Sport Research Research Articles

Analyzing the bibliometric progress of sustainable monitoring and analysis of sports training loads.

In recent years, load monitoring and analysis have become increasingly important in athletic training. The aim of this study was to provide a background for businesses and institutes to prepare for the implementation of load training and analysis in sports training, utilizing visual analysis of CiteSpace (CS) software. A total of 169 original publications were obtained from Web of Science using a comprehensive list for analysis with the CS scientometrics program. The parameters included range (2012-2022), visualization (display of completely integrated networks), precise collection criteria (top 10%), node form (institution, author, area, reference cited; referenced author, key words, and journal), and trimming (pathfinder, slice network). Visual analysis of load monitoring and analysis for use in athletic training showed that 'questionnaire' was the most popular topic area in 2017 with 51 citations, while 'training programmes' emerged as a new area of study with 8 citations. In 2021 and 2022, the terms 'energy expenditure', 'responses', 'heart rate', and 'validity' gained popularity, increasing from a strength of 1.81 to 1.1. Liverpool John Moores University was the top institution, collaborating with 14 other organizations. The leading authors in this field were Close, Graeme L., and Gastin, Paul B. Most publications were found in the 'SPORTS MED' journal, with authors primarily based in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. The findings of the study highlight the potential frontiers of load training analysis in the research and management of sports, emphasizing the importance of preparing businesses and institutes for the implementation of load training, and analysis in athletic training.

What place does elite sport have for women? A scoping review of constraints.

Despite increases in participation and raised attention for girls and women in sports, female sport is still based on male evidence that ignores gendered differences and experiences of unequal treatment and marginalization from grassroots to elite sport. This paper aimed to critically interrogate the place that women have in the male preserve of elite sport by conducting a two-part study. First, we provided a brief sociohistorical analysis of gender in sport as a means to move away from a decontextualized and universalized approach dominating in sport science literature. We then conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines to synthesize existing sport science literature that implemented Newell's constraints-led approach to examine elite performance. Ten studies were identified, none of which collected demographic data or centred on female athletes and the effects of sociocultural constraints on their performance. Instead, male-centred, masculine sports and physiological profiles dominated the identified studies. We discussed these results considering critical sport research and cultural sport psychology literature to offer an integrative, interdisciplinary approach to advocate for more culturally sensitive, context-specific interpretations of gender as a sociocultural constraint. We put forth a call to action for sport science researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to move away from implementing male evidence in female sport and attend to the unique needs of female athletes. Practical suggestions aimed to help stakeholders reimagine elite sport by celebrating these [potential] differences as strengths for promoting gender equity in sport.

Spaces of football and belonging for people seeking asylum: Resisting policy-imposed liminality in Italy

As radical right parties capitalise on the salience of immigration among the Italian public, this paper explores solidarity grassroots football as a unique lens to investigate how people seeking asylum resist the effects of policies and discourses of exclusion, and develop senses of belonging in the microscale of their day-to-day lives. Sport and migration studies researchers have primarily considered policy-based questions (e.g. how can sport facilitate integration?). In shifting the focus from integration to belonging, this ethnographic study engages with the embodied and affective experiences of individuals seeking asylum. Employing the analytical framework for the study of belonging advanced by Yuval-Davis and integrated by Antonsich, four themes are discussed: the agency of people seeking asylum in appropriating football to nurture a positive sense of self; the emergence of the material environment of sporting activities as a space of belonging; the negotiation of belonging within and beyond the team; and the local neighbourhood as possible trait d’union between sport-specific attachments and belonging to the wider community. The article contends that involvement in solidarity grassroots football can provide people seeking asylum with opportunities for belonging that go beyond the momentary, and play a vital role in resisting the liminality imposed by autochthonic politics of belonging.

Sport identification, moral perceptions and collective action: A study with young football players

AbstractWe conducted a cross‐sectional study investigating whether sport identification predicts different forms of collective action intentions aimed to redress the unfavourable condition faced by disadvantaged individuals. In doing so, moral perceptions (moral convictions, moral violation and moral obligation) were tested as mediators. Participants were young football players from the grassroots of a professional Italian club (N = 111). Results revealed that sport identification was indirectly associated with greater willingness to engage in both normative and non‐normative solidarity‐based collective action via stronger moral obligation perceptions; moral convictions mediated the relationship between sport identification and normative collective action, while no mediation effects emerged for moral violation. We discuss findings in relation to collective action and sport research.

The knowledge structure of corporate social responsibility in sport management: a retrospective bibliometric analysis

PurposeCorporate social responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly significant in the sport industry, and athletes, leagues, teams and sport organizations are actively engaging in socially responsible activities. The popularity of CSR has attracted the attention of scholars in the field of sport management. However, little research has investigated the overview and evolution of the extant literature on CSR research in sport management. Therefore, this study aims to explore the knowledge structure of CSR in sport management and provide implications for future research.Design/methodology/approachThis work investigated and examined bibliographic data of scientific documents (N = 234) indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database from 2008 to 2021. The Bibliometrix R package and VOSviewer software were used to analyze and visualize the knowledge map of CSR research in sport management.FindingsThe bibliometric analysis found that CSR has become a critical topic in the field of sport management. Most studies focus on the implementation of CSR activities by sport organizations and their impact on consumers' reactions and behaviors.Originality/valueThe findings of the current paper provide an efficient overview of the evolution of CSR in sport management and offer avenues for future scientific endeavors.

Listening to Aboriginal voices of sport for development at conferences in Australia: a Black researcher’s account

ABSTRACT As a Dyirbal Gumbilbara Bama woman and anthropologist in the sport for development (SfD) field, I have found that ‘honouring Indigenous knowledges in research and practice’ continues to be a form of ‘lip service’. This position has been reached through my presence at conferences in Australia, where most attendees are non-Indigenous. The focus has been on the applied disciplines of physical education, sport, and SfD. Drawing primarily on my observations of many non-Indigenous audience members’ responses to my research findings, it appears that Indigenous Ways of Knowing are either too unpalatable, shocking, or disturbing. Most concerningly, the reactions appeared most robust in instances where I have been presenting mob’s knowledge and concerns about SfD in Australia. This paper reflects my experiences as a Black researcher in a dominant White ‘sports’ conference setting. Through exploring these experiences, I ask practitioners and researchers in sport to embrace and listen to mob’s knowledge and concerns about SfD programs in Australia so that we might genuinely progress towards a time where Indigenous knowledges are honoured in research and practice.

Anti-Racist Research Methods in Sport-Based Youth Development

In this article, we examine the process of conducting anti-racist research in Sport for Development, specifically Sport-Based Youth Development programs in the United States. We acknowledge that participatory methods have been both identified and problematized as approaches to challenge the racialized experiences of youth. We share examples of attempts at Youth Participatory Action Research utilized across six previously unpublished projects. Through sharing our efforts to co-create environments with youth to produce changes impacting their development, we provide insight on our experiences and shortcomings. Finally, we conclude with implications for the field of Sport for Development, and youth-focused scholars, on deconstructing contexts that preserve and privilege whiteness.

Low Stiffness Dance Flooring Increases Peak Ankle Plantar Flexor Muscle Activation During a Ballet Jump.

Research in court sports shows that factors which aid in extrinsic shock absorption, that is, flooring and footwear, can help reduce lower extremity injuries. However, since students and performers of ballet or most styles of contemporary dance cannot depend upon footwear, the only extrinsic factor to help them with shock absorption is flooring. We investigated whether doing sauté on a low stiffness dance floor produced a difference in EMG output of the vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius, of soleus compared to a high stiffness floor. Average and average peak amplitude EMG output from 18 dance students or active dancers performing 8 repetitions of sauté on a low stiffness floor (Harlequin® Woodspring) was compared to a maple hardwood floor on concreted subflooring. The data showed a significant increase in average peak EMG muscle amplitude during jumping on the low stiffness floor compared to a high stiffness floor for the soleus muscle (P = .033) and a trend for increase average peak output for the medial gastrocnemius (P = .088). The difference in average peak amplitude of EMG output is explained through the difference in force absorption between floors. With the high stiffness floor, more force of the landing was returned to the dancers' legs, but the low stiffness floor absorbed some of the force of landing the jump, and therefore muscles needed to contribute more to maintain the same jump height. The force absorption characteristic of the low stiffness floor may decrease injury rates in dance through causing an adjustment in muscle velocity. Rapid eccentric muscle activity carries the greatest possibility of musculotendinous injury and is experienced in lower body muscles controlling all joints during impact absorption, which includes landing of jumps in dance. If a surface can decelerate the landing of a high velocity dance movement, it also decreases the musculotendinous demand for high velocity tension generation.

Development of a Standardised System to Classify Injury-Inciting Circumstances in Football: the Football Injury Inciting Circumstances Classification System (FIICCS).

A comprehensive examination of the sport-specific activities and circumstances being performed at the time of injury is important to hypothesise mechanisms, develop prevention strategies and inform future investigations. Results reported in the literature are inconsistent because inciting activities are reported using different classifications. Hence the aim was to develop a standardised system for the reporting of inciting circumstances. The system was developed using a modified Nominal Group Technique. The initial panel included 12 sports practitioners and researchers from four continents with respectively ≥ 5years of experience working in professional football and/or conducting injury research. The process consisted of six phases: idea generation, two surveys, one online meeting and two confirmations. For answers to the closed questions, consensus was deemed achieved if ≥ 70% of respondents agreed. Open-ended answers were qualitatively analysed and then introduced in subsequent phases. Ten panellists completed the study. The risk of attrition bias was low. The developed system includes a comprehensive range of inciting circumstances across five domains: contact type, ball situation, physical activity, session details, contextual information. The system also distinguishes between a core set (essential reporting) and an optional set. The panel deemed all the domains to be important and easy to use both in football and in research environments. A system to classify inciting circumstances in football was developed.Given the extent of reporting inconsistency of inciting circumstances in the available literature, thiscan be used while further studies evaluate its reliability.

Thriving together: conceptual and methodological considerations for examining thriving in interdependent sport

ABSTRACT Despite conceptual advances and preliminary associations highlighting the benefits of thriving in sport, opportunities for continued research are numerous. Notably, sport-specific research involving thriving has predominantly taken an individual athlete perspective. Interestingly, evidence from the organisational domain suggests that thriving can manifest at a collective level through interdependent team member interactions. Given the potential for thriving to emerge as a higher-level phenomenon in interdependent sport, a critique of thriving at the group-level is advanced. More specifically, we provide a summary of existing individual athlete thriving literature and organisational thriving research at the group-level (Part 1), propose three approaches to conceptualising thriving in interdependent sport (i.e. common, team, and collective thriving) grounded in multilevel research (Part 2), pose guiding questions and key considerations for future exploration (Part 3), and conclude by emphasising the potential value of examining thriving as a higher-level construct for sport researchers and invested partners (Part 4).

Sport and migration in the age of superdiversity

Taking Steven Vertovec's concept of Superdiversity as a starting point, this special issue examines the dynamic interaction of diversity variables in the field of sport and migration issues. The articles published this Speical Issue span from studies on sports labor migration ( sports as migration) to consideration of the role sport plays in the everyday lives of disparate groups of migrants ( sport in migration). Considering the contemporary diversification of migration, we argue that it is more relevant than ever to expand the empirical focus of research in sports and migration issues, but also the breadth of theoretical and methodological approaches utilized. To this end, we illustrate the value of postcolonial theory and intersectionality as theoretical frameworks that can focus on multiple axes of differentiation along with structuring conditions that impact sports and migration issues. Further, we call for researchers in the field to consider the value of methodologies that are novel to their work such as participatory action research and approaches that avoid methodological nationalism.

한국형 운동선수의 권리(athletes’ rights) 설문지 타당화

The purpose of this study was to validate Korean version of the athletes’ rights survey(Tuakli-Wosornu et al., 2021) in which the original survey was developed based on the World Players Association and the International Olympic Committee. To do this, first, the process of translate English into Korean and vice versa was executed. Second, face validation was conducted. Third, main investigation for the 499 college student-athletes was conducted through explanatory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity and cross validity. The result showed that the two factors from the explanatory factor analysis were categorized by ‘the rights factor(8 items)’ and ‘the attitude factor(6 items).’ The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model was appropriate(CFI=.993, TLI=.966, RMSEA=.074). The Cronbach’s α was .930. The correlation results showed positive in both rights and attitude factors(𝛾=.407~.581, .01). This study showed that Korean version of the athletes’ rights survey was validated. The validated survey can be useful to examine athletes’ rights in human rights in sports research.

The tennis coach as a leader

Tennis coaches are leaders! Success as a tennis coach involves far more than simply hitting balls over a net on a daily basis as the role involves leading diverse stakeholders such as club managers, parents, committees, and most importantly players. The development of leadership skills has received growing interest in recent years and it is widely accepted that there is a link between leadership skills and corporate success. Sports researchers have recognised the ecological system that surrounds an athlete and the multiple stakeholders connected to their development. However, little is known about how the tennis coach should be educated and prepared to deal with the coach’s leadership demands, and in particular, the softer skills needed to become a more effective sports leader. The aim of this article is to provide tennis coaches with a brief context surrounding the necessity for leadership skills as a tennis coach. Secondly, the article provides a three-step process based on self-reflection and self-awareness to help coaches consider their individual leadership development.

Sports Science Movement model based on fractional differential equation

Abstract In order to construct the morphological model of Chinese excellent calisthenics athletes, overcome the shortage of evaluation of single and multiple indexes in the study of the morphology of calisthenics athletes in the past, the author proposes a sports science model research based on fractional differential equation. Sports biomechanics, as an independent discipline within sports science, the general task of the study of motion biomechanics is to evaluate the effect of force on perfectly achieving a given goal in the process of interaction between biological system and external environment, the author takes the outstanding male calisthenics athletes of Chinese college students as the research object, and adopts the method of literature and mathematical statistics, the morphological indexes were analyzed and studied, and the morphological model was established, through factor analysis, the morphology of Chinese outstanding male college student aerobics athletes is divided into four factors: Body fullness factor, limb scale factor, body width factor, body circumference factor, the weights of the four factors are 0.36, 0.31, 0.17 and 0.15, respectively. Chinese outstanding male college student aerobics athletes have the morphological characteristics of medium height and well-developed upper arm and lower limb muscles.

Description, Prediction, and Causation in Sport and Exercise Medicine Research: Resolving the Confusion to Improve Research Quality and Patient Outcomes.

SYNOPSIS: Researchers often assign a label (such as a risk factor or predictor) to a characteristic that is statistically associated with an outcome (such as future injury). Labeling signifies that the characteristic has an established clinical value. More often than not, these labels are assigned prematurely and haphazardly. The rampant practice conflates research goals, the ultimate clinical value of the findings, and many risk factors/predictors that may not warrant the label. To address these issues and improve injury prevention research, we (1) outline the problem; (2) clarify the key differences between the research goals of description, causation, and prediction/prognosis (along with labeling conventions); (3) differentiate the clinical implications for each label; and (4) frame an appropriate scientific process to follow before applying a label. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2023;53(7):1-7. Epub: 26 April 2023. doi:10.2519/jospt.2023.11773.

Assessment and Conceptualization of Perceived Competence in Ice Hockey: A Scale Development and Validation Study.

Perceived competence plays a crucial role in establishing environments favorable to individual development in youth sport. As most assessment tools of perceived competence are not sport-specific, they have limited usefulness for sport practitioners and researchers. This study had two-fold aims: (i) to develop a perceived competence assessment tool specific to ice hockey; and (ii) to examine its factorial structure and internal consistency. We first developed an initial 29-item version of this ice hockey competence self-report scale, using a group of ice hockey stakeholders and sports science experts to develop the items and a pilot sample of 42 hockey players to confirm test-retest reliability. Finally, we validated the scale among a cohort of 770 adolescent ice hockey players (M age = 14.78, SD = 1.60 years). Results from exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed that perceived competence in ice hockey was defined by six dimensions, with rejection of seven items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested that the 6-factor first order model was the best fit with the conceptualization of perceived competence in ice hockey (CFI = 0.938, RMSEA = 0.044). The final, 22-item questionnaire now provides a reliable and valid measure of perceived competence in hockey for adolescent participants. It has promise for evaluating future interventions aiming to foster young athletes' perceived confidence through sport.

Multifunctional Wearable System for Mapping Body Temperature and Analyzing Sweat.

Integrated wearable bioelectronic health monitoring systems have revealed new possibilities for collecting personalized physiological information. Wearable sweat sensors have the potential to noninvasively measure valuable biomarkers. Mapping sweat and skin-temperature throughout the body can provide detailed information on the human body. However, existing wearable systems cannot evaluate such data. Here, we report a multifunctional wearable platform that can wirelessly measure local sweat loss, sweat chloride concentration, and skin temperature. The approach combines a reusable electronics module to monitor skin temperature and a microfluidic module for monitoring sweat loss and sweat chloride concentration. The miniaturized electronic system takes temperature measurements from the skin and wirelessly transmits the obtained data to a user device using Bluetooth technology. In contrast, the microfluidic system provides accurate colorimetric analysis of the chloride concentration and sweat loss. Thus, this integrated wearable system has great application potential in individualized health management systems for sports researchers and competitors and can also be applied in clinical settings.

Case-study: Energy expenditure of a world class male wheelchair tennis player during training, Grand Slam and British Open tournaments measured by doubly labelled water

The assessment of total energy expenditure (TEE) is imperative to ensure appropriate fuelling during competition and training, although the current lack of TEE research in para sport make the prescription of nutritional strategies challenging. This study aimed to assess TEE of an elite wheelchair tennis (WT) player during training and competition of the highest level. One male WT player (age 23.6 years; career high World No. 1; body mass 65.7 kg; VO2max, 45.3 ml.kg−1.min−1) participated. Prior to the assessment, VO2max and maximum heart rate, resting metabolic rate, 10 m sprint speed and upper body skinfold measurements were made. Doubly labelled water assessed TEE during a 19-day period which included the Wimbledon Championships (5 days-3 matches), training (8 days) and the British Open (BO) (6 days-7 matches). Throughout data collection, the participant continued their usual training and preparation. During Wimbledon, TEE was 3118 kcal·d−1: 60.3 kcal·kg−1 FFM: PAL 2.0 and during BO was 3368 kcal·day−1: 65.1 kcal·kg−1 FFM: PAL 2.2. Mean daily activity was 124 mins and 132 mins, respectively. During training, TEE was 3177kcal·day-1: 61.4kcal·kg-1 FFM: PAL 2.0: mean daily activity was 138 mins. These findings show the TEE of an elite WT player captured during a period of training and high-level competition, alongside data outlining the physiological profile of a world-class para-athlete.

Maladaptive versus Adaptative Cardiovascular Phenotype in Response to Exercise Training: Expert Opinion of the Evidence

Sports physicians, physiologists, cardiologists, and researchers indistinctly use the terms “cardiac maladaptation,” “maladaptive cardiac remodeling” and/or “hypertrophy,” “adverse cardiac remodeling,” and “maladaptive cardiovascular (CV) phenotype/system” to describe pathophysiological responses to chronic and/or high-intensity exercise (i.e., extreme exercise). These terms may be somewhat vague and ambiguous, suggesting a lack of clarity about these mal/adaptations. There is a need to standardize which acute and/or chronic CV responses to exercise training may be considered physiological and which pathological. We aim to present a compilation of CV exercise-induced modifications from a morphological, structural, and electrical perspective that we consider CV maladaptation.

Mass Sportrometry: An annual look back at applications of mass spectrometry in sport and exercise science.

Research in sport and exercise science (SES) is reliant on robust analyses of biomarker measurements to assist with the interpretation of physiological outcomes. Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical approach capable of highly sensitive, specific, precise, and accurate analyses of a range of biomolecules, many of which are of interest in SES including, but not limited to, endogenous metabolites, exogenously administered compounds (e.g. supplements), mineral ions, and circulating/tissue proteins. This annual review provides a summary of the applications of MS across studies investigating aspects related to sport or exercise in manuscripts published, or currently in press, in 2022. In total, 93 publications are included and categorized according to their methodologies including targeted analyses, metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics, and isotope ratio/elemental MS. The advantageous analytical opportunities afforded by MS technologies are discussed across a selection of relevant articles. In addition, considerations for the future of MS in SES, including the need to improve the reporting of assay characteristics and validation data, are discussed, alongside the recommendation for selected current methods to be superseded by MS-based approaches where appropriate. The review identifies that a targeted, mostly quantitative, approach is the most commonly applied MS approach within SES, although there has also been a keen interest in the use of 'omics' to perform hypothesis-generating research studies. Nonetheless, MS is not commonplace in SES at this time, but its use to expand, and possibly improve, the analytical options should be continually considered to exploit the benefits of analytical chemistry in exercise/sports-based research. Overall, it is exciting to see the gradually increasing adoption of MS in SES and it is expected that the number, and quality, of MS-based assays in SES will increase over time, with the potential for 2023 to further establish this technique within the field.