Nolwenn Pinczon Du Sel, Marie-Pierre Etienne, Cédric Leduc, Jacques Prioux, Julien Piscione, François Husson
{"title":"Accounting for relative age effect in sports performance assessment: Developing age-adjusted performance corridors using mixed models.","authors":"Nolwenn Pinczon Du Sel, Marie-Pierre Etienne, Cédric Leduc, Jacques Prioux, Julien Piscione, François Husson","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2477930","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study developed a novel statistical approach to account for relative age effect (RAE) on physical performance in young populations. Data from 1715 elite youth French rugby union players (age: mean <math><mo>=</mo><mn>15.9</mn></math>yrs, sd <math><mo>=</mo><mn>1.2</mn></math>; height: mean <math><mo>=</mo><mn>177</mn></math>cm, sd <math><mo>=</mo><mn>9</mn></math>; mass: mean <math><mo>=</mo><mn>79</mn></math>kg, sd <math><mo>=</mo><mn>16</mn></math>) were analysed using their 50 m sprint times. Linear mixed models were employed to characterise the relationship between age and physical performance, incorporating log transformations to address non-linearity and additional parameters to refine model accuracy. Confidence intervals around predictions established performance corridors for each age, while estimated individual effects enabled the calculation of personalised progression curves and corridors. The findings provided novel insights into accounting for RAE and underscored the utility of advanced statistical methods in performance assessment. Specifically, the approach addressed non-linearity in progression with respect to both age and performance level, introduced a new performance indicator - the corridors - that integrates chronological and relative age, and provided a personalised framework for tracking athletes, progression over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143663820","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":"Personality predictors of exercise addiction in competitive sport.","authors":"Tereza Vítková, Kristýna Rusnáková, Jiří Mudrák","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2477922","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exercise addiction is increasingly recognized as a possible threat to athletes' well-being, especially in elite sports. However, research on underlying personality predictors predisposing athletes to exercise addiction remains limited. This study hypothesized several key personality attributes including athletic identity, sport motivation, perfectionism, and neuroticism as possible risk factors of exercise addiction in elite athletes and examined relationships between these personality attributes and symptoms of exercise addiction in 168 Czech elite athletes aged from 18 to 30 years. Results showed that 16.5% of athletes exhibited signs of exercise addiction, while 76.7% were at risk with low symptom severity. Multiple linear regression indicated that neuroticism, introjected regulation, and athletic identity significantly predicted exercise addiction (<i>F</i>(3, 164) = 32.63, <i>p</i> < .001, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = .36). These findings underscore the importance of psychological factors in understanding exercise addiction among athletes. The high prevalence suggests discrepancies in diagnosing exercise addiction and inconsistent use of diagnostic tools, necessitating cautious interpretation of the results.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143649395","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}
L M Barnett, S J J M Verswijveren, N D Ridgers, M Tietjens, N J Lander, G Abbott
{"title":"Children with high actual and perceived motor skill competence are more physically active: A pooled latent profile analysis of cross-sectional data.","authors":"L M Barnett, S J J M Verswijveren, N D Ridgers, M Tietjens, N J Lander, G Abbott","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477419","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477419","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim was to determine profiles according to actual and perceived motor competence and provide a comparison of profiles according to moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) in children. Cross-sectional data were pooled from four Australian studies (481 children, 54.5% boys; 3.5 to 11.7 years). Motor skill competence, total, object control and locomotor (Test of Gross Motor Skill Development [TGMD)]), perceived motor skill (pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence [PMSC]) and MVPA (ActiGraph data) were assessed. Latent profile analyses identified actual and perceived skill profiles and covariate-adjusted associations with MVPA were then assessed for all children, for boys and girls. For total skills, the two-profile solution was the best fit for all children (81% '<i>high aligned</i>', i.e., high perception, high skills; 19% '<i>low aligned</i>, i.e., low perception, low skills') and for girls (71% '<i>high aligned</i>'; 29% '<i>low aligned</i>'). For boys, a three-profile solution was the best fit (49% '<i>under perceiver</i>'- low perception, high skills; 42% '<i>over perceiver</i>' - high perception, low skills; 9% '<i>low aligned</i>'). For the total skill, children in the '<i>high aligned</i>' profile (65.3 minutes) were 14.6 minutes/day more active than the \"low aligned\" profile (50.8 minutes). Intervention efforts should focus on the \"<i>low aligned</i>\" profile to increase physical activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634140","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}
Sherrilyn Walters, Lester Walters, Ben Hoffman, Celeste E Coltman, Dean E Mills
{"title":"Validity and reliability of a novel impulse-based method to analyse human striking performance.","authors":"Sherrilyn Walters, Lester Walters, Ben Hoffman, Celeste E Coltman, Dean E Mills","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477855","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2477855","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We investigated the criterion validity and within- and between-day reliability of a novel method for human striking performance assessment. The Impulse Block Method allows the measurement and calculation of a range of striking variables using a load cell incorporating an impact absorption block and laser gate timer. To assess the criterion validity, we performed repeated drop tests and compared the relationship and agreement between predicted and measured velocity and initial momentum (calculated from impulse) with predicted values using linear regression and Bland-Altman plots (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, 10 healthy adults performed palm strikes against the Impulse Block on two occasions, and within- and between-day reliability was calculated for impulse, initial momentum, velocity, effective mass, kinetic energy, and power. There was a strong linear relationship and high agreement between measured and predicted velocity and initial momentum (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, the within- and between-day coefficients of variation were 4.95-10.2% and 6.15-12.1%, respectively, for all variables. Within- and between-day intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.72-0.99 and 0.92-0.99, respectively, for all variables, indicating moderate to excellent reliability. Our findings show that the Impulse Block Method is valid and reliable for analysing a range of striking performance variables in well-targeted and perpendicular linear strikes.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634146","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":"Assessing climbing-specific strength: The impact of body position and elbow flexion on reliability and predictive validity.","authors":"N Stien, V Andersen, K Langer, A H Saeterbakken","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2477863","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Finger strength is a key determinant of climbing performance, yet the optimal method for reliable assessment remains unsettled. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of finger strength assessments across four positions: seated and standing with bent and straight arms. Twenty-six intermediate-to-elite climbers completed a climbing-specific isometric pull-down test on two occasions, 48-96 hours apart. Average and peak force outputs from the mean of three attempts and the best single attempt were analyzed. Tests performed with bent arms showed slightly higher between-sessions reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.983-0.991) compared to straight arms (ICC = 0.978-0.989). Seated positions yielded better within-session reliability (CV = 1.81-2.99%; ICC = 0.985-0.990) than standing (CV = 2.33-3.11%; ICC = 0.951-0.979). Between-sessions coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 2.04% to 3.37%. Relative finger strength correlated more strongly with climbing performance (<i>r</i> = 0.425-0.767) than absolute strength (<i>r</i> = 0.422-0.741), with seated positions showing the strongest associations (<i>r</i> = 0.709-0.767). Absolute values demonstrated slightly higher test-retest reliability, but relative values were more predictive of climbing ability, particularly in sport climbing. All tested positions proved viable for assessing maximal finger strength, although seated with bent arms appears slightly more reliable and valid. Finally, averaging three attempts or using the best single attempt provided comparable reliability.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634138","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}
Parunchaya Jamkrajang, Karl M Newell, David Jessop, Hans Von Lieres Und Wilkau, Gareth Irwin
{"title":"Dimensions of the functional degrees of freedom of the first serve in tennis.","authors":"Parunchaya Jamkrajang, Karl M Newell, David Jessop, Hans Von Lieres Und Wilkau, Gareth Irwin","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477854","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2477854","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We examined the influence of court side and target location of the ball on the coordination and control of the tennis serve. Five male and five female experienced players performed 10 'first-serves' to centre and wide targets. 3D kinematics of the service were analysed from two frames of reference: joint position (v) and joint angle (ω) with emphasis on the qualitative aspects of movement coordination. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed in all service location conditions the first two components accounted for ~80% of the total variance with the external frame of reference (elbow and shoulder v), and internal frame of reference (ω: left and right hip) contributing most to component 1 (~60%). Arm (ω: shoulder, elbow, wrist) contributed (~20%) to component 2. Serving toward the court T centre led to more variables involved in the organization of the motion. Peak mean racket head resultant velocity was similar with each serving condition, but higher in males than females. The PCA showed that the number of components (Functional Dimensions) was less than the number of joint space physical DFs. There was quantitative variation in individual kinematic variables within- and between- players but a common qualitative kinematic structure to the coordination solution.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634141","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}
Peter Leo, Borja Martinez-Gonzalez, Iñigo Mujika, Andrea Giorgi
{"title":"Mechanistic influence of the torque cadence relationship on power output during exhaustive all-out field tests in professional cyclists.","authors":"Peter Leo, Borja Martinez-Gonzalez, Iñigo Mujika, Andrea Giorgi","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2478354","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2478354","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the torque-cadence-power relationship can be important in assessing a cyclist's performance potential. This study explored these relationships in elite male cyclists (<i>N</i> = 17; age: 24.1 ± 3.8 years; body mass: 66.0 ± 4.8 kg, critical power (CP): 5.5 ± 0.3 W.kg<sup>-1</sup>) through sprint, torque, and CP tests conducted in fresh and after accumulated work. Testing protocols, performed during a pre-season training camp, included maximal efforts across varied gear ratios and durations (15 s, 3 min, and 12 min), under stable environmental conditions (15-20°C). Results revealed reduced power output, torque, and cadence after accumulated work compared to fresh conditions (<i>p</i> ≤ .001). Sprint-derived maximum torque (T<sub>max</sub>) was strongly correlated with torque intercepts for CP fresh (<i>r</i> = .558, <i>p</i> = .020) and after accumulated work (<i>r</i> = .556, <i>p</i> = .020). The cadence relationships demonstrated a large negative correlation between maximum cadence (C<sub>max</sub>) and optimum cadence (C<sub>opt</sub>) from the sprint test and the 15 s, 3 min and 12 min cadence recorded during CP after accumulated work (<i>r</i> = -0.541 to -0.634, <i>p</i> = 0.006 to 0.025). These findings highlight that accumulated work-induced reductions in work capacity (W') and CP values were accompanied by lower cadences across all effort durations.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634143","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}
Jeremy P Loenneke, William B Hammert, Ryo Kataoka, Yujiro Yamada, Takashi Abe
{"title":"Twenty-five years of blood flow restriction training: What we know, what we don't, and where to next?","authors":"Jeremy P Loenneke, William B Hammert, Ryo Kataoka, Yujiro Yamada, Takashi Abe","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2474329","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2474329","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blood flow restriction is a technique that involves inflating a cuff at the proximal portion of the limb with the goal of reducing arterial inflow into the muscle and venous outflow from the muscle. Low-load or low-intensity exercise in combination with blood flow restriction has been consistently shown to augment adaptations over the same/similar exercise without restriction, with changes in muscle size and strength being two of the most commonly measured adaptations. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide an updated narrative review on blood flow restriction. Blood flow restriction's history, methodology, safety, and efficacy are highlighted. We discuss the effects of blood flow restriction on changes in muscle size and strength, and also review work completed on other variables (e.g. bone, resting blood flow, tendon, pain sensitivity, cognition, orthostatic intolerance). We finish by highlighting six possible areas for future research: 1) identifying mechanisms for growth and strength; 2) sex differences in the effects of blood flow restriction; 3) individual responses to blood flow restriction; 4) influence of pressure versus amount of blood flow restricted; 5) application of blood flow restriction with higher-loads; and 6) what considerations should be made to test the effects of blood flow restriction.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143625128","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":"Game changers: An objective assessment of players' contribution to team success in women's rugby league.","authors":"Shaun Cameron, Ibrahim Radwan, Jocelyn Mara","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2478731","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2478731","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study introduces new performance metrics to address the lack of objective player evaluations in women's rugby league. Using data from six seasons (2018-2023) of the Women's National Rugby League (NRLW), five machine learning algorithms generated two key metrics: \"Wins Created\" for offensive performance and \"Losses Created\" for defensive performance. These were adjusted by a situational importance modifier based on player positions and combined into a final metric called \"Net Wins Added\". An Elo rating variant modified to suit a rugby league context was also created to provide a strength of opponent multiplier for player performance. The validity of these metrics against traditional objective and subjective performance measures in rugby league were evaluated. The metrics predicted seasonal team wins with a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.9 and Player of the Year top 10 leaderboard points with an RMSE of 8.2. The metrics displayed substantial agreement (Gwet AC1 = 0.82) when predicting experts' Team of the Year award recipients and substantial agreement (Gwet AC1 = 0.75) when predicting players' Team of the Year awards. Developing and validating these objective player performance metrics provide women's rugby league with a unique system to enhance talent evaluation and player recruitment.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143625126","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}
Martin Burtscher, Jesus Álvarez-Herms, Johannes Burtscher, Barbara Strasser, Martin Kopp, Benjamin Pageaux
{"title":"Could the perception of effort help us unravel the potential of \"<i>living low-training high</i>\"? A perspective article.","authors":"Martin Burtscher, Jesus Álvarez-Herms, Johannes Burtscher, Barbara Strasser, Martin Kopp, Benjamin Pageaux","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2474352","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025.2474352","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Living low-training</i> high may promote favourable physiological adaptations and improvement of exercise performance in normoxia following training at altitudes above 1500 m. Whether and how physiological adaptations to training high interact with the perception of effort remains unknown. This perspective article aims to carve out potential contributory effects of the perception of effort on performance changes following living low-training high interventions. It is based on two unique case reports, findings on known physiological adaptations to living low-training high, and integration of current knowledge on the neurophysiology of effort perception. Considering the current state of knowledge on the effect of exercising in hypoxia on perceived effort, we propose that the hypoxia exposure associated with living low-training high protocols interact with the perception of effort and its rating, by inducing adaptations that i) slow the development of neuromuscular fatigue and associated compensatory increase in motor command, ii) alter the functioning of the anterior cingulate cortex and/or the motor areas, and iii) alter the interaction with other psychological responses to the exercise. In the proposed framework using a psychophysiological approach, changes in the participants' report of their perceived effort would reflect underlying neurophysiological and psychological adaptations to hypoxia exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143615779","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}