BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation

BACKGROUND: Although numerous psychological determinants of sports success have been identified in the scientific literature, research on the contribution of mindfulness and interoceptive awareness to sports achievements remains limited. This study investigates the relationship between self-reported mental skills determining sports success (i.e., flow state, attention, technique, sensitivity to error, commitment, and achievement), state mindfulness for physical activity (of the mind and the body), and interoceptive awareness (including scales of noticing, not distracting, not worrying, attention regulation, emotional awareness, self-regulation, body listening, and trusting)...

This study evaluated the acute effect of the exergame Kinect Sports® beach volleyball on state anxiety level in adult women. Thirty healthy adult women (age: 21 [4] years, body mass: 54.70 [19.50] kg, height: 1.61 ± 0.05 m, and body mass index: 21.87 [5.76] kg/m2 , data are expressed as median [interquartile range] and as the mean ± standard deviation) were assigned to play an exergame of beach volleyball in singleplayer mode session (intervention session) for ~ 30 min using the Xbox 360 Kinect® or remained seated (control session)...

BACKGROUND: Fat Free Mass (FFM) is an important and essential indicator in various sports populations, since greater muscle and bone mass generates greater strength, endurance and speed in athletes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to validate Body Surface Area (BSA) as an anthropometric indicator to estimate FFM in young basketball players. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 105 male basketball players of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation of Sao Paulo (Campinas), Brazil...

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity and limited sedentary time are recommended for adult childhood cancer survivors. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare designed a questionnaire to assess levels of physical activity (BHW-Q), including two questions: one on vigorous physical activity (BHW-Q VPA) and one on moderate physical activity (BHW-Q MPA). Furthermore, a single-item question was developed to measure sedentary time (SED-GIH-Q). These questions are recommended for clinical practice and have been found valid for the general population but have so far not been tested in adult childhood cancer survivors...

PURPOSE: Resistance to fatigue is a key factor in injury prevention that needs to be considered in return-to-sport (RTS) scenarios, especially after severe knee ligament injuries. Fatigue should be induced under game-like conditions. The SpeedCourt (SC) is a movement platform for assessing multidirectional sprint performance, typical of game-sports, due to change-of-direction movements in response to a visual stimulus. Designing adequate fatigue protocols requires the suitable arrangement of several loading variables such as number of intervals, sprint distance or work/relief ratio (W:R)...

BACKGROUND: Chronic resistance training and acute resistance exercises improve physical performance and can enhance cognitive performance. However, there is still uncertainty about the mechanism(s) responsible for cognitive improvement following resistance training and exercise. Recent findings suggest that resistance exercise has metabolic as well as cognitive demands, which potentially activate similar neural circuitry associated with higher-order cognitive function tasks. Exercising on unstable devices increases the coordinative and metabolic demands and thus may further increase cognitive activation during resistance exercise...

BACKGROUND: In sports sciences, normative data serve as standards for specific physical performance attributes, enhancing talent identification within a specific population. The aim of this study was to provide standard data for Agility-15 m, Ball-15 m tests, and skill index, considering maturation level, specifically age at peak height velocity (PHV). The study also investigated the relationship between relative performances in these tests and anthropometrics, jumping (squat jump [SJ], countermovement jump [CMJ]), and sprinting abilities (S-5 m, S-10 m, S-20 m, S-30 m) in young soccer players...

BACKGROUND: Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) has been associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Acute aerobic exercise increases circulating FABP4 concentrations, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of inhibition of lipolysis by carbohydrate ingestion on circulating FABP4 concentrations during and after acute aerobic exercise in healthy men. METHODS: Men aged between 20 and 40, with no exercise habits and no metabolic diseases, were recruited...

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the concept of 'game style' in football, focusing on a team's distinctive approach characterized by tactics, formations, and strategies. The objective is to compare goal-scoring patterns related to "non-offensive transition," "set pieces," "offensive transition," and "positive outcomes" across different league groups. METHODOLOGY: The sample comprises 702 football games, categorized into three league groups: Top Leagues, Marginal Leagues, and Emerging Leagues...

BACKGROUND: In team sports, deficits in visuomotor reaction speed are considered a significant and modifiable risk factor that can lead to decreased performance and an increased risk of injuries. Thus, identifying effective methods to enhance visuomotor abilities is crucial. The main objective of this research was to investigate the impact of a six-week stroboscopic intervention on visuomotor reaction speed in goal-directed specific movements based on agility among young volleyball players...

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that can be modulated by resistance training. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TRX Suspension Training (TST) on serum levels of neuromuscular and growth factors and functional indices in elderly men with sarcopenia, an age-related condition characterized by progressive muscle mass and strength loss. METHODS: Nineteen sarcopenic elderly men (age = 74...

PURPOSE: In the case of Hungarian folk dancers, it is crucial to maintain correct posture and promptly respond to imbalances. However, traditional dances often lack specific training to develop these skills. METHODS: In this present study, twelve dancers (8 male, 4 female, age: 21.7 ± 3.6 years) and ten non-dancers subjects forming a control group (6 male, 4 female, age: 21.6 ± 2.87 years) participated. During the measurements a 60-second long bipedal balancing test on the balance board was completed two times, and a spinning intervention was inserted in between the two sessions...

While reading the literature, it is seen that there are not enough studies on the motivation of disabled individuals to participate in sports. This study aims to examine the sports participation motivations of hearing impaired and physically disabled athletes. This study was a cross-sectional study. The research group of the study consists of physically and hearing-impaired individuals between the ages of 18-47. The participants of this research group consisted of 253 volunteer disabled individuals, 150 of whom were men and 103 of whom were women...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies reported that poor sleep quality (PSQ) was associated with musculoskeletal pains (MSP) and poor physical performance in athletes. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed at determining PSQ and its associations with MSP in some sub-Saharan athletes. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among 205 highly trained and 115 elite athletes (aged: 25 ± 2 years, Body mass index: 22.8 ± 0...

BACKGROUND: Pilates is becoming increasingly popular amongst a wide range of people and is gaining more attention. It is also an effective means of physical rehabilitation. The aim of this systematic review is to explore the effects of Pilates on spinal deformity and posture. METHOD: This systematic review was conducted using four recognised academic and scientific databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Cochrane) to identify articles that met the inclusion criteria...

BACKGROUND: Understanding the hip adduction and abduction strength in female soccer players is crucial for performance enhancement and injury prevention. This study compares the strength profiles in these muscle groups between elite and sub-elite female soccer players and assesses the impact of leg limb-dominance. METHODS: A descriptive-comparative study was employed. Eighty-two female soccer players were evaluated. Isometric hip-adduction and abduction strength were measured using a handheld dynamometer...

BACKGROUND: Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) accompanied by poor balance is the cause of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in athletes, and the identification and correction of these factors are always of interest to researchers. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of the STOP-X program on the knee valgus angle and static and dynamic balance in female basketball players with DKV defects. METHODS: The present study was a quasi-experimental study...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recommended for patients with cardiovascular disease. However, the participation and completion rates for hospital-based CR are low, and home-based CR has been suggested as an alternative. This study aimed to develop a home-based CR program and assess the feasibility of the program over a 6-week period in patients with left ventricular dysfunction or a history of myocardial infarction. METHODS: This feasibility study consisted of two phases...

BACKGROUND: The influence of genetic polymorphisms on athletic performance has been widely explored. This study investigated the interactions between the polymorphisms ACTN3 (R577X), ACE (I/D), BDKRB2 (-9/+9), and AGT (M/T) and their association with endurance and strength phenotypes in Brazilian swimmers. METHODS: 123 athletes (aged 20-30 years) and 718 controls participated in the study. The athletes were divided into elite and sub-elite (N = 19 and 104, respectively) and strength and endurance experts (N = 98 and 25, respectively)...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with limited physical activity (PA) of most of the world's population. This cross-sectional prospective study aimed to assess the levels of PA of university students in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia after COVID-19 using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). METHODS: A total of 2635 students completed questionnaires regarding their PA levels using the IPAQ-SF between September and December 2022...