Adele M Boylen, Rhiannon A Campbell, Eric J Drinkwater, Elizabeth J Bradshaw
{"title":"Current biomechanical methods and practices of physical training load monitoring in women's artistic gymnastics: A scoping review.","authors":"Adele M Boylen, Rhiannon A Campbell, Eric J Drinkwater, Elizabeth J Bradshaw","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2528442","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2528442","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Women's artistic gymnastics (WAG) is a precision-based sport involving intense physical and technical training from a young age. Injuries in WAG can be a result of poorly managed acute and/or chronic biomechanical loads. This scoping review aims to identify current biomechanical methods of load monitoring in WAG. This review followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Four databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus) were searched for studies that measured biomechanical load of competitive WAG skills. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria from the previous 15 years. Biomechanical load was measured using force plates and/or inertial measurement units (IMU). Only three studies have used IMUs in WAG, however they are a more ecologically valid method for monitoring load during training sessions and have shown that technique/skill variations affect the biomechanical load gymnasts experience. Upper limb asymmetries exist in common WAG skills; therefore, opposite limbs may have different injury risks. No studies investigated biomechanical load of uneven bars, and few measured skills on unmodified, competition apparatus. Comprehensive understanding of loads gymnasts experience is essential for effectively managing training prescription and injury prevention strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1992-2006"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144553848","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}
Johan Forsberg, Anna Lallo, Andreas Ivarsson, Andreas Stenling, Kristen Dieffenbach, John Lind, Erik Lundkvist
{"title":"A daily longitudinal analysis of reciprocal relationships between psychological states and performance in NHL players.","authors":"Johan Forsberg, Anna Lallo, Andreas Ivarsson, Andreas Stenling, Kristen Dieffenbach, John Lind, Erik Lundkvist","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2521593","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2521593","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to explore the temporal relationships between psychological states and performance among players in the National Hockey League (NHL). We used an intensive longitudinal design, with 22 players reporting their psychological states daily between 7 February 2024, and 14 March 2024. Performance was measured using Game Score (GS), a composite metric based on weighted performance variables to provide an overall objective measure of individual performance, commonly used by teams in the NHL. Bayesian multilevel models were utilised to analyse the data, focusing on temporal effects between psychological states and performance. The results showed that none of the other psychological states predicted subsequent performance. In the opposite direction, performance predicted several different psychological states the following day, where better performance positively predicted positive states and negatively predicted negative states. In summary, psychological states appear to have a small effect on how NHL players perform, whereas how they perform seem to affect a wide range of psychological states the following day.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1835-1844"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144326049","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}
Clément Delhaye, Matt R Cross, Maximilien Bowen, Baptiste Morel, Pierre Samozino, Frédérique Hintzy
{"title":"Kinetic keys to alpine skiing performance: A 3-D analysis of ground reaction forces and torques.","authors":"Clément Delhaye, Matt R Cross, Maximilien Bowen, Baptiste Morel, Pierre Samozino, Frédérique Hintzy","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2518677","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2518677","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alpine skiing performance hinges on the dynamic interaction between the skier and the ski-snow interface. Ground reaction forces are fundamental in controlling these interactions, yet surprisingly little research exists characterising 3-D turn kinetics. This study aimed to profile the evolution of ground reaction forces and torques signatures applied by skiers during turning and explore their link with giant slalom performance. Seventeen male alpine skiers with varying skill levels, equipped with ski-mounted force plates, executed multiple trials on a giant slalom ski course. A statistical parametric mapping approach was used to explore relationships between normal force and anteroposterior torque signatures with race times. Faster race times were correlated with greater normal force during the plateau phase of the turn crux (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and lower during turn switch (<i>p</i> = 0.006). Better times were also associated with higher positive (<i>p</i> = 0.004) and negative (<i>p</i> < 0.001) rates of force development. The best skiers appeared to apply an elevated positive M<sub>y</sub> plateau (<i>p</i> < 0.001) with a steeper slope (<i>p</i> = 0.029) on the inside ski at turn initiation. Our findings indicate generating large forces and rapidly modulating their application to the skis is a crucial aspect of skiing performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1731-1741"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144326052","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}
Steven Curnyn, Mark Leslie, Debbie Palmer, Sean Williams, Sean Cumming
{"title":"The influence of relative age and biological maturation on player selection in the Scottish football associations Club Academy Scotland.","authors":"Steven Curnyn, Mark Leslie, Debbie Palmer, Sean Williams, Sean Cumming","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2527436","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2527436","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Relative age and biological maturation significantly impact talent identification and development in football, with professional academies often favouring relatively older and early maturing players. This study investigated these biases across Club Academy Scotland (CAS). The biological maturation of 1,011 players (U10-U18) across 12 CAS academies was assessed using the Khamis-Roche method. One-sided t-tests were conducted to test the null hypotheses that the true mean was 0.5 (relative age) and 0 (biological age - chronological age [BA-CA]). A significant bias favouring early maturing players emerged from U12. The BA-CA offset effect sizes ranged from small (U12, Hedges' g = 0.22) to large (U18, Hedges' g = 1.44). A relative age effect was statistically significant across most groups, with a large effect in U10 (Hedges <i>g =</i> 1.19) but smaller effects in all other groups (Hedges <i>g</i> = 0.16-0.41). This study demonstrated that a RAE exists within professional Scottish football academies, albeit to a small-to-moderate degree, but a larger bias towards earlier developing players exists from U12 and increases in magnitude with each age group. Regular monitoring of biological maturation is essential to address this bias, maximise the talent pool from Scotland's relatively small population, and support developmentally appropriate training programmes in CAS academies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1980-1991"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144560463","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}
Matias Yoma, Luis Llurda-Almuzara, Lee Herrington, Richard Jones
{"title":"Reliability and validity of lower extremity and trunk kinematics measured with markerless motion capture during sports-related and functional tasks: A systematic review.","authors":"Matias Yoma, Luis Llurda-Almuzara, Lee Herrington, Richard Jones","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2518359","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2518359","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study reviewed the literature regarding reliability and validity of markerless motion capture (MMC) for measuring lower extremities and trunk kinematics during sports-related and functional tasks. Articles published until 28 February 2024 were assessed. Studies were included if they assessed walking, squatting, jumping/landing, running, or cutting. After screening, 53 studies were included in the review. Variability across task characteristics, MMC systems, and statistical analyses was observed. The relative reliability of MMC, measured by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), ranged from low to excellent, with most variables showing standard error of measurement (SEM) values below 5°. Squats and landing tasks reported the highest reliability, with good to excellent ICC and most joints reporting SEM values < 5°, except for hip flexion (4.0°to 11.1°). Validity studies (compared to marker-based motion capture) showed differences between technologies ranging from 0.2° to 28.6° and correlations negligible (including negative values) to very strong, depending on the task, plane of motion, and joints analysed. Hip angle in frontal plane reported the lowest differences between technologies across tasks. MMC systems provide reliable measurements for most kinematic variables but are not largely comparable to marker-based systems. MMC reliability creates opportunities to develop more ecological valid research outside traditional biomechanical laboratory settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1703-1730"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144317199","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}
Thomas E Bright, Jason Lake, John R Harry, Mia Hite, Anton Simms, Nicola Theis, Peter Mundy, Jonathan D Hughes
{"title":"Agreement between numerical integration techniques during countermovement jumps with accentuated eccentric loading in youth athletes.","authors":"Thomas E Bright, Jason Lake, John R Harry, Mia Hite, Anton Simms, Nicola Theis, Peter Mundy, Jonathan D Hughes","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526297","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526297","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated agreement between a) force platform numerical integration techniques for calculating performance variables and b) three-dimensional (3D) motion capture and vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) methods for identifying the dumbbell release during countermovement jumps with accentuated eccentric loading (CMJ<sub>AEL</sub>). Twenty adolescent participants (10 males, 10 females) performed CMJ<sub>AEL</sub> with handheld dumbbells at 20%, 25% and 30% of body mass. Variables were compared across five integration methods using repeated measures Bland-Altman and two-way repeated measures ANOVA analyses (α = 0.05), with combined forward and backward integration serving as the criterion. Backward integration and after adjusting at the dumbbells release agreed with the criterion, while forward integration and adjusting at the bottom position did not. The dumbbell release point identified using 3D motion capture (criterion) was also compared to estimates derived from force platform data (vGRF method). The vGRF method identified the dumbbell release point in delay of 3D motion capture, with limits of agreement (LOA) between -0.17 and 0.03 s across conditions. These methods should not be used interchangeably; rather, we recommend that the vGRF method be used in situations whereby only force platforms are available, and that it is combined with forward and backward integration techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1952-1966"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144528524","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}
Eric Harbour, Rosanna Farlock, David Marko, Petr Bahenský, Hermann Schwameder
{"title":"Sports bra tightness affects respiratory muscle fatigue, breathing pattern, and perceptual responses during running.","authors":"Eric Harbour, Rosanna Farlock, David Marko, Petr Bahenský, Hermann Schwameder","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526277","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526277","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Elite female athletes are vulnerable to respiratory limitations, and sports bra tightness may contribute to this phenomenon. Since the underband is located over the diaphragmatic ribcage, its tightness may affect ribcage mechanics, breathing muscles coordination, and fatigue. Seventeen trained junior female runners (VO<sub>2max</sub> = 53 ± 4 mL/kg/min) ran on a treadmill at personal race pace until exhaustion (range 15-30 min) in three standardised underband tightnesses. Ventilation (V<sub>E</sub>) and breathing pattern were recorded via Opto-electronic plethysmography throughout the run. Spirometry, maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and leg and breathing effort questionnaires were collected pre- and post-run. MIP decreased more with the tight (-9.8 ± 8.3%) than the loose underband (-1.1 ± 7.3%) (<i>p</i> = 0.002). With greater underband tightness, V<sub>E</sub> was increased (+8.4 ± 13.1 % tight vs. loose, <i>p</i> = 0.03), inspiratory capacity was repressed (4.2 ± 5.1 %, <i>p</i> = 0.03) and thoraco-abdominal coordination was altered with earlier abdominal breathing sequencing. Since reduced underband tightness may be advantageous for ventilation via attenuated diaphragm fatigue, sports bras might be improved with updated fitting procedures or novel garment designs.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1871-1884"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144528526","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}
Kim Huesmann, Jörg Schorer, Dirk Büsch, Florian Loffing
{"title":"Expertise and training of anticipation in goalkeeping: Two scoping reviews.","authors":"Kim Huesmann, Jörg Schorer, Dirk Büsch, Florian Loffing","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2533002","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2533002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anticipation is a crucial perceptual-cognitive skill in goalkeeping. Still, expertise differences in anticipation and its underlying mechanisms as well as effective training of anticipation in goalkeeping have not yet been systematically overviewed nor embedded into a model. Here, we conducted two scoping reviews on (1) expertise in anticipation and (2) training of anticipation in goalkeeping to (a) identify the respective key methodological approaches, (b) understand what distinguishes athletes' anticipation on different expertise levels, (c) apply the knowledge to the Model on Expert Anticipation introduced by Müller and Abernethy and (d) learn how anticipation can be trained. Results from <i>N =</i> 20 studies on expertise in anticipation reveal overall superior anticipation including more effective cue utilisation and, tentatively, visual search behaviour in goalkeepers with higher compared to lower expertise. Thirteen studies on training of anticipation suggest that interventions using explicit, guided discovery or implicit approaches might be used to improve anticipation, each carrying different implications for utilisation. Research focusses mainly on male adult athletes and lab-based standardised penalty situations in soccer and handball with low perception-action coupling in experimental tasks. Key findings, methodological limitations and review-based recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"2075-2099"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667905","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":"The Youth Olympic Games as a turning point in Turkish athletes' career transitions.","authors":"Murat Madan, Müfide Yoruç Çotuk","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526293","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526293","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the long-term impact of Youth Olympic Games (YOG) participation on the career transitions of Turkish athletes between 2010 and 2020, a topic that remains underexplored in sport career development literature. Guided by the Athletic Career Transition Model (ACTM) and the Holistic Athletic Career Model (HACM), semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven former YOG athletes to examine their experiences before, during, and after the Games. Findings revealed four interrelated themes across the pre-, during-, and post-YOG phases. Athletes experienced the shaping and reconfiguration of athletic identity, as YOG participation validated or destabilised their self-perceptions. They faced substantial psychological demands and employed varied coping strategies, navigating pressures, emotional strain, and demonstrating resilience. Participants also had to negotiate life beyond sport, balancing challenging academic responsibilities and social pressures alongside intensive training schedules. Lastly, the YOG served either as a bridge toward sustained elite progression or as a turning point, often leading to burnout and early disengagement. The study highlights the urgent need for athlete-centered support systems, including transparent qualification structures, psychological services, dual-career programs, and sustained financial assistance. These findings underscore that YOG participation, while potentially transformative, must be embedded within robust developmental frameworks to ensure long-term athletic and personal sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1924-1941"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144528527","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}
Matteo Bozzato, Andrea Di Silvestre, Luca Rotundo, Antonio Paoli, Giuseppe Marcolin
{"title":"Self-selected music enhances bench press performance compared to no-music alone and mood compared to stimulative and no-music conditions.","authors":"Matteo Bozzato, Andrea Di Silvestre, Luca Rotundo, Antonio Paoli, Giuseppe Marcolin","doi":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526294","DOIUrl":"10.1080/02640414.2025.2526294","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous studies on music and performance mainly considered isometric contractions or endurance exercises and rarely included power output measures or a no-music condition as control. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the effect of self-selected (SSM) and stimulative (STM) music, compared to a no-music condition (NM), on muscle power and affective states in the bench press (BP). Twenty regional-level athletes (age 23.5 ± 3.2 years; body mass 84.0 ± 10.0 kg; height 1.79 ± 0.08 m) underwent three sets of eight repetitions at 75% of their one repetition maximum for each music condition. Each repetition's average power (P<sub>AVG</sub>) and peak power (P<sub>PEAK</sub>) were calculated. The Borg scale CR-10 (RPE), the Feeling scale (FS), and the Felt arousal scale (FAS) were administered. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was performed to assess the effects of music and sets on power performance. P<sub>PEAK</sub> (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and P<sub>AVG</sub> (<i>p</i> < 0.05) resulted greater in SSM than NM and decreased among sets (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Friedman test revealed that activation was greater in SSM than STM (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and NM (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Listening to music enhanced power performance, but listening to SSM could lead to higher psychophysical activation than STM. Therefore, we encourage listening to self-selected music during power training.</p>","PeriodicalId":17066,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sports Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"1942-1951"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144553849","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}