Sports-related Activities Research Articles

The Effect of Three-Year Swim Training on Cardio-Respiratory Fitness and Selected Somatic Features of Prepubertal Boys.

The data regarding somatic and physiological effects of sport-related physical activities in youth are limited. Moreover, whether exercise training is capable of increasing cardio-respiratory fitness remains a disputable issue. The study undertook to assess the effect of swimming training on cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) and the development of physical traits in prepubertal boys, and to determine which of the traits is the best predictor of their CRF. Forty 10-year old prepubertal boys (10.5 ± 0.3 y) were divided into two groups (swimmers (SG), n = 20, and controls (CG), n = 20), which underwent anthropometric measurements and performed a 20 m shuttle run test (20 mSRT) semi-annually over a 3-year period. CRF indices (the number of 20 mSRT shuttles, maximal speed, and VO2max) were higher overall in the SG compared with the CG (p < 0.001). The values of the main physique variables increased faster in the CG, but the groups showed no differentiation of physical traits. In both groups, CRF indices were associated with the participants’ physical traits, the most strongly with the sum of four skinfold thicknesses in the SG and knee breadth in the CG. These results suggest that swimming training is a form of additional physical activity that improves prepubertal boys’ CRF but does not significantly affect their physical development. In using the 20 mSRT to assess the CRF of prepubertal boys, their physical activity level and age-related changes in body fatness need to be considered.

The Association of Sports Participation With Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents.

AimAn increasing body of evidence has evidenced that physical activity is negatively associated with depression and anxiety in adolescents, although the associations between various modalities of PA with depression and anxiety have yet to be effectively explored. This study aimed to investigate the associations between sports participation and depression and anxiety among a sample of Chinese adolescents.Methods2,374 adolescents from eight schools were invited to participate in this survey, of whom 1,714 adolescents from grades 7, 8, 10 and 11 were included for final analysis. Depressive symptoms and anxiety disorder were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire−9 (PHQ-9), as well as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder−7 (GAD-7), respectively. Sport participation was assessed using a single question. Additionally, sociodemographic factors were assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate sport participation's associations with depressive symptoms and anxiety disorders separately, having controlled for all sociodemographic covariates.ResultsAmong all study participants, those with less participation in sport-related activities had a greater likelihood of reporting depressive symptoms (Odd ratio [OR] for never = 2.07; OR for 1–3 times per month = 1.77; OR for 1–2 times per week = 1.77), as well as anxiety disorders (OR for never = 1.61; OR for 1–3 times per month = 1.69; OR for 1–2 times per week = 1.38).ConclusionEncouraging adolescents to engage in more sports participation would provide an effective and feasible approach for mental health promotion. Despite this study having found promising evidence, the research findings should be replicated using more improved research with an enhanced study design. Future researchers are encouraged to design and implement sports participation interventions aimed at promoting mental health among adolescents, while future China-based studies are encouraged to replicate or negate our study findings.

Big Data in Sports: A Bibliometric and Topic Study

Abstract Background: The development of the sports industry was impacted by the era of Big Data due to the rapid growth of information technology. Unfortunately, that has become an increasingly challenging Issue. Objectives: The purpose of the research was to analyze the scientific production of Big Data in sports and sports-related activities in two databases, Web of Science and Scopus. Methods/Approach: Bibliometric analysis and topic mining were done on 51 articles selected after four exclusion criteria (written in English, journal articles, the final stage of publication, and a detailed review of all full texts). The software tool used was Statistica Data Miner. Results: We found that the first articles appeared in Scopus in 2013 and WoS in 2014. USA and China are countries which produced the most articles. The most common research areas in WoS and Scopus are Public environmental and occupational health, Medicine, Environmental science ecology, and Engineering. Conclusions: We conducted that further research and literature review will be required as this is a broad and new topic.

“Can we stop cleaning the house and make some food, Mum?”: A critical investigation of gender representation in China's English textbooks

This study offers a critical investigation of gender representation in China's English textbooks to examine potential gender bias. We analyzed a series of middle school English textbooks in Jiangsu Province to examine the feminine-masculine pronouns ratio, occupational/social roles and activities associated with people of different gender. Approximately balanced occurrences of feminine and masculine pronouns were identified in the corpus, suggesting rising gender-fair awareness. We further scrutinized the gender roles and activities by coding all female and male characters’ occupational/social roles and identifying associated activities thematically. We observed that gender disparity is still pervasive as females were frequently assigned with familial relationships and engaged in less physically-demanding activities, whereas males were portrayed in wider social roles and frequently depicted in sport-related activities. Thus, we suggest a critical approach both in identifying and subverting gender stereotypes in textbook design.

Using Accelerometers to Detect Activity Type in a Sport Setting: Challenges with Using Multiple Types of Conventional Machine Learning Approaches

ABSTRACT A universal approach to characterizing sport-related physical activity (PA) types in sport settings does not yet exist. Young adults (n = 30), 19–33 years, engaged in a 15-min activity session, performing warm-ups, 3-on-3 soccer, and 3-on-3 basketball. Videos were recorded and manually coded as criterion PA types (walking, running, jumping, rapid lateral movements). Participants wore an accelerometer on their right hip. Multiple machine learning models were developed and compared for predicting PA type. Most models underestimated time spent completing the activities performed least commonly. Point estimates for percent agreement, sensitivity, specificity, F-scores, and kappa were similar across models, with Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) being best at classifying rare events. Models detected activity type during sport-related movements with modest accuracy (kappas ≤ .40). Given the better performance of HMMs, incorporating the temporal nature of sport-related activities is important for improving sport-related PA classification.

The Impact of Concussion Education on Injury Disclosure in High School Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic

Clinical Scenario: Sport-related concussions are common injuries during sport-related activities. Evaluations of these injuries involve symptom reporting. Unfortunately, concussion symptoms are widely underreported by athletes, and can lead to longer recovery times. Concussion education programs were created to encourage reporting of symptoms by athletes. Clinical Question: Does concussion education impact injury disclosure in high school athletes? Summary of Key Findings: Three studies were included in this appraisal. Two studies utilized an educational lecture, and one study utilized an informational video providing the concussion education. All three studies found significant increases in injury history disclosure from pre-education to immediate post-education. Clinical Bottom Line: There is moderate evidence to support the idea that education has a positive impact on concussion reporting behaviors. These studies found positive results immediately following concussion education therefore it may be beneficial to provide concussion education several times a year. Strength of Recommendation: There is Level B evidence to support the idea that implementing concussion education will impact concussion reporting behaviors as it pertains to injury history disclosure.

The differentiation of single and dual career athletes falls short: A person-oriented approach to characterize typical objective life situations of elite athletes

Research concerning athletic career development in high-performance sport typically uses demographic data, sport characteristics or pursuing a dual career (i.e. having an educational or vocational career simultaneous to the athletic career) to identify developmental processes. In defiance of these attempts, considerable heterogeneity remains within these subgroups of the elite athlete population. In line with the person-oriented approach, the objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive typology of athletes with similar objective life situations by considering both sport-related as well as non-sport related aspects. To this end, data were collected about athletic performance level, weekly amount of working time (i.e. sport-related activities, education, and vocation), and financial information (i.e. gross annual income and income generated from sport). Based on a sample of 733 elite athletes, a cluster analysis was performed to divide the sample into groups of similar patterns on the aforementioned factors. Five different athlete patterns were found: (1) working dual career athletes, (2) high-income professional athletes, (3) medium-income professional athletes, (4) family-supported athletes, and (5) student dual career athletes. These findings support the dual career literature of separating dual career ( Cluster 1 and Cluster 5) from single career athletes, which, in turn, should also not be regarded as a single population, but further divided ( Cluster 2, Cluster 3, and Cluster 4). This typology may aid federations and practitioners within athletic career development in providing individual assistance for elite athletes.

Ulnar diaphyseal stress injuries: a case series

To describe the demographics, clinical context, imaging findings, and management of a case series of ulnar diaphyseal stress injuries (UDSIs) and propose a unifying mechanism for these injuries based on the imaging findings. Seven patients from University of Florida College of Medicine (seven total injuries; mean age: 19±4.4 years; three females, four males) with available clinic and imaging data and without predisposing comorbidities were included in this retrospective study. The age, gender, laterality of injury with respect to the dominant hand, attributed inciting activity, imaging method, presence and location of stress injury findings, as well as the subsequent management were analysed. All patients were in the second or third decade of life and there was a slight male predominance to the case series (57%). All UDSIs in this series were unilateral. Fifty-seven percent of injuries involved the dominant ulna and all involved the ulnar diaphysis along the proximal-mid junction, mid diaphysis or mid-distal junction. All injuries involved portion of the ulnar origin of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP). All patients were managed conservatively. UDSIs are uncommon and associated with a broad range of occupational or sports-related activities. All cases in this series involved the ulnar origin of the FDP suggesting an important role for the forces exerted by this muscular attachment on the underlying bone with regard to the development of UDSIs.

Imaging Findings of Knee Trauma on Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background: Knee is one of the major joints involved in kinesis. With increasing involvement in sports related activities especially in young people, Trauma related knee pathologies have increased. An accurate diagnosis regarding the type and extent of injuries is essential for early operative as well as non-operative treatment. Methods:This prospective study included total of 82 cases. The patients were referred to the department of Radiodiagnosis from indoor and outdoor departments of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar with suspicion of internal derangement of the knee and with history of knee trauma.Results:The most common age group involved was young males between 15-34 years. In all age groups most of the patients were males. Most common ligament to be injured was Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Partial tears were more common than complete tears. Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) tears were less common. Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) tears outnumbered Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) tears and grade 2 tears were more common in both. Among the meniscal injuries Medial Meniscus (MM) tears were more common than LM and grade 3 signal was more common in both. Most of the patellar retinaculum injuries were associated with Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL tears.Conclusions:Post-traumatic pre-arthroscopic MR imaging evaluation has proved to be cost-effective. MRI is an accurate imaging modality complementing the clinical evaluation and providing a global intra-articular and extra-articular assessment of the knee.

Self-Control and Emotion Regulation Mediate the Impact of Karate Training on Satisfaction With Life.

Physical activity is an important determinant of a healthy lifestyle. Regular participation in sports-related activities contributes to the maintenance of good psychophysiological and social health. Long-term physical activity has a positive impact on subjective well-being and can reduce stress. Karate is a specific physical activity which focuses on self-regulation and self-development; therefore, it may reduce impulsivity and improve self-control. Good self-control is also related to satisfaction with life and well-being. The presented study aimed to examine the possible intermediate impact of self-control and emotion regulation on the relationship between karate training and satisfaction with life. Fifty-eight karate practitioners and fifty-nine control subjects participated in the research. The Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Brief Self-Control Scale were applied in order to assess life satisfaction and the general level of self-control. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was used to assess suppression and reappraisal, both of which are distinct aspects of emotion regulation. The direct and indirect relationships between karate training and satisfaction with life were investigated using a linear regression model that included self-control, suppression and reappraisal as mediating variables. No direct effects of karate training on satisfaction with life were found, whereas karate training was indirectly associated with satisfaction with life via the indirect path that leads through self-control and reappraisal. This indicates that self-control and reappraisal fully mediate the impact of karate training on subjective well-being. Karate training can therefore play an important role in shaping volitional and personality characteristics, both of which contribute to increasing the well-being of trainees.

Association of Pediatric Hearing Quality and Sports Participation: A Population-Based Study.

Sports-related injuries, such as concussion, during childhood may result in considerable morbidity, including a range of negative developmental consequences. Auditory dysfunction is generally recognized to be a possible sequela of sports-related concussion; however, few epidemiologic studies have quantified the association between hearing quality and sports-related activity in the pediatric population. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the 2015-2016 cycle was utilized to determine the association of sports activities and hearing quality. Subjective abnormal hearing quality was more frequent among children who played football than those that did not (36.5% vs 26.8%; odds ratio, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.23-2.00]; P = .001). Other sports, such as basketball and soccer, did not have this association with hearing quality (P = .496 and P = .852, respectively). Our findings suggest a notable association between practice of a potentially high concussion sport and hearing quality. Children practicing football are 1.56 times more likely to report abnormal hearing quality.Level of Evidence: 4.

Selected forms of sport-related physical activity types in individuals with spinal cord injury

ENWEndNote BIBJabRef, Mendeley RISPapers, Reference Manager, RefWorks, Zotero AMA Pasek J, Pasek T, Cieślar G. Selected forms of sport-related physical activity types in individuals with spinal cord injury. Physiotherapy Review. 2022;26(1):13-19. doi:10.5114/phr.2022.114580. APA Pasek, J., Pasek, T., & Cieślar, G. (2022). Selected forms of sport-related physical activity types in individuals with spinal cord injury. Physiotherapy Review, 26(1), 13-19. https://doi.org/10.5114/phr.2022.114580 Chicago Pasek, Jarosław, Tomasz Pasek, and Grzegorz Cieślar. 2022. "Selected forms of sport-related physical activity types in individuals with spinal cord injury". Physiotherapy Review 26 (1): 13-19. doi:10.5114/phr.2022.114580. Harvard Pasek, J., Pasek, T., and Cieślar, G. (2022). Selected forms of sport-related physical activity types in individuals with spinal cord injury. Physiotherapy Review, 26(1), pp.13-19. https://doi.org/10.5114/phr.2022.114580 MLA Pasek, Jarosław et al. "Selected forms of sport-related physical activity types in individuals with spinal cord injury." Physiotherapy Review, vol. 26, no. 1, 2022, pp. 13-19. doi:10.5114/phr.2022.114580. Vancouver Pasek J, Pasek T, Cieślar G. Selected forms of sport-related physical activity types in individuals with spinal cord injury. Physiotherapy Review. 2022;26(1):13-19. doi:10.5114/phr.2022.114580.

CORRELATION OF FUNCTIONAL STATUS OF ARTHROSCOPIC ACL RECONSTRUCTION FOR PREVENTION OF TITANIUM INTERFERENCE SCREW

INTRODUCTION: Due to an increase in traffic accidents and more common people participating in sports-related activities, knee injuries are more frequent today. The knee's anterior cruciate ligament is the ligament that gets injured the most frequently. The principal stabiliser that prevents the anterior translation of the tibia over the femur is the anterior cruciate ligament, which plays a pivotal role in the stability and function of the knee joint. The gold standard for treating these injuries is arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Methods: This study is a retrospective and prospective analysis of 60 patients who underwent arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament using a quadrupled hamstring graft with an endobutton as the femoral fixation device and a titanium interference screw (no=30) or a bioabsorbable interference screw (no=30) as the tibial fixation device. Results: This study is a retrospective and prospective analysis of 60 patients who underwent arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament using a quadrupled hamstring graft with an endobutton as the femoral fixation device and a titanium interference screw (no=30) or a bioabsorbable interference screw (no=30) as the tibial fixation device. CONCLUSION: Clinical outcomes for interference screws made of titanium and bioabsorbable material are statistically comparable. The two screws' complication rates were comparable as well. This comparison analysis's findings are consistent with the claim that titanium screws and bioabsorbable screws both produce comparable results when used for ACL restoration.

Anti-fatigue and anti-oxidant effects of curcumin supplementation in exhaustive swimming mice via Nrf2/Keap1 signal pathway

Demands for dietary supplements with anti-fatigue effects are growing fast due to increasing societal demands. Moreover, in highly physically active individuals, there are also significant needs for supplements to improve exercise performance. The present study evaluated the potential anti-fatigue and anti-oxidant effects of curcumin in mice using exhaustive swimming test. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into six groups: blank control (Rest), swimming control (Con), Vitamin C (Vc), low-dose curcumin (C50), middle-dose curcumin (C100), and high-dose curcumin (C200). After a 4-week intervention, the mice in all groups except the Rest group were subject to an exhaustive swimming test. Then, mice were sacrificed to examine serum biochemical markers and fatigue-related enzymes. Moreover, the gene and protein expressions of signal transduction factors involved in the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway were measured. The results indicated that curcumin significantly enhanced the exercise tolerance of mice in the exhaustive swimming test. Particularly, the swimming time of mice in the C100 group was increased by 273.5% when compared to that of mice in the Con group. The levels of blood urea nitrogen, blood ammonia, lactic acid, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase in the C100 group were decreased by 13.3%, 21.0%, 18.6%, 16.7% and 21.9%, respectively, when compared to those of mice in the Con group. Curcumin alleviated exercise-induced oxidative stress and significantly enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase by activating the Nrf2 signaling. These findings indicated that curcumin supplementation exerted remarkable anti-oxidant and anti-fatigue effects in mice, providing additional evidence supporting the use of curcumin as functional food, especially by those engaged in sports-related activities.

Sport-Related Activity Recognition from Wearable Sensors Using Bidirectional GRU Network

Numerous learning-based techniques for effective human activity recognition (HAR) have recently been developed. Wearable inertial sensors are critical for HAR studies to characterize sport-related activities. Smart wearables are now ubiquitous and can benefit people of all ages. HAR investigations typically involve sensor-based evaluation. Sport-related activities are unpredictable and have historically been classified as complex, with conventional machine learning (ML) algorithms applied to resolve HAR issues. The efficiency of machine learning techniques in categorizing data is limited by the human-crafted feature extraction procedure. A deep learning model named MBiGRU (multimodal bidirectional gated recurrent unit) neural network was proposed to recognize everyday sport-related actions, with the publicly accessible UCI-DSADS dataset utilized as a benchmark to compare the effectiveness of the proposed deep learning network against other deep learning architectures (CNNs and GRUs). Experiments were performed to quantify four evaluation criteria as accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score. Following a 10-fold cross-validation approach, the experimental findings indicated that the MBiGRU model presented superior accuracy of 99.55% against other benchmark deep learning networks. The available evidence was also evaluated to explore ways to enhance the proposed model and training procedure.

Insights into equine piroplasmosis in Venezuelan sport horses: Molecular diagnosis, clinical, and cardiovascular findings.

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne infectious disease highly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Venezuela. EP affects wild and domestic equids leading to several clinical presentations, from asymptomatic to severely affected animals. In this study, thirty-three (33) sport horses under regular training activities and from endemic regions of north-central Venezuela were submitted to an observational survey, case-control, to describe the presence of clinical signs and natural EP infections. A conventional PCR assay targeting the SSU rRNA gene revealed EP etiologic agents in 13 out of 33 sampled horses (~ 39.4% infections). Nine (9) of these EP-positive samples were confirmed as infected with Babesia caballi (6/9=66.7%) or Theileria equi (3/9=33.3%) by DNA sequencing and BLASTN analyses. A phylogeny of SSU rRNA gene sequences revealed that these new B. caballi and T. equi sequences clustered within the worldwide distributed phylogenetic genotype A, respectively. No acute EP cases were observed in this study; however, six (6) PCR-positive animals displayed mild clinical signs compatible with EP, including a mild leukocytosis (P<0.05). The heart rate variability frequency domain analysis in four (4) of these EP-positive infected animals revealed a significant (P<0.05) higher low-frequency/high-frequency ratio suggesting a sympathovagal imbalance in these chronically infected animals. Other clinical and cardiovascular parameters were similar between the different groups. Sport horses are routinely submitted to intense training programs and sport-related activities that could lead to loss of the host-parasite equilibrium that characterizes enzootic regions, increasing the likelihood of infection reactivation and the risk of transmission. Heart rate variability analysis contributes to evaluate the sympathovagal balance and detecting homeostasis disturbances in sport horses. Molecular diagnostic tests for EP based on the detection of parasite DNA in equine blood samples should be included in the health programs of sport horses in endemic areas.

Risk of sudden cardiac death and preventive measures in athletes

Arrhythmias, which are fatal in some patients, can be triggered by sports in vulnerable people. It is estimated that 1:40,000–1:250,000 athletes will suffer a sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, female athletes appear to have some level of cardiac protection, since suffering from SCD considerably less than male athletes during sports. Athletes with underlying coronary, valvular or myocardial disease, as well as channelopathies, may be particularly prone to SCD from exercise- and sports-related physical activity. There are three main causes of SCD in young athletes: Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (56%), congenital anomalous coronary arteries (7%–14%), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (36%–48%). In the context of exercise, acute ischemia, myocardial infarction, and stroke risk are increased by catecholamine surge and exercise-induced stress. In middle-aged athletes, excessive cardiovascular activity is associated with a higher risk of mortality related to cardiovascular disease. It is possible to detect at-risk athletes by conducting cardiac screening, which involves a family history, physical examination, and a resting electrocardiogram. Consequently, efforts have been made to better understand the causes of SCD in athletes and to develop appropriate prevention methods.

Clarifying the Positive Thoughts Structure of Sport Societal Values by Neural Network Approaches in COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose of this study was to clarifying the relationship structures with social values of complex sports and positive thought under today's COVID-19 social anxiety by neural networks and network-centric analysis. The Value items were the terminal ones (benevolence, equality, accomplishment, global stability, hope for future, proud country, family bond etc.) and the instrumental ones (consistent, creative, light hearted, honest, ambition, creative, polite, etc.). The subjects (university students; n = 221) received an explanation of the study’s structure and of various sports-related benevolent activities such as donations, charity matches and voluntary disaster relief activities. Next, they were asked, ‘What types of values do you recognize in benevolent sports activities in world-wide health anxiety under COVID-19 pandemic?’ Neural network model, random forest model and correspondence analysis were executed and discussed some relation structure of societal human values of sport with the positive thoughts under COVID-19 pandemic. Current study shows the possibility of supporting the understanding of the complex, gradual, transitive, and central structures of diverse sport values by approaching network analysis. As a result, it was clarified that the social wisdom of these sports would be a desire to support the survival of the physical society more creatively. Under the social unrest in the advanced information society, the importance of tactile communities such as sports was confirmed.

Intergeneration Bonding: An Acceptability and Feasibility Study

Social isolation and loneliness are detrimental risk factors to older adult’s physical and psychological well-being and quality of life. Given the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation has risen. Social isolation affects younger adults as well and may increase the chances of depression and anxiety. In this study, we tested the acceptability and feasibility of an Intergenerational Bonding (IGB) Program with older and younger adults. Participants include students aged 19-29 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and older adults above the age of 60 residing in the community. First, we surveyed younger and older adults to determine their interest level in participating in an IGB Program. Both groups of participants rated their interest in different activities. The most popular activities among both groups included engaging in conversations, board games, and an exchange of skills. Neither of the groups was in favor of participating in free housing opportunities or sports-related activities. Response rates were high in young adults but low in older adults, due to lack of trust. Then, in a pilot study, we measured the feasibility and acceptability of the IGB Program. Older adults residing in independent dwellings, assisted living environments, nursing homes and members of community groups were invited to participate in the intergenerational program. Response rates of older adults were low. Further, establishing collaboration with institutions such as nursing homes was not easy despite initial interest. Building trust and working with community activity group facilitators would be beneficial in recruiting older adults.

Winter sports tourism to urban destinations: Identifying potential and comparing motivational differences across skier groups

Winter tourism is often associated with rural areas and snow-based sporting activities. However, urban destinations can also offer outdoor winter sports and an integrated set of urban tourism product bundles not only sports-related. Previous research has strongly focused on highly developed rural winter sports destinations but has barely explored the case of urban destinations offering winter sports as an integrated activity in their urban tourism product bundles. This paper, therefore, investigates the potential for market innovations that combine urban assets with winter sports activities by segmenting urban winter sports tourists and extending the understanding of urban tourism attractiveness. This paper identifies skiers’ motivation factors for visiting urban destinations with a winter sports infrastructure. It builds on a three-step quantitative approach (N = 338) with factor analysis, cluster analysis and posthoc testing to compare cluster means. The results highlight five push (exciting, knowledge, relaxation, achievement and family) and six pull factors (basic assets, urban assets, natural scenery, social events, economic aspects and winter sports activities), which can be clustered into three unique and statistically different groups: “moderate skiers”, “urban recreational skiers” and “focused skiers”. Addressing these identified clusters highlights the market potential of bundling winter sports and urban tourism, thereby addressing customers who have not been of strategic relevance for winter destinations. Additionally, urban winter destinations can gain a unique selling proposition and help to counteract crowding tendencies in rural alpine winter sports while also improving urban destination attractiveness post-COVID-19. Our findings deliver empirical support for destination managers' efforts in establishing urban destinations as alternative skiing hotspots (cf. Grenoble and Innsbruck). Urban destination managers should evaluate destinations' profiles and consider including (winter) sports as an integrated activity in their urban tourism product bundles. Winter sports can help to diversify urban destinations and improve their strategic positioning. Segmentation studies help marketers to address specific target groups; in the urban winter tourism context, these often include “moderate skiers”, “urban recreational skiers” and “focused skiers”. Empirical findings show that skiers' request multi-optional holidays with urban assets and not only sports-related activities. An innovative combination of urban tourism with winter sports offers new experiences and helps to increase visibility and customer satisfaction in competitive markets. Urban areas offer touristic infrastructure and authentic local assets which contribute to the overall tourism experience of winter sports tourists