the arm flexor and leg extensor muscles. Seventy-four participants aged 16 to 71 years participated in the study. Peak force output was significantly negatively correlated with increasing age in the leg extensor muscles (r = - 0.46; <i>p</i> = 0.015), while in the arm flexor muscles this relationship was not significant (r = - 0.16; <i>p</i> = 0.181). After adjustment for activity level, age was an independent predictor of arm and leg peak force values (all <i>p</i> < 0.01). Lean muscle volume was also significantly negatively correlated with age in the leg muscles (r = - 0.46, <i>p</i> = 0.01), while in the arm muscles this correlation was not significant (r = 0.04, <i>p</i> = 0.739). Peak force was significantly positively correlated with lean volume in both leg (r = 0.64; <i>p</i> = 0.01) and arm (r = 0.74; <i>p</i> = 0.01) muscles, indicating that loss of muscle mass in the leg may be the main cause of the decrements in force output with increasing age in the legs compared to the arm muscles. These findings suggest that decrements in force output in the knee extensors, which are associated with increasing age, were related to decreases in lean volume of the muscles of the lower limb. These findings identify that leg muscles are more greatly affected by age-related strength losses than in the arm muscles, which has implications for both training in the elderly and precautions against falls when ambulatory using the lower limbs, with the lower limbs perhaps needing more focused strength training to attenuate these age-related effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"2775-2782"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148701596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}