Sport Athletes Research Articles

ABSTRACT Most existing research assumes that coaching should be ‘effective’ in terms of achieving sport-related outcomes. However, the psychological crisis and other forms of alienation prevalent among athletes in late modern sport—such as stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and a rigidly instrumentalized understanding of one's own body—highlight the deeply problematic aspects of this outcome-oriented focus. This theoretical paper draws on Hartmut Rosa’s theory of resonance to propose an alternative approach. It introduces the concept of 'resonant coaching' as a normative criterion for defining ‘good’ coaching. By building on the four key features of resonant relationships—affection, self-efficacy, transformation, and semicontrollability—this paper discusses the 'resonant coaching triangle' as a mode for conceptualizing such relationships between the coach, the athlete, and the sport. It demonstrates how training and sport can be reimagined and transformed into a primary sphere of resonance for both athletes and coaches in late modern society.

Is sport safe with safe sport? A critical examination.

Abstract Background: In recent years, orthobiologics have gained a substantial interest for the treatment of various sports related musculoskeletal injuries. However, their use and effectiveness remain controversial. Objectives: In this review, the current literature on the use of orthobiolgoics for sports related injury among kicking athletes was reviewed. The primary goal of the paper is to provide an evidence-based resource for clinicians on the orthobiologics treatment in kicking athletes. Data Sources: Eligible studies were identified through searches of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Embase up to May 22, 2024. The search terms included “orthobiologics”, “platelet-rich plasma”, “platelet-poor plasma”, “PRP”, “PPP”, bone-marrow aspirate concentrate”, “mesenchymal stem cell”, “BMAC”, “MSC”, “ultrasound guided hydrodissection”, “ultrasound guided hydrodilatation”, “ultrasound guided percutaneous tenotomy”, “barbotage”, “ultrasound guided ablation”, “kicking sport athletes”, “soccer player”, “placekicker”, “futsal”, “football”, and “soccer”. Main results: The initial literature search yielded 2264 articles after duplicates were excluded. After screening titles and abstracts, 138 articles were assessed for eligibility. Following the full-text evaluation, a total of 20 articles were included in the final analysis. Of the 20 studies, 2 were randomized control trials, 1 was a retrospective cohort study, 4 were case series, and 13 were case reports. The average Coleman Methodology Score modified for conservative therapy for all included studies is 30.30 (range 18-74) and overall the quality is in the poor range. Conclusions: While platelet-rich plasma and prolotherapy appear to be a safe adjunctive treatment, comparison and outcome interpretation are limited due to the nature of heterogeneity of the PRP protocols and pathologies reported among reviewed studies. Future studies are warranted to evaluate orthobiologics treatment, focusing on protocols including the timing, dosing/concentration, and number of injections, to allow clinicians to understand utility of orthobiologics treatment when treating kicking athletes.

ABSTRACT Objective Overuse injuries are more associated with highly specialized youth athletes in individual sports than those in team sports; however, as baseball, softball, and volleyball involve frequent repetitive motions, these repetitive motion team sports (RMTS) may see a greater proportion of overuse injuries than non-repetitive motion team sports (non-RMTS). The objective of the present study is to compare the distribution of injuries (overuse vs. acute) in RMTS to non-RMTS and individual sports among highly specialized youth athletes. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 805 highly specialized athletes (aged 12.00–17.92 years) who presented with a sports-related injury between January 2015 and June 2022. The injury distribution (proportion of overuse vs. acute injuries) for each sport type group (Individual, RMTS, non-RMTS) was compared to each of the other two via chi-square, and linear regression was used to evaluate the relative odds of any given injury being overuse for sport type and various demographic and sports participation variables. Results Among 805 patients, 487 (60.5%) were individual sport athletes, 83 (10.3%) were RMTS athletes, and 235 (29.2%) were non-RMTS athletes. The proportions of overuse injury were 67.1%, 57.5%, and 40.0% in the individual, RMTS, and non-RMTS groups, respectively. Overuse injury proportion was higher in RMTS than non-RMTS (p = 0.0105), though it was not significantly different between RMTS and individual sports (p = 0.098). Patients participating in individual sports (Odds Ratio = 2.93, 95% CI = 2.00–4.29) or RMTS (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.31–3.97) had greater odds of overuse injury relative to acute injury when compared to those in non-RMTS. Conclusions Among highly specialized youth athletes, individual sport and RMTS athletes had similar proportions of overuse injuries, and both had a higher proportion of overuse injuries than non-RMTS athletes. Preliminary evidence suggests that RMTS athletes may share some risk characteristics with individual sport athletes, which may help guide future research into injury patterns in this group to help better inform clinicians in counseling highly specialized youth athletes regarding overuse injuries.

This study assessed the concurrent validity and between-device reliability of the Catapult Vector S8 GNSS device for measuring distance, speed, acceleration and banded distance metrics. Twelve male sub-elite team sport athletes completed a testing protocol consisting of linear sprints, change of direction drills and a modified small-sided game. Validity was evaluated against criterion reference systems, a VICON motion capture system for most trials and a Stalker ATS radar for 50 m sprints, evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias. Between-device reliability was assessed using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and typical error (TE%). The Vector S8 demonstrated good validity with minimal errors for instantaneous distance (RMSE: 0.03 ± 0.01 m), speed (RMSE: 0.14 ± 0.05 m·s−1) and acceleration (RMSE: 0.29 ± 0.14 m·s−2). No overall bias was detected for instantaneous distance and speed, and the bias for acceleration (−0.016) was minimal. Accumulated distance showed a small underestimation across trials (mean bias −1.42%), with consistently low RMSE values (0.26–3.06 m), indicating high measurement precision. The 50 m sprint results showed similar validity, with minimal RMSE for instantaneous speed (0.14 ± 0.15 m·s−1) and acceleration (0.22 ± 0.22 m·s−2). Between device reliability demonstrated excellent agreement across all measured variables (ICC ≥ 0.95) with good precision (TE as CV < 3.13%). No significant systematic bias was observed between devices for any variable (p > 0.05). This is the first study to validate the Catapult Vector S8 GNSS device, demonstrating that it is valid and reliable for measuring distance, speed and acceleration during sport-specific movements.

Introduction Participating in sports is more than a competition; it is an avenue for personal growth and development, especially for young athletes. The Youth Olympic Games (YOG), established by the International Olympic Committee in 2010, is a unique platform for athletes aged 15–18 to showcase their skills while gaining invaluable life experiences. This study explores the influence of participation in the YOG, focusing on athletes' physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being. Methods Using a retrospective mixed-methods framework, 173 participants (47% female and 53% male) who competed in one of the four YOG events held between 2010 and 2016 were surveyed in 2017, followed by interviews 6 months later in 2018 with 30 of the participants. Quantitative data on 18 well-being items assessed on a 5-point Likert scale was analyzed with a one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the interview data was analyzed using a top-down thematic approach. Results and discussion Participants' responses were significantly above “neutral” ( P &amp;lt; 0.001) on the 18 items about the YOG impact, suggesting a positive effect of the YOG across the four dimensions of well-being. The interviews complemented and informed the survey by providing deeper insights and context, to show that taking part in the YOG and its educational programs influence, and are important for the young elite athletes' psychometric development. Recognizing this impact, more attention should be given to developing tools and strategies to support the social and emotional well-being of youth elite athletes in sports. A better understanding of the impacts of participating in the YOG can foster a healthier, more informed generation of athletes and community members.

The article reveals the importance of movement methods as one of the key components of the technical and tactical training of athletes in team sports, in particular in basketball and volleyball. A theoretical analysis of scientific sources highlighting the role of movements in ensuring the effectiveness of game activity was carried out, and the specifics of movement within various game situations were outlined. The main attention was focused on the development and experimental testing of a training program aimed at improving movement skills in youth athletes. The study involved 60 young basketball and volleyball players aged 14–16, who were divided into experimental and control groups. For 12 weeks, participants in the experimental groups performed a set of specially selected exercises integrated into the structure of the training process, taking into account the specifics of each sport. The control groups worked according to traditional training programs without targeted training of movement methods. Analysis of the results of the input and output testing confirmed the effectiveness of the implemented program: the athletes of the experimental groups significantly improved their coordination, speed, accuracy of movements, as well as the quality of performance of game actions. The results obtained indicate the feasibility of a systematic approach to the formation of movement methods as a necessary component of training in basketball and volleyball. Methodological principles and directions for implementing movement exercises in the educational and training process are outlined, including phasedness, game orientation, variability, individualization and proximity to competitive conditions. A program planning model is proposed, which can be used in the activities of coaches of children's and youth sports schools to increase the effectiveness of training and development of players.

ABSTRACTChanges in cortical gray matter are a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases that have been linked with concussion and repetitive head impacts (RHIs). Prior evidence implicates prior concussion and RHI in reduced cortical thickness or volume in temporal and frontal regions, with results largely restricted to older retired contact sport athletes. Fewer studies have investigated similar associations in younger athletes or applied approaches to capture more subtle differences in gray matter earlier in the lifespan. The current study assessed the association of concussion and RHI with cortical macrostructure (cortical thickness, cortical surface area), and cortical microstructure (cortical mean diffusivity), the latter of which has been suggested to be an earlier marker of gray matter abnormalities in neurodegenerative diseases. A total of 207 otherwise healthy collegiate‐aged athletes completed semistructured interviews for concussion and sport participation history, as well as a magnetic resonance imaging session including anatomical and diffusion imaging (N = 205 with available diffusion data). Cortical surface area and cortical thickness were estimated using FreeSurfer; cortical mean diffusivity was calculated with correction for partial volume. Bayesian multilevel modeling was conducted on regions of interest derived from Desikan–Killiany Atlas parcellations to determine the association of the number of prior concussions and RHI (included in the same models) with each metric, controlling for sex, age, and intracranial volume (area only). There was strong evidence for a positive association between the number of prior concussions and cortical mean diffusivity throughout most of the cortex. In addition, there was strong evidence for a positive association of the number of prior concussions with cortical surface area across several regions. For cortical thickness, there was strong evidence of inverse associations between the number of prior concussions and anterior and medial temporal cortical regions only. In contrast, only weak to no evidence of associations between years of contact sport exposure, a proxy for RHI, and any cortical surface metric was observed. These results demonstrate that cortical diffusivity may represent a more sensitive metric of subtle, early structural changes associated with repetitive neurotrauma, and highlight the importance of efforts to reduce concussion risk in sport.

This review systematically maps the existing research on objective return to sport criteria for shoulder injuries, with a focus on clinical tests that inform decision-making. A scoping review was performed. The following databases were searched from inception up to July 2025: Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, PEDRo, Cinahl and AMED. All studies, regardless of design, which assessed any kind of shoulder function with regard to return to sport decision-making in individuals participating in sports and presented with a shoulder injury were included. The result was qualitatively presented in free text, tables and figures. Eleven studies were identified that reported objective shoulder tests prior to return to sport in athletes after shoulder instability surgery. The tests evaluated various parameters, including range of motion, muscular strength, muscular endurance, power, plyometrics, movement quality and trunk control. The passing rates of isokinetic shoulder strength tests ranged from 40% to 70%, the isometric shoulder strength tests from 28% to 100%, for shoulder endurance tests from 70% to 81% and shoulder performance tests from 29% to 100%. These assessments were conducted within a time frame of 4-21 months following surgery. The rate of subsequent shoulder instability or re-dislocation ranged from 5% to 10% after returning to sport. Passing rates for objective shoulder tests, including muscular strength and endurance, as well as performance tests, varied widely, with re-dislocation rates between 5% and 10% after returning to sport. However, the predominance of case series limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of these tests in reducing the risk of subsequent shoulder instability. Level IV, scoping review of level III - level IV studies.

This research focused on comparing the levels of empathy and mental toughness in competitive athletes involved in team and individual sports, as well as identifying the relationship between these two psychological aspects. The current quantitative study was conducted among a population of athletes, with a sample size of 221 individuals. Data analysis employed independent sample t-tests and Bayesian correlation analysis to examine differences and relationships between the variables. The t-test results revealed that team sport athletes scored significantly higher on empathy (by 3.25 points, t = 6.28, p &lt; 001) and mental toughness (by 3.52 points, t = 7.76, p &lt; 001) compared to individual sport athletes, indicating that participation in team sports enhances both emotional and psychological strength. The Bayesian correlation analysis also showed a significant positive correlation between empathy and mental toughness, suggesting that more empathetic athletes tend to be more mentally tough. Based on these findings, coaches and sports psychologists are recommended to develop training programs that foster empathy and mental toughness, particularly for individual sport athletes, to boost their emotional intelligence, coping skills, and overall performance.

Background: Accurate anthropometric data provides insight into comprehending morphological optimisation in sports. This study aims to determine the probability that a randomly selected individual from the general reference population falls within the sports-specific population. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 18,462 children and adolescents (9–14 years) from the Huila department (general population, n = 17,895) and the Neiva City Sports Schools representing athletes in team sports (sport-specific population, n = 567). Body size attributes (weight and height) were considered, and the bivariate overlap zone (BOZ) was calculated. A valid and noninvasive method was adopted to estimate the maturity offset and, complementarily, the age at peak height velocity. Results: (i) BOZ results demonstrate body size is relatively more important at younger ages compared to adolescent years in both girls and boys across all sports; (ii) differences in BOZ values are clear across different sports; (iii) basketball consistently showed higher BOZ scores in both genders indicating a relatively greater opportunity for selection in this sport based on body size alone; and (iv) BOZ values tend to be substantially lower for boys when compared to girls, particularly in the older age groups. Conclusions: Our study suggested (i) more competition for sports selection among boys, likely too much selection emphasis on body size among the youngest children, and (ii) reduced competition for sports selection among young adolescents, particularly girls.

ABSTRACT Radar is commonly used to assess overground sprinting performance and estimate the force-velocity-power (FvP) mechanical variables; however, limited work has examined the reliability of these measures in female field sport athletes. This study aimed to assess the reliability of radar-derived measures, and to examine the associations between sprinting split times and the FvP. Twenty-three female rugby league and field hockey athletes (15–35 yrs, 70.2 ± 12.2 kg, 169 ± 6 cm) completed two 40 m sprints on two separate days. Split times displayed acceptable inter-day absolute reliability (CV = 0.91–2.17%) as did the FvP (CV range = 1.37–6.28%), however, relative reliability ranged from moderate to excellent (ICC3,1 = 0.60–0.98) or poor to excellent (ICC3,1 = 0.15–0.96), respectively. Maximal power output (PMAX W/kg) was most associated to 0–30 m (r = −0.95). However, for completion time of the maximal velocity phase (CTMVP) (20–40 m), PMAX (W/kg) displayed a moderate association (r = −0.69), in comparison, power output at maximal velocity (PVMAX W/kg) displayed a stronger association (r = −0.83). Utilising the fastest trial on a given day is suitable for monitoring sprinting performance, whilst correlations between split-times and the FvP in the current study provide important insights into the sprinting mechanics of female field sport athletes.

Gynecologic Health in Female Ultramarathon Runners.

Tauopathies are a subgroup of neurodegenerative diseases pathologically typified as tau protein aggregate deposits in the brain, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). AD is the most common cause of dementia, and CTE is a unique tauopathy affecting contact sports athletes, such as those active in American football and boxing, among others. It is revealed that the three-dimensional configurations of the protofibrils in AD and CTE-specific tau filaments are rather similar. Baicalein (BA) is a natural polyphenol extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgia and was confirmed to disaggregate the preformed tau fibrils in vitro. However, the atomic effects and underlying mechanisms of BA on the AD- and CTE-specific tau protofibrils are largely unknown. In this study, we conducted all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the two types of protofibrils without and with BA. The results revealed that BA could decrease the structural stability and reduce the β-sheet structure probability of the two types of protofibrils. BA extended the three-dimensional conformations of the AD-type protofibril in the vertical axis direction while it extended the CTE-type protofibril in the horizontal axis direction. BA preferentially bound with the β-sheet fragments of the two types of protofibrils through hydrophobic, H-bonding, and π-π stacking interactions, while the binding sites showed many differences. In addition, the cation-π interaction only existed between BA and the AD-type protofibril. Our work provides useful theoretical implications for the design of drugs to prevent or delay the development of AD and CTE.

Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) in elite adult team ball sport athletes: a systematic review.

Objectives: Sports-related concussion (SRC) is mostly associated with contact and combat sports. However, emerging evidence suggest that cyclists are also at risk of repeated concussion injury. Moreover, long-term neurophysiological outcomes in cycling cohorts remain underexplored. This novel study investigated the long-term effect of repetitive concussions in cyclists. Road, mountain biking (MTB), and BMX riders with a history of concussions and self-reported persistent symptoms were assess for neurophysiology and cognitive–motor performance compared to previously concussed cyclists with no ongoing symptoms. Both groups were compared to age-matched with controls. Methods: Using a cross-sectional between-group design, 25 cyclists with a history of concussions (15 symptomatic, 10 asymptomatic) and 20 controls completed symptom reporting, cognitive and balance assessments (SCAT5), sensorimotor testing using vibrotactile stimulation, and neurophysiological assessments via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Results: Symptomatic cyclists reported a higher number of concussions compared to asymptomatic cyclists (p = 0.041). Cognitive testing revealed large effects (d &gt; 1.0), with impaired concentration in symptomatic cyclists compared to controls (p = 0.005). Motor assessments demonstrated large effects (d &gt; 1.0), with slower tandem gait times (p &lt; 0.001) and greater errors (p = 0.02) in the symptomatic group. Sensorimotor testing indicated slowed simple reaction times (p = 0.001) and poorer temporal order judgement (p = 0.038). TMS showed large effects (d &gt; 1.0) in increased cortical inhibition in the symptomatic group, with prolong cortical silent periods (p &lt; 0.05) and large effects (d &gt; 1.0), and reduced short interval intracortical inhibition (p = 0.001) compared to asymptomatic cyclists and controls. Conclusions: Cyclists reporting persistent symptoms showed greater cortical inhibition and impaired cognitive–motor performance, consistent with findings in contact sport athletes. These results suggest that repeated concussions in cycling carry risk of chronic neurophysiological alterations. Cycling disciplines should consider more rigorous concussion identification protocols and stricter management strategies to mitigate persistent and long-term consequences.

To examine the longitudinal relationships among cyberbullying, perceived pressure, and depression, this study employed a cross-lagged panel analysis to conduct biannual tracking surveys with 301 high-level Chinese athletes over a 1-year period. The sample comprised 131 males and 170 females, with age distribution as follows: 93 participants aged 18-21, 109 aged 22-25, 61 aged 26-29, and 38 aged 30 or above. Participants represented various sport types: 118 individual event athletes, 70 paired event athletes, and 113 team sport athletes. The results show that cyberbullying consistently leads to increased perceived pressure among high-level athletes over time. Similarly, cyberbullying also consistently contributes to higher levels of depression in these athletes. The study also found that an athlete's perceived pressure can lead to increased depression over time. These findings suggest that perceived pressure may help explain how cyberbullying leads to depression.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy-neuropathologic change (CTE-NC) has been studied in contact sport athletes with repetitive head impacts (RHI), but its association with isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI) and non-sport RHI in the community remains unclear. Forty-seven consecutive donor brains from the Late Effects of TBI Project underwent comprehensive neuropathologic evaluation. Seven (14.9%; median age, seventh decade) had CTE-NC, defined as perivascular neuronal tau at the depth of sulcus. Four had 4 "low" CTE-NC burden, 1 "high," and 2 "indeterminate." Ex vivo neuroimaging in 5 facilitated histological sampling of subtle changes otherwise likely to be overlooked. Five of the 7 CTE-NC donors reportedly had substantial RHI exposure: football (n = 3), boxing (n = 1), military and interpersonal violence (n = 1), and child abuse (n = 1). One CTE-NC case had no known RHI exposure but had 2 severe iTBIs sustained 30 and 3 years prior to death. Donors without CTE-NC had variable patterns of head trauma: RHI exposure (college football, n = 4), some RHI (n = 21, 17 of whom also had ≥1 iTBI), and ≥1 iTBI but no RHI (n = 15). These findings converge with prior reports that CTE is largely associated with extensive RHI and is infrequent in a cohort with varying TBI exposures.

Abstract The high rate of young athletes dropping out of sports encourages researchers to understand the causes of this phenomenon and analyse the factors that can increase the retention of young athletes in sports. Engagement is associated with more positive outcomes, and lower risks of dropping out of the sport and burnout. Therefore, studying engagement can provide deeper insights into young people’s behaviour in sports. Youth sports coaches have a significant influence on shaping young athletes’ experiences and fostering their positive development. Studies highlight the impact of coach behaviour and the quality of athlete-coach interactions on athlete engagement. Research on young athletes’ perceptions of coaching effectiveness can enhance coaching practices and boost athlete engagement. This study investigated young volleyball players’ engagement in sport, perceived coaching effectiveness, and links between the components. The study sample included 317 volleyball players between the ages of 12 and 19. Data were gathered through an anonymous questionnaire survey. The results revealed that athlete engagement has a weak statistically significant correlation with perceived coaching effectiveness. There were no significant differences in sports engagement variables regarding age and sex, except females reported higher scores in the variable Dedication to sport compared to males. Finally, female athletes rated significantly higher on overall coaching effectiveness and motivation compared to male athletes. Younger athletes scored substantially higher in motivation compared to older athletes. Also, athletes aged 12–14 years rated significantly higher on overall coaching effectiveness compared to athletes aged 17-19 years.

This study investigated the weight loss (WL) practices, perceptions, and eating disorders (ED) symptoms of Chinese female adolescent combat sport (CS) athletes. An adapted Rapid WL Questionnaire (RWLQ) and Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire 8 (EDE-Q8) were completed during the off-season of female adolescent CS athletes to provide WL practices, perceptions, and global ED score. There were 130 and 78 respondents for the adapted RWLQ and EDE-Q8, respectively. Seventy-three percent of participants purposefully engaged in WL practices. The average habitual WL was 8.0% of body mass (BM), and the average highest WL was 9.1% of BM. Participants predominantly allocated 15 + days before the weigh-in for WL (65%). Coaches were most commonly reported as the primary guides for WL (64%). Athletes engage in WL mainly to compete against lighter opponents (65%). Most participants perceived that WL had no impact on health (51%), is beneficial to performance (52%), and does not lead to unfair competition (79%). Only six percent of participants were considered as having ED symptoms. No significant differences or association in global ED scores and ED symptoms were observed across any examined dependent variables. The prevalence and magnitude of WL are high amongst Chinese female adolescent CS athletes. Most athletes adopted long-term strategies to lose a substantial percentage of their BM. Athletes’ WL practices did not differ according to their perceptions regarding the impact of WL on performance, health, or fairness. Off-season prevalence of ED symptoms and global ED score showed no significant differences or associations with athletes’ habitual WL behaviors.