{"title":"Comparing elbow injury risks in collegiate softball and baseball athletes: previous involvement in softball versus baseball.","authors":"Yuka Tsukahara, Erika Jyoto, Rie Sato","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2456631","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2456631","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Overhead throwing sports, such as baseball and softball, pose a risk of upper extremity injuries, including the elbow. Studies on overhead throwing sports among female athletes is scarce compared to their male counterparts. A total of 329 athletes (271 softball, 58 baseball) aged 18-22 years participated in the study and answered an anonymous survey regarding their personal backgrounds and elbow injuries. The most common diagnosis among the 61 athletes who reported having elbow injuries diagnosed by a physician was ulnar collateral ligament injuries (29.5%). In addition, a total of 15.5% of athletes did not seek medical attention from a physician despite experiencing discomfort in their elbow, with time constraints being the most common reason. Athletes engaged in competitive baseball before college had a significantly elevated likelihood of experiencing elbow injuries and discomfort compared to those who engaged in non-overhead throwing sports (Odds ratio = 3.84, 95% CI 1.16-12.72, <i>p</i> = 0.028) but engaging in softball prior to college was not a significant risk factor for sustaining elbow injuries. Playing competitive baseball prior to college emerged as a risk factor for sustaining elbow injuries among Japanese female collegiate softball and baseball athletes.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"308-318"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143010678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of sodium bicarbonate on 200 m time trial performance and physiological responses in swimmers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.","authors":"Dongxiang Huang, Xiaobing Wang, Hideki Takagi, Zhongzheng Wang, Chen Wang, Ling Yang, Bo Huang","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2456630","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2456630","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) supplementation on 200 m time trial performance and physiological responses in swimmers, following PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search across five databases identified eligible randomized controlled trials comparing NaHCO₃ with placebo. Outcomes were 200 m time, blood bicarbonate, blood lactate, and blood pH. Results showed significant increases in blood bicarbonate (SMD = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.38 to 1.79, P<0.01), blood lactate (SMD = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.24 to 1.29, P<0.01) and blood pH (SMD = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.33 to 1.71, P<0.01), but no effect on 200 m time (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI -0.58 to 1.10). These findings suggest NaHCO₃ enhances certain physiological responses but does not improve 200 m performance, though data limitations require cautious interpretation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"291-307"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143024333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Colleen M Vogel, Ji Yeon Choi, Michaela A Schenkelberg, Brian A Knarr, Adam B Rosen
{"title":"The relationship between chronic ankle instability and sleep behaviour.","authors":"Colleen M Vogel, Ji Yeon Choi, Michaela A Schenkelberg, Brian A Knarr, Adam B Rosen","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2456628","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2456628","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) is a condition characterized by giving-way episodes, instability and recurrent ankle sprains. Poor sleep can increase the risk of musculoskeletal injury and sleep is known to be an important aspect of injury recovery. However, the effect sleep has on those with CAI as well as its risk for recurrent episodes of giving-way remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sleep behaviour and giving-way episodes associated with CAI. Twenty-five participants with CAI (11 M/14 F, age = 22.9 ± 2.7 years, height = 171.9 ± 8.9 cm, mass = 76.7 ± 15.9 kg) were included in this study. All participants completed baseline patient-reported outcome measures and wore a fitness tracker that measured sleep for 1 month. Seven participants had a giving-way (GW, no-giving way = NWG) episode. Those with a giving-way episode spent significantly less time asleep (GW = 325.3 ± 63.2 min, NGW = 413.9 ± 49.5 min, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 1.659), less time in bed (GW = 384.9 ± 79.0 min, NGW = 473.1 ± 55.0 min, <i>p</i> = 0.002, d = 1.419), less minutes in REM (GW = 59.9 ± 19.9 min, NGW = 93.5 ± 25.4 min, <i>p</i> = 0.002, d = 1.400) and less minutes in light sleep (GW = 197.6 ± 51.5 min, NGW = 250.2 ± 34.4 min, <i>p</i> = 0.003, d = 1.328) compared to those without. In conclusion, this study shows that individuals with CAI who suffered a giving-way episode had poorer sleep behaviour the night before an episode.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"280-290"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143010682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploration of patellofemoral pain and musculoskeletal characteristics in pubertal female dancers: a 12-month follow-up.","authors":"Nili Steinberg, Yael Sitton, Michal Shenhar, Shilo Kramer, Yahav Levi, Itzhak Siev-Ner","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2467409","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2467409","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence and associated musculoskeletal features of patellofemoral-pain (PFP) in pubertal female dancers at baseline and 12-months later. Thirty-four female dancers (aged 11.9 ± 2.5 yrs, with Tanner stages 3-5 of 68.8% for breasts and 74.2% for pubic at the baseline) were assessed for anthropometric measurements, tibial bone strength, joint ROM, patellar-tendon structure, muscle strength, and were clinically examined by an orthopaedic physician for PFP. At the baseline, 50% suffered from PFP. At the follow-up, 26.5% remained healthy without PFP; 20.6% recovered; 23.5% developed PFP; and 29.4% remained with PFP. <i>PFP*time interaction</i> was found for tibial bone strength (F<sub>(3,30)</sub> = 16.534, <i>p</i> < .001). In tendon structure (echo-type III), joint ROM (<i>en-pointe</i> and hip external rotation) and muscle strength (knee flexors, knee extensors and hip abductors), Kruskal -Wallis test showed significantly different improvement/deterioration (from pre to post) between healthy-dancers, recovered-dancers, developed-PFP dancers and dancers that remained with PFP (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A relatively high prevalence of dancers suffered from PFP at both baseline and follow-up, with few having recovered. In dancers that <i>developed PFP</i> and those that <i>remained with PFP</i>, reduced tibial bone strength, alternated tendon structure, increased joint ROM, and reduced muscle strength were seen, compared to their <i>healthy</i> or <i>recovered</i> counterparts.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"368-384"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143441886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alireza Naderi, Mohammad Ali Gharaat, Erfan Berjisian, Mark E T Willems, Shima Mojtahedi, Amirali Goli, Leila Dehghankar, Majid S Koozehchian
{"title":"Effect of one-week New Zealand blackcurrant extract on rowing performance and cognitive function in National team male rowers.","authors":"Alireza Naderi, Mohammad Ali Gharaat, Erfan Berjisian, Mark E T Willems, Shima Mojtahedi, Amirali Goli, Leila Dehghankar, Majid S Koozehchian","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2455971","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2455971","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This research investigated the impact of New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) on 2000-meter rowing ergometer performance and cognitive abilities. Nine trained male rowers from Iran's national team participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, undergoing three sessions with NZBC (600 mg∙day-1), placebo (PL), and control (CL) treatments over seven days, followed by a 14-day washout period. Participants completed a 2000-meter ergometer test provided self-reported ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and completed a cognitive function assessment five minutes following the rowing exercise. Findings indicated no significant ergogenic benefits from NZBC supplementation (420 ± 12 s) compared to PL (424 ± 15 s) and CL (423 ± 14 s), despite showing a minimal effect size (Cohen's d = 0.23). Six subjects had negligible enhancements in performance. No changes were seen in cognitive function or RPE (p > 0.05). A seven-day regimen of NZBC did not enhance rowing performance, cognitive function, or RPE.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"266-279"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143047631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maros Kalata, Craig Anthony Williams, Ferdia Fallon Verbruggen, Mark De Ste Croix, Michal Lehnert, Frantisek Zahalka, Tomas Maly
{"title":"Strength and jumping performance in youth athletes: do sport specialization and age categories affect strength asymmetry?","authors":"Maros Kalata, Craig Anthony Williams, Ferdia Fallon Verbruggen, Mark De Ste Croix, Michal Lehnert, Frantisek Zahalka, Tomas Maly","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2465544","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2465544","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 181 young male athletes were recruited and categorized according to sport specialization (soccer or athletics) and age categories (U15, U17 or U19). Isokinetic strength was measured as peak muscle torque (PT), normalized to body mass, for the knee extensors (PT<sub>KE</sub>) and knee flexors (PT<sub>KF</sub>) during concentric muscle contraction at three angular velocities (60<sup>°</sup>s<sup>-1.</sup> 180<sup>°</sup>s<sup>-1.</sup> 300<sup>°</sup>s<sup>-1</sup>). Vertical jump performance was measured during a countermovement jump with arms fixed (CMJ) and a squat jump (SJ).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significantly higher values of bilateral asymmetry (BA) of PT<sub>KF</sub> for angular velocity 60°s<sup>-1</sup> and 180°s<sup>-1</sup> were found in the athletics group compared to the soccer group in the U17 category (14.40% to 16.02% vs 9.07% to 10.45%). Significantly higher values of BA for angular velocity 300°s<sup>-1</sup> for both PT<sub>KE</sub> and PT<sub>KF</sub> were found in the U15 compared to U19 category. Significantly higher values of H:Q ratio at all angular velocity except for the non-dominant leg in the highest angular velocity in soccer compared to the athletes in the U17 category were found. Soccer players exhibited significantly higher values of PT<sub>KF</sub> compared to those in athletics and jump height in the U17 category.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Soccer players displayed increased isokinetic strength and more balanced BA compared to the athletics group. Physiotherapists and strength coaches should focus on younger age groups, especially U15, due to the higher incidence of BA and lower relative strength regardless of specialization.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"334-351"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143426060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rehabilitation practices of Turkish physiotherapists following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: an online survey.","authors":"Fatih Eren Oluç, Elif Turgut, Gülcan Harput","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2462906","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2462906","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We aimed to investigate the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) rehabilitation and return-to-sport (RTS) practices of Turkish physiotherapists. An online survey with 25 questions on ACL-R rehabilitation and RTS practices was created on Google Forms and distributed to physiotherapists via social media. Two-hundred sixty-four physiotherapists' responses were analysed. About 62.3% of therapists treated patients prior to ACL-R. Open-kinetic-chain (OKC) exercises frequently started at 4-6 weeks post-operatively (34.8%). Return-to-running cleared at 3-4 months (37%) and RTS cleared at 6-9 months (40.2%) mostly. Manual muscle tests were used by 58.4% of physiotherapists to evaluate knee strength before RTS. About 46.7% of physiotherapists did not assess psychological readiness for RTS. Physiotherapists with a bachelor's degree cleared patients for RTS earlier (<9 months) than those with postgraduate degrees (<i>p</i> = 0.001) but used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) more frequently (<i>p</i> = 0.010). Physiotherapists with over 5 years of experience used PROMs and psychological readiness scales more frequently (<i>p</i> = 0.035, <i>p</i> = 0.001) but also cleared patients for RTS earlier (<i>p</i> = 0.014). This study revealed that physiotherapist rehabilitation practices after ACL-R are not fully consistent with the current best evidence. This inconsistency in rehabilitation practices may lead to suboptimal patient outcomes after ACL-R. Encouraging physiotherapists to incorporate the latest evidence into practice might lead to better rehabilitation outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"319-333"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hip and knee muscles co-activation ratio during hip-focused exercises: a multichannel surface electromyography study.","authors":"Hadi Akbari, Bahram Sheikhi","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2024.2442742","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15438627.2024.2442742","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to evaluate the muscle activation ratio of hip and knee during hip-focused exercises. Eleven active university students performed 13 hip-focused exercises frequently used in the treatment of knee disorders. The average sEMG amplitude of tensor fasciae latae (TFL), gluteus medius (GMed), gluteus maximus (GMax), adductor longus (AL), vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), and GMed/AL, GMax/AL, and VL/VM ratios were determined. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were performed to determine if there were differences in muscle activation while performing each of the 13 exercises. Sidelying clam-shell had the highest GMax/AL ratio of all the exercises examined. The hip hike exercise (5.36) had the highest GMed/AL ratio. The VL/VM ratio ranged from 0.77 to 1.16. Based on these results, sidelying clam-shell had the highest GMax/AL ratio. The hip hike exercise had a higher GMed/AL ratio compared to other hip-focused exercises. Additionally, forward lunge, squat, and single-leg squat with resistance band around the knee had the highest activity VL/VM ratio among exercises.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"241-253"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142839124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Weiwei Ding, Lei Ding, Li Li, Feng Ding, Rui Gong, Bing Chen, Mengying Xu, Jian Li, Pan Zhang
{"title":"The role of MRI in elbow osteochondritis dissecans: correlations with intraoperative findings and implications for clinical management.","authors":"Weiwei Ding, Lei Ding, Li Li, Feng Ding, Rui Gong, Bing Chen, Mengying Xu, Jian Li, Pan Zhang","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2487904","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2025.2487904","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the elbow is common in adolescent athletes, causing functional impairment. This study examined the clinical, imaging, and intraoperative characteristics of OCD lesions, evaluating MRI's diagnostic and prognostic value, and identifying factors affecting recovery. The study included 119 athletes, 22 with confirmed OCD. Data on demographics, clinical features, and MRI findings were collected, along with preoperative assessments and outcomes (time to return to sport and QuickDASH scores). MRI lesion size correlated with intraoperative measurements (<i>r</i> = 0.81, <i>p</i> < 0.001) but was poor at assessing stability (<i>r</i> = -0.088, <i>p</i> = 0.696). Larger lesions and lateral wall involvement were associated with instability and prolonged recovery. Factors like lesion size, Tanner Stage III, and left-handed dominance were linked to OCD risk. Larger lesions predicted delayed recovery. MRI is useful for lesion characterization but limited in predicting stability and outcomes. Early detection and management are crucial for optimal recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144045497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ryan N Moran, Mason Haller, Josh Simer, Katelyn Kachinsky, Kali Rhodes
{"title":"Youth football helmet fit assessment and association of prior fitting, issuance and initial season.","authors":"Ryan N Moran, Mason Haller, Josh Simer, Katelyn Kachinsky, Kali Rhodes","doi":"10.1080/15438627.2025.2495704","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2025.2495704","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of the study was to describe helmet fitting characteristics and influence of prior helmet fitting, issuance and initial season in a sample of youth football athletes. Helmet fit was assessed for 69 athletes aged 8-14 years using a standardized, 9-point inspection. Associated variables for improper fit consisted of previous fitting of helmet for the season, helmet issuance [team/school issued or purchased individually] and year of helmet initial season within 3 years of current season. A series of chi-square tests for association were conducted between the overall helmet fit and the associated variables. In total, 53.6% of youth football athletes had an improperly fit helmet, with 20.3% having ≥ three inspection items not meet fitting criteria. There were no associations between proper fit and previous fitting (<i>p</i> = 0.52), helmet issuance (<i>p</i> = 0.96) and year of initial season (<i>p</i> = 0.23). In conclusion, there were no associations between proper helmet fit and prior fitting, helmet issuance or year of initial season.</p>","PeriodicalId":20958,"journal":{"name":"Research in Sports Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144043647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}