Women Athletes Research Articles

If “Ifs” and “Buts” Were Candy and Nuts

It’s relatively easy to say that the debates about whether trans and intersex women athletes deserve full and equal inclusion in women’s sport is a contentious contemporary issue. I’ve already argued for the legal, ethical, and scientific basis for full and equal inclusion of trans and intersex women in women’s sport. In this paper, I want to analyze what I take to be a representative selection of recent arguments against full and equal inclusion of trans and intersex women in women’s sport. In short, these arguments tend to be based on mere assumption, unsupported “common sense,” straw arguments, fallacious question begging, and a number of hypotheticals and unsupported counterfactuals rather than established fact. Essentially, they’re based on a lot of “ifs.”

Performance and Health Decrements Associated With Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport for Division I Women Athletes During a Collegiate Cross-Country Season: A Case Series.

The purpose of this case series was to evaluate the presence of low Energy Availability (EA) and its impact on components of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in a population of female collegiate runners. Seven female NCAA Division I athletes (age: 22.3 ± 1.5 yrs; height: 169.7 ± 5.7 cm; weight: 58.3 ± 4.1 kg) were tracked from August until February, covering the beginning (Pre XC), end (Post XC) of their competitive cross country season, and beginning of the following track season (Pre Track). The athletes were assessed for female athlete triad (Triad) risk, energy availability, body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR), nutritional intake, and blood markers (including vitamin D, ferritin, and triiodothyronine (T3)). From Pre XC to Post XC there were no significant differences in body mass, fat free mass or body fat percentage. At Pre XC, mean EA was 31.6 ± 13.3 kcal/kg FFM∙d-1. From Post XC to Pre Track, there was a significant increase in body mass (59.1 ± 5.1 to 60.6 ± 5.7 kg, p<0.001,d=0.27). From Post XC to Pre Track, there was a significant increase in RMR (1466 ± 123.6 to 1614.6 ± 89.1 kcal·d-1, p<0.001,d=2.6). For 25(OH) vitamin D, there was a significant reduction from Pre XC to Post XC (44.1 ± 10.6 vs 39.5 ± 12.2 ng·mL-1, p=0.047,d=-0.4), and a significant increase from Post XC to Pre Track (39.5 ± 12.2 vs. 48.1 ± 10.4 ng·mL-1, p=0.014,d=0.75). For ferritin, there was a trend towards a decrease from Pre XC to Post XC (24.2 ± 13.2 vs. 15.7 ± 8.8 ng·mL-1, p=0.07, d=-0.75), as well as a trend toward an increase from Post XC to Pre Track (15.7 ± 8.8 vs. 34.1 ± 18.0 ng·mL-1, p=0.08, d=1.3). No differences in T3 were observed across time points. Average Triad risk score was 2.3 ± 1.4. Notably, 5 of 7 athletes met criteria for moderate risk. Despite many athletes meeting criteria for low EA and having elevated Triad risk assessment scores, most were able to maintain body mass and RMR. One athlete suffered severe performance decline and a reduced RMR. Surprisingly, she was the only athlete above the recommended value for ferritin. Following increased nutritional intake and reduced training volume, her performance and RMR recovered. Changes in body mass and body composition were not indicative of the presence of other concerns associated with RED-S. This exploratory work serves as a guide for future, larger studies for tracking athletes, using RMR and nutritional biomarkers to assess RED-S.

Epidemiology of Acute Extensor Mechanism Injuries in Collegiate-Level Athletes in the United States.

Extensor mechanism injuries involving the quadriceps tendon, patella, or patellar tendon can be a devastating setback for athletes. Despite the potential severity and relative frequency with which these injuries occur, large-scale epidemiological data on collegiate-level athletes are lacking. Descriptive epidemiology study. Level 4. Knee extensor mechanism injuries across 16 sports among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men and women during the 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years were analyzed using the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP). Extensor mechanism injuries per 100,000 athlete-exposures (AEs), operative rate, annual injury and reinjury rates, in-season status (pre-/regular/postseason), and time lost were compiled and calculated. A total of 11,778,265 AEs were identified and included in the study. Overall, 1,748 extensor mechanism injuries were identified, with an injury rate (IR) of 14.84 (per 100,000 AEs). N = 114 (6.5%) injuries were classified as severe injuries with a relatively higher median time loss (44 days) and operative risk (18.42%). Male athletes had higher risk of season-ending injuries in both all (3.20% vs 0.89%, P < 0.01) and severe (41.54% vs 16.33%, P < 0.01) extensor mechanism injuries. Similarly, contact injuries were more frequently season-ending injuries (4.44% vs 1.69%, P = 0.01). Women's soccer (IR = 2.59), women's field hockey (IR = 2.15), and women's cross country (IR = 2.14) were the sports with the highest rate of severe extensor mechanism injuries. Extensor mechanism injuries in collegiate athletes represent a significant set of injuries both in terms of volume and potentially to their athletic careers. Male athletes and contact injuries appear to have a greater risk of severe injuries. Injuries defined as severe had a higher risk of operative intervention and greater amount of missed playing time. Knowledge of the epidemiology of extensor mechanism injuries may help clinicians guide their athlete patients in sports-related injury prevention and management.

Comparison of Anthropometric Indicators, Blood Pressure, and Level of Happiness in Athletic and Non-Athletic Female Staff in Universities of Medical Sciences in Fars Province

The aim of this study was to compare a number of anthropometric indicators, blood pressure and level of happiness in athletic and non-athletic female staff members of universities of medical sciences in Fars Province. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study, in which 237 athletic women and 241 non-athletic women participated. The data included weight, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.To calculate the level of happiness, the Oxford University Happiness Questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 13. The results showed that excess weight and obesity were prevalent among female staff members of the universities. The body mass index of athletic women was in a more normal range. The waist-to-hip ratio was lower in athletic women compared to non-athletic women. In happiness, athletic women were superior to non-athletic ones. However, no significant difference was observed between athletic and non-athletic women in their systolic and diastolic blood pressures. It appears that participating in physical exercise can be effective on psychological and physiological aspects of female staff members of universities of medical sciences.

Prediction of Mental Well-being and General Health Based on Perceived Stress and Body Image with Mediating the Role of Self-compassion in Women Athletes in Tehran

ObjectiveThis study aimed to predict mental well-being and general health based on perceived stress and body image with mediating the role of self-compassion in women athletes in Tehran.MethodsThis descriptive correlational study was performed using structural equations. The statistical population included all female athletes who referred to sports clubs in Tehran. In this study, 250 women were selected by the convenience sampling method. Participants responded to questionnaire forms specified for measuring mental well-being, general health, self-compassion, body image, and perceived stress scale using a website link. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, and path analysis using SPSS and PLS software statistical packages.ResultsIn general, path analysis showed that self-compassion could not mediate the path between perceived stress and mental well-being. However, it mediated the path of body image to well-being. Besides, self-compassion did not mediate the perceived ester pathway to public health and body image to public health.ConclusionAccording to the results, it is concluded that strategies reducing self-compassion are able to provide a better body image and increase the mental well-being of women athletes.

Safeguarding in sports settings: unpacking a conflicting identity

ABSTRACT Safeguarding is a major area of research, policy, and practice for contemporary sports scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders. In recent years, the concept of safeguarding (broadly: the prevention of harassment and abuse) as applied to sport settings has expanded to include not only sexual harassment and abuse, but also individual (e.g. disordered eating; self-harm), relational (e.g. psychological, physical, sexual harassment and abuse), and organisational (e.g. systemic discrimination; medical mismanagement) forms of violence. In 2016 the International Olympic Committee published its landmark Consensus Statement on non-accidental violence (harassment and abuse) in sport (IOCCS). Concomitantly, sports organisations have increasingly regulated women’s eligibility through ‘female eligibility policies’ under the premise of safeguarding. This is particularly exemplified by World Athletics’ 2019 Female Eligibility Regulation (WAFER). The WAFER, however, has received substantial critique, particularly in terms of the systemic discrimination and medical harm that it has been shown to enact on certain groups of marginalised women. In this article, we undertake a comparative document analysis to evaluate female eligibility regulations within the framework of contemporary sport safeguarding policy and practice. Our analysis finds that safeguarding, especially with regard to ‘fairness’ and women athletes, adopts a conflicting identity due to three primary reasons: (1) lack of organisational accountability; (2) focusing on interpersonal harms rather than systemic violence; and (3) attention to science over athlete voice. As such, we conclude by urging a critical re-examination of the conceptualisation and implementation of safeguarding, positioning organisational violence enacted through female eligibility policies as a sports safeguarding issue.

"Know That You're Not Just Settling": Exploring Women Athletes' Self-Compassion, Sport Performance Perceptions, and Well-Being Around Important Competitive Events.

Self-compassion, an adaptive self-attitude, is a resource that women athletes use during emotionally difficult times and as a way to reach their potential. The relationship between self-compassion and sport performance, however, is complex. The role and experience of self-compassion within perceived important competitive events are important to explore, as athletes face unique pressures and stressors in these meaningful sport experiences. This collective case study describes women athletes' self-compassion, sport performance perceptions, and well-being around a self-identified important competitive event. Competitive women athletes (N = 9) participated in two one-on-one interviews, before and after their important competitive event. Results from the holistic, functional, and thematic analyses are represented by holistic case descriptions and an overarching theme, Continuing to Excel in Sport, and subthemes, Reframing Criticism and A Determined Approach. In important competitive events, women athletes utilize self-compassion to promote performance perceptions and well-being when preparing, competing, and reflecting to excel in sport.

Bodies, borders, and Caster Semenya: geocorporeality and the disciplinary work of imaginary geographies

The sex and gender status of elite athlete Caster Semenya has been the focus of much public debate concerning the legal and semantic boundaries of women’s bodies and of the need to create a ‘level playing field’ for women athletes. While biomedical, human rights, feminist and other scholarly perspectives have contributed to the ongoing discussion regarding the legitimacy of Semenya’s participation, as well as that of other athletes with ‘anomalous’ bodies, this paper draws from Said’s and Gregory’s theorisations of imaginary geographies to examine the ways in which elite athletic spaces are constructed and protected, as well as the bodies which are (dis)allowed into those spaces. Broadening the conversation with a geocorporeal framework can offer tentative ways forward in the current impasse regarding the inclusion of intersex athletes in elite competition.

Warm up intensity influences running performance despite prolonged recovery

When competing in road races, runners enter starting corrals long before the starting gun triggers. Athletes consequently must complete warm up routines well in advance of race commencement. To optimize performance readiness warm up intensity may need altered to account for the prolonged time between warm up and performance. This study tested the effectiveness of various warm up intensities on 1600 m run performance given a 20 min separation between warm up and time trial, and assessed the physiological bases for performance outcomes. In a randomized, crossover design, 14 athletic men and women [(age (mean ± SEM) = 22 ± 1 y; V·O2peak = 50.3 ± 2.5 ml·kg−1·min−1] completed three warm up routines (light-, moderate-, or high-intensity warm up), rested for 20 min, and ran a 1600 m time trial. Warm up procedures were evaluated for their influence on performance, blood lactate, V·O2, and alterations to neuromuscular function. Time trial performance was significantly faster ( P &lt; 0.03) following a moderate-intensity warm up (6:12 ± 18 min:s·1600 m−1) compared to a light-intensity warm up (6:30 ± 18 min:s·1600 m−1). Performance following the high-intensity warm up (6:18 ± 24 min:s·1600 m−1) fell between the light and moderate conditions. When stratified based on starting lactate concentrations, 1600 m performance was optimized when pre-time trial lactate was 2.0–4.9 mmol·l−1. When a prolonged rest separates warm up exercise from time trial performance, warming up remains efficacious. Optimal warm up intensity may be identified using starting lactate as a gauge for performance readiness.

Comparison of Upper Limb Disability in Overhead Women Athletes of Handball, Volleyball, Softball, and Swimming

Purpose: The shoulder joint is one of the most commonly injured joints in sports and may lead to disability, especially in the upper extremities of overhead players (handball, volleyball, softball, and swimming). Methods: This research is a causal-comparative study. After the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Tehran, this study was conducted on 120 overhead athletes (Mean±SD height: 1.69±0.07 m, Mean±SD weight: 63.54±7.79 kg, Mean±SD age: 21.96±2.94 years, Mean±SD body mass index: 22.11±2.32 kg/m2). The inclusion criteria were elite female players in overhead sports with at least three years of experience in one of these sports (handball, volleyball, softball, and swimming). Samples with a history of surgery or cervical nerve problems, fractures in the shoulder area, and inflammatory joint disease were excluded from the study. The demographic information was obtained through a researcher-made questionnaire, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire was used to measure the degree of upper limb disability in daily activities. Results: In comparison between the study groups, a significant difference was observed between the dependent variable (DASH) and the research groups (F=6.067, df=3, P=0.002, Eta=0.342). Using the Bonferroni post hoc tests, the difference between volleyball and softball (P=0.44), volleyball and swimming (P=0.009), and handball and swimming players (P=0.022) were reported. In the next step, BMI characteristics, weekly training hours, and the number of training sessions per week were entered into the data analysis process as covariate variables (F=8.099, df=0.3, P=0.000, Eta=0.432). The Bonferroni post hoc test indicates the difference between volleyball and swimming athletes (P=0.001) and handball and swimming (P=0.002). Conclusion: The present study results indicate a high rate of upper limb disability in elite women athletes. The present study results showed no difference between volleyball and handball due to the nature of these two disciplines and handball, softball, and swimming.

Cultural and environmental associations with body image, diet and well-being in NCAA DI female distance runners: a qualitative analysis

ObjectiveWe aimed to describe current and former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One (DI) female distance runners’ experiences of perceived norms of body image and disordered eating in their...

How women varsity athletes high in self-compassion experience unexpected stressors

Self-compassion appears to promote adaptive appraisals and coping in women athletes (Mosewich et al., 2019), and a self-compassionate perspective may aid athletes in navigating the experience of unexpected stressors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how women varsity athletes high in self-compassion experience unexpected stressors. More specifically, our research questions were: (1) How do women varsity athletes high in self-compassion appraise unexpected stressors surrounding competition? and (2) How do women varsity athletes high in self-compassion attempt to cope with unexpected stressors surrounding competition? Using utilization-focused purposeful sampling, 216 women varsity athletes completed the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003b). Seven women (Mage = 19.43 years, SD = 1.40) with high self-compassion scores (M = 3.83, SD = 0.48) then participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Through an interpretive description framework (Thorne, 2016), themes were created around appraising and coping with unexpected stressors. Athletes drew on past experiences, a balanced perspective toward sport, and logical appraisal patterns when evaluating unexpected stressors. Furthermore, five themes were developed that illustrate coping efforts: emotional self-awareness to support coping, realizing the experiences of significant others in sport, use of established social network, proactively approaching the problem, and direction of attention to (re-)engage. It appears that varsity women athletes high in self-compassion possess resources that enable them to effectively navigate unexpected stressors. Lay summary: The study explored how athletes who scored high in the construct of self-compassion responded to unexpected stressors that they encountered during competition. Athletes described various approaches that aided them in assessing the unexpected stressors. Athletes engaged in a range of efforts to try to manage unexpected stressors that they experienced. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE To reduce ambiguity surrounding unexpected stressors, athletes should be encouraged to reflect on past experiences with stressors to recognize similarities to the current stressor. Furthermore, reflecting on past experiences can aid athletes in fostering a sense of self-efficacy from previous successes and/or from recognizing the confidence that significant others in sport (e.g., coaches, teammates) have in the athlete to be able to manage the demands of competition. Athletes should develop a range of reactive and proactive coping approaches to respond to and/or reduce the impact of unexpected stressors. Such approaches may include mental skills (e.g., self-talk, physical cues) to facilitate perseverance in the face of unexpected stressors. Establishing and having access to a social support network can aid athletes in preparing for and responding to unexpected stressors. Social support can be emotional (e.g., aiding athletes in managing their emotions), informational (e.g., gathering more information surrounding an unexpected stressor), and/or indirect (e.g., recognizing that other athletes have experienced, or are experiencing, similar challenges).

Tell Me a Story: Exploring Elite Female Athletes’ Self-Presentation via an Analysis of Instagram Stories

There are many social media uses for professional athletes. From sharing their personal lives, professional highlights, and opinions to product placements and endorsements, athletes are closer to fans and consumers than ever before. Social media also puts athletes in charge of the messages, images, and content regarding their careers and their lives. With the popularity of women’s sports on the rise, it is an important time for women athletes to assess their own personal branding, as well as their professional and product branding. Building on previous work, the purpose of this study is to investigate how one particular social media advancement, Instagram Stories, has been incorporated by athletes into their online branding efforts. This study examines 37 of the top female athletes’ self-presentation strategies on Instagram via an analysis of 1,948 Instagram Stories. Results highlight no significant difference between athletes’ frontstage performances and backstage performances as they embraced Instagram Stories into their personal branding. Instagram feeds and Stories features were employed by athletes for different purposes, with Instagram feeds more likely to be used for opinion expression and Stories primarily used for interaction, promotion, and sharing behind-the-scenes (BTS) stories.

Clinical Recovery Timelines After Sport-Related Concussion in Men's and Women's Collegiate Sports.

Researchers have identified sex differences in sport-related concussion incidence and recovery time; however, few have examined sex differences in specific recovery trajectories: time to symptom resolution, return to academics, and return to athletic activity across collegiate sports. To examine sex differences in sport-related concussion recovery trajectories across a number of club and varsity sports with different levels of contact. Descriptive epidemiology study. Collegiate varsity and club sports. Sport-related concussions sustained by student-athletes (n = 1974; women = 38.8%) participating in Ivy League sports were monitored between 2013-2014 and 2018-2019. Athletic trainers collected concussive injury and recovery characteristics as part of the Ivy League-Big Ten Epidemiology of Concussion Study's surveillance system. Time to symptom resolution, return to academics, and return to limited and full sport participation were collected. Survival analyses determined the time from injury to each recovery outcome for male and female athletes by sport. Peto tests were used to compare recovery outcomes between men's and women's sports and by sport. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) was 9 days (IQR = 4-18 days) for time to symptom resolution overall, 8 days (IQR = 3-15 days) for return to academics, 12 days (IQR = 8-23 days) for return to limited sport participation, and 16 days (IQR = 10-29 days) for return to full sport participation. We observed differences overall between sexes for median time to symptom resolution (men = 8 days [IQR = 4-17 days], women = 9 days [IQR = 5-20 days]; P = .03) and return to academics (men = 7 days [IQR = 3-14 days], women = 9 days [IQR = 4-17 days]; P < .001) but not for median time to return to athletics (limited sport participation: P = .12, full sport participation: P = .58). Within-sport comparisons showed that women's lacrosse athletes had longer symptom resolution (P = .03) and return to academics (P = .04) compared with men's lacrosse athletes, whereas men's volleyball athletes took longer to return to limited (P = .02) and full (P = .049) sport participation than women's volleyball athletes. Recovery timelines between sexes were different. Athletes in women's sports experienced longer symptom durations and time to return to academics compared with men's sports, but athletes in men's and women's sports presented similar timelines for return to athletics.

Similar ergogenic effect of caffeine on anaerobic performance in men and women athletes

Caffeine is widely considered an ergogenic aid to increase anaerobic performance although most of this evidence is supported by investigations with only male samples. To date, it is unknown if the ergogenic effect of caffeine on anaerobic performance is of similar magnitude in men and women athletes. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of the ergogenic effect of caffeine on the Wingate test in men and women. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over experimental trial, ten women athletes and ten men athletes performed a 15-s adapted version of the Wingate test after ingesting 3mg of caffeine per kg of body mass or a placebo (cellulose). In comparison to the performance obtained in the 15-s Wingate test with a placebo, caffeine increased peak power in men (9.9 ± 0.8 vs. 10.1 ± 0.8W/kg, p < 0.01, d = 0.26) and in women (8.8 ± 0.9 vs. 9.1 ± 0.8W/kg, p = 0.04, d = 0.30). Caffeine was also effective to increase the mean power in men (8.9 ± 0.7 vs. 9.0 ± 0.7W/kg, p = 0.01, d = 0.21) and women (8.1 ± 0.7 vs. 8.3 ± 0.7W/kg, p = 0.01, d = 0.27). The ergogenic effect of caffeine on the 15-s Wingate peak power (2.3 ± 3.2% in men and 3.2 ± 2.8% in women; p = 0.46) and mean power (2.0 ± 1.7% and 2.4 ± 2.3%, respectively; p = 0.93) was of similar magnitude in both sexes. Acute ingestion of 3mgkg-1 of caffeine enhanced peak and mean cycling power during a 15-s adapted version of the Wingate test in men and women and the ergogenic effect was of similar magnitude in both sexes. This information suggests that both men and women athletes might obtain similar benefits from caffeine supplementation during anaerobic exercise.

Women and Sports: View from Stereotyping and Gender Differentials Perspectives

Sports are viewed as manly demesne, and this generalization brings about men seeing more noteworthy capacity and appending more prominent significance to the sport than women. Society foresees that men and women ought to get, have confidence in, and satisfy explicit gender differentials and stereotyping that have been set up. At the point when sexual orientation standards are disregarded, it is basic for names to be offered, inquiries to be posed, and individuals to be mocked. While "customary" gender stereotyping has remained genuinely consistent in the course of recent hundreds of years, they have likewise been tested and defied by numerous women and women's activists. One explicit region in which customary gender differentials have been assessed and dissected is sports and proactive tasks. In any creating field, for instance, the one that began as "women in sport," key advancements can be followed through the development of the language utilized and the ideas created to communicate new understandings. The current investigation has been attempted to target evaluating the contribution of women in sports in various fields. From the quantity of variables that impact women in sports, gender differentials and stereotyping have been chosen for this investigation. This investigation has uncovered that when correlations were made with their male partners, women athletes have been similarly solid and were discovered to be similarly skilled, inventive, creative and capable.

المشارکات النسوية العراقية بألعاب القوى في الدورات العربية للفترة من 1948م ولغاية 2017م والنتائج المتحققة

تناول هذا البحث عرض وتوثيق المشارکات النسوية العراقية بألعاب القوى في الدورات الرياضية العربية منذ تأسيس اتحاد ألعاب القوى عام 1948م ولغاية عام 2017 م، وکذلک تحليل النتائج المتحققة لهذه المشارکات ومناقش أسباب عدم المشارکة في بعض هذه الدورات ومحاولة الباحثات أن يبينن الدور المتميز للرياضيات العراقيات أسوة بنساء الوطن العربي وإسهامهن الفعال في هذه الدورات من أجل تمثيل، البلد خير تمثيل، وکذلک النهوض بالواقع الرياضي للنساء العراقيات مقارنة مع شقيقاتهن العربيات واللاتي أصبحت أسماؤهن رمزا تحتفي به کل امرأة عربية، ولذلک الاستفادة من تجربة الفرق العربية في مجال ألعاب القوى للنساء. Abstract: This study dealt with the presentation and documentation of the Iraqi women's participations in athletics in the Arab sports courses since the establishment of the Federation of Athletics in 1948 to 2017 as well as analysis of the results achieved for these participations and discuss the reasons for not participating in some of these courses and the researchers try to show the distinct role of Iraqi athletes, And their active contribution to these courses in order to represent the country as well as to promote the sports reality of Iraqi women compared to their Arab sisters, whose names have become a symbol of every Arab woman and therefore benefit from the experience of the Arab teams In athletics for women.

“A Really Strong Bond”: Coaches in Women Athletes’ Experiences of Inclusion in Parasport

Women within parasport experience discrimination due to marginalization associated with gender and disability. In this study, the authors gain the insights of women parasport athletes about the affordances and constraints to inclusion with an emphasis on the role of coaches, using an ecological approach. Guided by qualitative description, the authors conducted individual and focus group interviews with ten women experiencing disability to explore their experiences and perspectives of inclusion in parasport. Two primary themes were identified: (a) within parasport and (b) beyond parasport, emphasizing the critical role of relationships with coaches and athletes to experiences of inclusion. The discussion highlights the multilevel influences and specific barriers that challenge inclusion, such as few numbers of women athletes, the need for coach expertise, and co-ed playing environments. In doing so, the authors also offer specific recommendations for coaching in women’s parasport.

Rotational versus glide technique in elite shot put: Trend analysis in the 21st century

Objective. The aim of this study was to analyse the trend in the use of rotational vs. glide shot-put techniques in World Championships in the last two decades and their association with shot-put performance. Methods. The technique used, and the throwing distance obtained by the finalists in the shot-put competitions (56 men and 55 women) in the World Championships between 2001 to 2019 were analysed. Results. In men, the use of the glide technique was less frequent than in women (30.6 vs. 87.7%; p < .01). In men, there has been a progressive reduction in the use of the glide technique (from 7 out of 10 shot putters in Paris in 2003 to 0 out of 12 shot putters in Doha in 2019). Although a similar tendency is observed in women athletes, the glide technique is still the principal style employed by women throwers (7 out of 12 women shot putters in Doha 2019). Throwing distance was similar between glide throwers and rotational shot putters in both men (20.66 ± 0.67 vs. 20.92 ± 0.88 m; d = 0.32; p = .128) and women athletes (18.85 ± 0.91 vs. 18.75 ± 0.71 m; d = 0.10; p = .753). In summary, the use of the rotational style in shot-put has increased in men athletes. A clear trend towards the use of the rotational technique is also present in women although the glide style is still the most prevalent. However, there are no differences in shot-put performance between techniques that justify the use of the rotational over the glide technique.

Mortality of Japanese Olympic athletes in 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games

ObjectivesTo compare the mortality of Japanese athletes in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games with that of the Japanese population, and to elucidate factors associated with their mortality.MethodsWe obtained from the...