Sports

Ballon d'Or is the most important individual award in football, and is a significant measure of excellence. From our knowledge, this is the first study that explored the relative age effect (RAE) throughout the history of the Ballon d'Or. A total of 1899 football players nominated for the award from the first edition in 1956 to the most recent edition (2023) were analyzed. To assess the RAE, the birthdate distributions were categorized into four trimesters. The comparison involved correcting for the uniform distribution using chi-square analysis, with Cramer's V serving as a measure of effect size...

Physical activity is an especially important part of everyday life for children with chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to show whether asthma is a barrier to physical activity in our society. The correlations between the severity of the disease, body mass index, and physical activity were analyzed, and parents' opinions on whether children should participate in active sports were assessed. Physical activity of children with asthma was analyzed by questionnaires; 93 parents and their 93 children were involved in the survey...

The study aimed to calculate training intensity and load using muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2 ) during two differentiated physical tasks. 29 university athletes participated in a 40-m Maximal Shuttle Run Test (MST, 10 × 40-m with 30 s recovery between sprints) and a 3000-m time trial run. Distance and time were used to calculate external load (EL). Internal load indicators were calculated based on percentage of maximum heart rate (%HRMAX ) and SmO2 variables: muscle oxygen extraction (∇%SmO2 ) and the cardio-muscle oxygen index (CMOI) was also provided by relating ∇%SmO2 ÷ %HRMAX , and the training load were calculated as the product of speed (m/min × IL) and the efficiency index [Effindex (m/min ÷ IL)]...

BACKGROUND: Professional cycling puts significant demands on the respiratory system. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a common problem in professional athletes. Small airways may be affected in isolation or in combination with a reduction in forced expiratory volume at the first second (FEV1 ). This study aimed to investigate isolated exercise-induced small airway dysfunction (SAD) in professional cyclists and assess the impact of this phenomenon on exercise capacity in this population...

The effect of electromyographic (EMG) activity on agonist muscles during exercises performed on stable and unstable surfaces remains uncertain. We aimed to review the literature regarding the comparison of the EMG activity of the agonist muscles of exercises performed on stable and unstable surfaces. Eighty-six studies that evaluated the EMG activity of 1783 individuals during exercises for the lower limbs, upper limbs, and core were included. The EMG activities of the pectoralis major (SMD = 0.28 [95% CI 0...

Breath-hold diving is explained as an activity that requires enduring muscle asphyxia and acidosis, high anaerobic capacity, and the tactic of the dive. Therefore, this study aimed to construct and validate tests that will mimic anaerobic processes in the specific media of freedivers. The sample of participants included 34 Croatian freedivers (average age: 26.85 ± 4.0 years, competitive age: 3.82 ± 1.92 years, their body height: 180.14 ± 8.93 cm, and their body mass: 76.82 ± 12.41 kg). The sample of variables consists of anthropometric indices, competitive efficiency (maximal length of a dive (DYN)), and specific anaerobic capacities (100 m and 2 min tests)...

PURPOSE: While there is reported superior effectiveness with supervised training, it usually requires specialized exercise facilities and instructors. It is reported in the literature that high-volume stretching improves pectoralis muscles strength under supervised conditions while practical relevance is discussed. Therefore, the study objective was to compare the effects of volume equated, supervised- and self-administered home-based stretching on strength performance. METHODS: Sixty-three recreational participants were equally assigned to either a supervised static stretching, home-based stretching, or control group...

This investigation aimed to examine the effect of verbal encouragement teacher to student (VETS) versus verbal encouragement student to student (VESS) on physical performance and affective responses during different modalities of sprint tests in active male students. In a randomized crossover design, twenty-two male sport science students (age: 21 ± 1.2 years, body height: 1.77 ± 0.3 m, body mass: 76.6 ± 2.1 kg, BMI: 22.9 ± 1.3 kg·m-2 ) performed linear and change-of-direction sprint tests under one of three conditions: (1) VETS; (2) VETS; (3) no verbal encouragement...

The classical kinematic variables in swimming are based on the calculation of mean values. Stroke steadiness determines the relationship between the duration of all consecutive strokes throughout a test. The aims of the current investigation were to examine differences in stroke-to-stroke steadiness according to swimmers' performance level on both body sides (breathing and non-breathing) and to analyse the interrelationship with kinematics during a 100 m front-crawl test. Thirty-two young, experienced swimmers voluntarily participated in the present study and were divided into two groups, national level ( n = 15) and local level ( n = 17), according to their competitive status within the national age-rankings...

BACKGROUND: The benefits of sport in mental health have been broadly studied. However, few studies have examined these outcomes in high-performance athletes. We aimed to analyze the state of the mental health of the Villarreal Soccer Club's first- (FD) and second-division (SD) players and the possible mediating effects of sex and professional category. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with an initial sample of 108 soccer players (final sample n = 54). Data from MINI, HARS, HDRS, BARRAT-11 and SCSRQ questionnaires were analyzed...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the impact of a 12-week Aqua Fitness program on the physical fitness of older women and emphasize sustainable health practices for aging populations. We focused on evaluating the program's effectiveness, using the Senior Fitness Test to measure improvements in physical capabilities. METHODS: An experimental research design was implemented, with 30 participants aged 60 and older. The participants were divided into a control group and an experimental group, each comprising 15 individuals...

Background: Swim performance can be reliant on strength and power. Standardisation of swim performance in different events, distances, and sexes can be completed using World Aquatics points, allowing for ranking of swimmers. The aim of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to assess whether relationships between World Aquatics points and dryland markers of performance existed in male and female elite swimmers separately and combined. Methods: Dryland tests included Optojump® photoelectric cell countermovement jump, countermovement jump reach with a Vertec® system, standing broad jump using a tape measure, repetition maximum testing in the barbell back squat, barbell deadlift, and barbell bench press...

Soccer organizations generally adopt deterministic models within their talent pathways. In this framework, early ability and results are emphasized, leading to selection biases, such as birth advantages (i.e., relative age effects and birthplace effects), which research has shown affect both early developmental experiences and continued sporting involvement. Accordingly, this study aimed to (a) provide further test of birth advantages in Italian youth soccer by exploring the birth quarter (BQ) and birthplace (BP) distribution of 1050 male Italian players born between 1999 and 2001 who competed in the national U17 championship throughout the 2015-16 season and (b) investigate how birth advantages influenced selected players' future career status...

The purpose of this study is to investigate the acute effects of ball pressure on anticipation timing following a series of purposeful headers in adult football (soccer) players. There is evidence to suggest acute neurophysiological changes to the brain following purposeful heading; this may lead to altered anticipation timing as a result, potentially having future safety implications for players. A repeated measures crossover design was used. Seventeen participants aged between 20 and 30 years performed (i) 20 rotational headers with a lower-pressure match ball (58...

This cross-sectional epidemiological study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of injuries among young archers engaged in high-intensity training during the European Youth Championship. A total of 200 participants (104 males/96 females) from 34 countries were included, with a mean age of 16.9 years and average competitive experience of 6.5 years. Structured questionnaires, administered by four physiotherapist interviewers, gathered comprehensive data. Results revealed that 43.5% of participants experienced shoulder pain during training, highlighting the vulnerability of upper limbs in archers...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived coach-created empowering and disempowering motivational climate and doping likelihood among athletes and whether the attitudes towards doping and doping self-regulatory efficacy mediates these relationships. METHODS: Athletes (N = 948; 50% male; mean age, 20.32, SD = 2.45) recruited from a variety of sports completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of coach-created motivational climate, attitudes towards doping, doping self-regulatory efficacy, and doping likelihood...

The effect of birthplace (the place where a player is born and grows up) is one of the key variables associated with soccer player development and achievement. However, recent studies have questioned the influence of contextual variables on selection and promotion processes related to birthplace. The main purposes of this study were: (1) establish whether there is a difference between the birthplace and sporting growth according to the stages of entry into the academy, (2) to evaluate the influence of geographical and contextual variables on sporting development, and (3) assess the chances of making a professional team debut...

The rise of professional careers in playing sports has been seen in the recent generation. Ranging from traditional sports to recent e-games, it can be seen that student athletes are not only considering these as motivational factors for education, but also as future career paths. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap about the factors influencing college athletes' aspirations to play professionally. The study examines the complex web of athlete decision-making by utilizing the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and analyzing the roles of motivational factors, self-efficacy, affective behavior, and behavioral domains...

In tennis, the serve plays a key role in determining the success of a player. The speed of a serve is influenced by a multitude of interconnected skills and abilities. The objective of this study was to establish the correlation between the explosive strength of the throwing type, the grip strength and flexibility of the arms, and the shoulder girdle with the serve speed in young female tennis players. Additionally, the study aimed to develop a regression model that accurately predicts the serve speed by analyzing the interplay among these variables...

Artistic swimming is an Olympic sport requiring a high level of fitness, as well as technical skills, artistry, flexibility, a good sense of rhythm, remarkable lung capacity and physical strength. The artistic swimming of adolescents has been largely untouched by the scientific community, so training this group based on scientific data is difficult. Due to the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, this study aimed to measure the technical elements, strength parameters, and swimming performance of young artistic swimmers and to compare swimming performance and strength with the quality of artistic element performances...