SportsPub Date : 2024-12-12DOI: 10.3390/sports12120343
Christina Gjestvang, Therese F Mathisen, Solfrid Bratland-Sanda, Lene A H Haakstad
{"title":"The Risk of Disordered Eating in Fitness Club Members-A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Christina Gjestvang, Therese F Mathisen, Solfrid Bratland-Sanda, Lene A H Haakstad","doi":"10.3390/sports12120343","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120343","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fitness clubs may be environments where abnormal eating behaviors and excessive exercise are socially accepted, potentially putting individuals at risk for disordered eating (DE). This study examined the DE risk prevalence among gym members, comparing body appreciation, exercise motivation, frequency, BMI, and age across DE risk levels, and assessed the associated factors. A sample of 232 gym members (age: 39.6 ± 13.7) completed an online survey measuring DE risk (Eating Disorder Screen for Primary Care (ESP)), body appreciation (Body Appreciation Scale version 2), and exercise motivation (Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2). One out of five (19.4%) were at risk of DE, while 15.5% and 11.6% reported having secretive eating behaviors and a history of eating disorders, respectively. Body weight impacted self-perception for 62.5% of the respondents. Those at DE risk had a higher mean BMI (26.23 ± 4.36 vs. 24.68 ± 3.61, <i>p</i> = 0.032) with a higher proportion of those with a BMI of 25-29.9 (46.67% vs. 29.41%, <i>p</i> = 0.027) compared to non-at-risk individuals. DE risk was associated with lower body appreciation (3.00 ± 3.60 versus 4.00 ± 3.70, <i>p</i> = ≤0.001), with body appreciation being the only factor associated with DE risk (OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.15, 0.39, <i>p</i> = ≤0.001).</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11679114/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-10DOI: 10.3390/sports12120342
Victoria E Wahlquist, Thomas A Buckley, Jaclyn B Caccese, Joseph J Glutting, Todd D Royer, Thomas W Kaminski
{"title":"Youth Soccer Heading Exposure and Its Effects on Clinical Outcome Measures.","authors":"Victoria E Wahlquist, Thomas A Buckley, Jaclyn B Caccese, Joseph J Glutting, Todd D Royer, Thomas W Kaminski","doi":"10.3390/sports12120342","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120342","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Purposeful heading, in which players may use their heads to advance the ball in play, is a unique part of soccer. Clinical outcome measures used to aid in the diagnosis of a concussion have long been a cornerstone of the contemporary measurements associated with the short- and long-term effects of monitoring repetitive head impacts (RHI) and soccer heading exposure. The effects of RHI in the youth population are still unknown, therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine if heading exposure is predictive of changes in self-reported symptoms, neurocognitive functioning, gait, and balance in female youth soccer players over the course of one soccer season. Small improvements in neurocognitive functioning and gait and slight deficits in balance were observed from pre- to post-season. All changes were not clinically relevant and likely due to a practice effect. The low heading exposure in our cohort of youth soccer players was likely not enough to elicit any changes in clinical measures. In general, our clinical outcomes did not change after a season of soccer play and change scores were not predicted by heading exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11678946/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-07DOI: 10.3390/sports12120341
Vladimir Pavlinovic, Ryland Morgans, Toni Modric
{"title":"Temperature-Related Variations in Physical Performance During Elite Soccer Matches.","authors":"Vladimir Pavlinovic, Ryland Morgans, Toni Modric","doi":"10.3390/sports12120341","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120341","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to examine the differences in match running performance (MRP) according to the ambient temperature during UEFA Champions League (UCL) matches. Data were collected using an optical tracking system from all teams (<i>n</i> = 32) in all UCL matches (<i>n</i> = 125) during the 2022/23 season, and classified according to the ambient temperature at which matches were played: <5 °C, 6-10 °C, 11-20 °C, and >21 °C. The results revealed the following: (i) less total distance was covered in matches played at ≥21 °C compared to the matches played at 6-10 °C (d = 0.58), (ii) less high-speed running and high-intensity running were covered in matches played at ≥21 °C compared to the matches played at 11-20 °C (d = 0.54 and 0.43, respectively), 6-10 °C (d = 0.89 and 0.8, respectively), and ≤5 °C (d = 0.62 and 0.57, respectively), and (iii) less sprinting was covered in matches played at ≥21 °C compared to the matches played at 6-10 °C (d = 0.22). These findings indicated the significant differences in MRP when UCL matches were played at different ambient temperatures, with notable reductions in overall and high-intensity efforts in warmer conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11678931/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-06DOI: 10.3390/sports12120340
Faith S A Brown, Jennifer B Fields, Andrew R Jagim, Erica L King, Robert E Baker, Angela Miller, Margaret T Jones
{"title":"Relationship of Individual Athlete External Load, Session Rating of Perceived Exertion, and Athlete Playing Status Across a Collegiate Women's Basketball Season.","authors":"Faith S A Brown, Jennifer B Fields, Andrew R Jagim, Erica L King, Robert E Baker, Angela Miller, Margaret T Jones","doi":"10.3390/sports12120340","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120340","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>External (EL) and internal (IL) load are commonly used methods used to quantify training load in team sports. Playing time and playing position may influence the training loads for specific athletes throughout a season. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of athlete playing status and individual in-season practices on EL and IL across a collegiate women's basketball season. Female basketball athletes were classified as high-minute (HMA; ≥15 min/game) or low-minute (LMA; <15 min/game) and wore microsensors during 53 practices for a total of 583 data points. EL was obtained via an inertial measurement unit (IMU) device that contained a triaxial accelerometer to obtain three-dimensional positioning data. IL and strength training (ST) load were determined via session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) to create a daily summated value. Descriptive statistics indicate that athletes experienced individual differences in EL, ST, and IL throughout the season. A growth model showed that HMAs experienced higher EL than LMAs at the start of the season for practices (90.21 AU). Across all athletes, IL increased across the season (40.11 AU) and for each 1 unit of change in EL, IL increased by 1.04 AU. Repeated measures correlations identified a large relationship between IL and EL (r = 0.51, <i>p</i> < 0.001). A location-scale model indicated that the within-person variability of IL across all athletes was 3.29 AU but was not due to athlete playing status. It is recommended to base in-season training on individual loads and game demands to promote athlete readiness and improved sport performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11679511/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-06DOI: 10.3390/sports12120339
Dimitrije Cabarkapa, Damjana V Cabarkapa, Andrew C Fry, Yu Song, Thordis Gisladottir, Milos Petrovic
{"title":"Comparison of Vertical Jump Force-Time Metrics Between ACL-Injured and Healthy Semi-Professional Male and Female Soccer Players.","authors":"Dimitrije Cabarkapa, Damjana V Cabarkapa, Andrew C Fry, Yu Song, Thordis Gisladottir, Milos Petrovic","doi":"10.3390/sports12120339","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120339","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Given the increasing use of innovative force plate systems in applied sports settings and the impact that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have on team success, the purpose of the present study was to compare the lower-body neuromuscular performance characteristics of athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and their non-injured counterparts (i.e., healthy controls). Forty-five male (thirteen injured) and twenty-six female (ten injured) semi-professional soccer players volunteered to participate in the present study. Each athlete performed three countermovement vertical jumps (CMJs) while standing on a uniaxial force plate system sampling at 1000 Hz. The injured athletes completed a nine-month recovery protocol and were screened 11-13 months post-ACLR. The dependent variables included the force-time metrics within both the eccentric and concentric phases of the CMJ. Independent <i>t</i>-tests or Mann-Whitney U-test were used to examine statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) differences in each variable (i.e., ACL-injured vs. healthy controls). The results revealed no significant between-group differences in any CMJ force-time metrics of interest (e.g., concentric peak force, eccentric mean power, countermovement depth) between ACL-injured and non-injured athletes, including inter-limb asymmetry measures (i.e., peak takeoff and landing force). Besides implying the effectiveness of the implemented rehabilitation protocol, these findings suggest that the CMJ may not present a sufficient neuromuscular performance stimulus needed to expose lower-limb asymmetries and strength and power deficiencies 11-13 months post-ACLR.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11679240/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-05DOI: 10.3390/sports12120337
Tommaso Di Libero, Annalisa D'Ermo, Beatrice Tosti, Stefano Corrado, Pierluigi Diotaiuti, Angelo Rodio
{"title":"The 100-Days: Physical Exercise and Challenges to Assess, Maintain and Improve Physical Fitness During Lockdown.","authors":"Tommaso Di Libero, Annalisa D'Ermo, Beatrice Tosti, Stefano Corrado, Pierluigi Diotaiuti, Angelo Rodio","doi":"10.3390/sports12120337","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120337","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic reduced physical activity and increased sedentary behavior, raising health risks. To combat this, a 100-day training program was designed to maintain and improve fitness during lockdown. This program, which included a challenge with physical assessments and online sessions, aimed to enhance fitness and motivation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty participants (mean age 45.2 ± 12.7 years) with good baseline fitness completed strength, endurance, coordination, and flexibility exercises over 100 days, with monthly challenges. Fitness was assessed at baseline (T0), mid-program (T1), and completion (T2).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Males initially showed higher BMI and mild cardiovascular risks. Flexibility improved for both genders, with females increasing from 12.5 ± 4.51 cm to 14.8 ± 6.65 cm and males from 4.4 ± 6.33 cm to 8.8 ± 10.69 cm. Males' vertical jump height increased from 20.7 ± 13.05 cm to 28.2 ± 10.49 cm. In the challenge, push-up repetitions rose for both genders, achieving excellent scores (>24 reps for females, >25 for males). Males advanced in the repeated crunch test, while females consistently excelled in the repeated squat. Weight and BMI reductions were also observed, particularly in overweight males.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The 100-day training program, combined with the challenge, effectively sustained physical fitness and motivation among participants during pandemic-related restrictions. Notable strength and endurance improvements were observed across both genders, reinforcing the potential of interactive, remote training programs to promote physical health in periods of limited activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11679833/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Efficacy of Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence in Female Athletes: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Andrea Demeco, Giulia Bartocci, Noemi Astore, Beatrice Vignali, Antonello Salerno, Stefano Palermi, Ruben Foresti, Chiara Martini, Cosimo Costantino","doi":"10.3390/sports12120338","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120338","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Urinary incontinence (UI) prevalence reaches the 80% rate in female athletes involved in high-impact sports. In this context, although conservative treatment represents the first therapeutic choice, there is still a lack of knowledge on the efficacy of conservative programs in young female athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of pelvic floor rehabilitation in the treatment of UI in young nulliparous female athletes. We performed a literature search using PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. The selection of articles was conducted using a specific search string: \"[((pelvic floor dysfunction) OR (urinary incontinence) OR (dyspareunia) OR (dysuria)) AND ((sport) OR (sports)) AND ((female) OR (woman) OR (women) OR (girl)) AND ((rehabilitation) OR (rehab) OR (pelvic rehabilitation) OR (exercise))]\". The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO with the ID CRD42024559990. A total of 1018 articles were found in all searches of the databases. After removing duplicates, 663 papers were reviewed in terms of title and abstract. Finally, a total of six studies were included in the present review. The results of this review show that conservative treatment with a personalised pelvic floor muscle training program (PFMTP) represents an effective treatment for UI, decreasing urine loss and improving maximum voluntary pelvic contraction; this is linked with an improvement in quality of life and sports performance, in particular when supervised by a physical therapist. Moreover, due to the reluctance of athletes to talk about UI, an educational program should be considered as part of a prevention programme in pre-season training.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11679242/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-05DOI: 10.3390/sports12120336
Raouf Hammami, Karim Ben Ayed, Yassine Negra, Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo, Michael Duncan, Haithem Rebai, Urs Granacher
{"title":"Effects of Drop Jump Training on Physical Fitness in Highly Trained Young Male Volleyball Players: Comparing Maximal Rebound Height and Standard Drop Height Training.","authors":"Raouf Hammami, Karim Ben Ayed, Yassine Negra, Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo, Michael Duncan, Haithem Rebai, Urs Granacher","doi":"10.3390/sports12120336","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120336","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Drop height has previously been used as an effective programming parameter in plyometric jump training. Less is known about the usage of maximal rebound jump height from a distinct drop height as a parameter for individualized plyometric jump training. Hence, the aim of this study was to contrast the effects of two different drop jump (DJ) training modalities using either the individualized maximal rebound height (MRHT) or a standard (SDHT) drop height on selected measures of physical fitness in young volleyball players.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty male young volleyball players aged 14 to 16 years were randomly assigned to an MRHT (<i>n</i> = 15) or an SDHT (<i>n</i> = 15) group. The MRHT group performed DJ exercises using a drop height according to the individual's maximal rebound jump height from 30 cm, 40 cm, and 50 cm drop heights. The SDHT group performed DJs following a standardized drop height (30 cm) across the 8-week intervention period. The overall training volume was similar between MRHT and SDHT with one to three sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of DJ exercises per session. Before and after training, jump height and the reactive strength index (RSI) were taken as dependent variables from 30, 40, and 50 cm drop heights. In addition, dynamic balance (Y-balance test) as well as linear sprint and change-of-direction (CoD) speed were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant group × time interactions were found for jump height, balance, RSI, and linear sprint (<i>p</i> < 0.001; d = 0.12-3.42) but not CoD speed. Post hoc tests showed significant jump height improvements in favor of the MRHT group for drop heights from 30 cm (Δ20.4%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 3.69), 40 cm (Δ20.3%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 2.90), and 50 cm (Δ18.3%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 3.37) and RSI50 (Δ30.14%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 2.29). MRHT but not SDHT resulted in significant 5 m (Δ9.2%, <i>p</i> < 0.001, d = 1.32) and 20 m (Δ7.4%, <i>p</i> < 0.01, d = 2.30) linear sprint speed improvements.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings demonstrate that MRHT but not SDHT improved DJ height, RSI, and linear sprint speed. Due to the importance of vertical jumps and short accelerations for overall competitive performance in volleyball, our results suggest that young male players should perform MRHT as part of plyometric jump training if the goal is to improve acceleration, reactive strength, and vertical jump performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11679122/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-04DOI: 10.3390/sports12120335
Vincent J Dalbo, Michael A Carron
{"title":"A Comparison of Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Public Health: Inconsistent Activity Messages Are Being Conveyed to the General Public.","authors":"Vincent J Dalbo, Michael A Carron","doi":"10.3390/sports12120335","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12120335","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We examined the similarities and differences between government-supported public health activity recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Health Service (NHS), the Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC), and one of the most renowned public health activity recommendations, the 10,000 Steps Program. The findings derived from our evaluation suggest a lack of consistency in public health activity recommendations, including the nomenclature used to describe aerobic activity, the amount of time required per week to meet the minimum recommendation for moderate and vigorous activity, and variations in the intensities required to meet aerobic activity recommendations. We also found that moderate-intensity activity (3.0 to less than 6.0 METS) is achieved across the lifespan with normal (i.e., mean), rather than vigorous, walking speeds; this suggests the MET level for moderate-intensity activity may need to be re-examined. The suggested strength activities must also be considered to ensure that the activities maintain or improve strength in the general public. Among the reviewed recommendations, none distinguished between physical activity and exercise, which may contribute to the low levels of exercise participation among the general public. Since exercise is medicine, the most recognized government-supported public health activity recommendations should place a greater emphasis on exercise over physical activity. Moreover, given the low levels of activity in the general public, more care should be given to provide a consistent, clear, and direct message regarding activity recommendations.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SportsPub Date : 2024-12-03DOI: 10.3390/sports12120333
Javier Ventaja-Cruz, Jesús M Cuevas Rincón, Virginia Tejada-Medina, Ricardo Martín-Moya
{"title":"A Bibliometric Study on the Evolution of Women's Football and Determinants Behind Its Growth over the Last 30 Years.","authors":"Javier Ventaja-Cruz, Jesús M Cuevas Rincón, Virginia Tejada-Medina, Ricardo Martín-Moya","doi":"10.3390/sports12120333","DOIUrl":"10.3390/sports12120333","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The evolution of women's football over the past three decades has been remarkable in terms of development, visibility, and acceptance, transforming into a discipline with growing popularity and professionalization. Significant advancements in gender equality and global visibility have occurred, and the combination of emerging talent, increasing commercial interest, and institutional support will continue to drive the growth and consolidation of women's football worldwide.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The purpose of this study was to present a bibliometric analysis of articles on the evolution of women's football in terms of scientific production as well as its causes and motivations over the past 30 years (1992-2024). A total of 128 documents indexed in the Web of Science database were reviewed. Outcome measures were analyzed using RStudio version 4.3.1 (Viena, Austria) software and the Bibliometrix data package to evaluate productivity indicators including the number of articles published per year, most productive authors, institutions, countries, and journals as well as identify the most cited articles and common topics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Scientific production on women's football has shown sustained growth, particularly since 2010. Key research areas have focused on injury prevention, physical performance, psychosocial factors, motivation, and leadership. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain have emerged as the most productive countries in this field, with strong international collaboration reflected in co-authorship networks.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study revealed a clear correlation between the evolution of women's football and the increase in scientific production, providing a strong foundation for future research on emerging topics such as the importance of psychological factors, sport motivation and emotional well-being on performance, gender differences at the physiological and biomechanical levels, or misogyny in social networks, thus promoting comprehensive development in this sport modality.</p>","PeriodicalId":53303,"journal":{"name":"Sports","volume":"12 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11679993/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}