A large-scale multivariate soccer athlete health, performance, and position monitoring dataset.

Data analysis for athletic performance optimization and injury prevention is of tremendous interest to sports teams and the scientific community. However, sports data are often sparse and hard to obtain due to legal restrictions, unwillingness to share, and lack of personnel resources to be assigned to the tedious process of data curation. These constraints make it difficult to develop automated systems for analysis, which require large datasets for learning. We therefore present SoccerMon, the largest soccer athlete dataset available today containing both subjective and objective metrics, collected from two different elite women's soccer teams over two years. Our dataset contains 33,849 subjective reports and 10,075 objective reports, the latter including over six billion GPS position measurements. SoccerMon can not only play a valuable role in developing better analysis and prediction systems for soccer, but also inspire similar data collection activities in other domains which can benefit from subjective athlete reports, GPS position information, and/or time-series data in general.

Comparison of energy requirement estimation using activity record or accelerometer with doubly labeled water method in collegiate male sprinters.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Track and field sprinters must obtain an optimal body composition to improve sprint performance. To successfully change body composition, it is important to evaluate the estimated energy requirements (EER) and fluctuations in total energy expenditure (TEE). However, methods to accurately evaluate the EER and TEE in sprinters have not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to compare currently used methods with the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, which is currently the gold standard for evaluating EER and TEE. METHODS: Ten male collegiate sprinters participated in the study. We evaluated TEEDLW and compared it with the EER calculated using two equations used by the National Institute of Health and Nutrition (NIHN) and the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences (JISS). In addition, we evaluated the TEE from the activity record (AR) and triaxial accelerometer (ACC). RESULTS: TEEDLW (3172 ± 415 kcal/day) was not significantly different from EERNIHN (p = 0.076) or EERJISS (p = 0.967). In addition, there were no significant differences between TEEDLW and TEEAR (p = 0.218). However, two accelerometer-derived equations used to evaluate TEE were found to have underestimated (2783 ± 377 kcal/day, p < 0.001) and overestimated (3405 ± 369 kcal/day, p = 0.009) the TEE. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that EERNIHN and EERJISS may be useful in evaluating the EER of collegiate male sprinters on a group basis, and AR may be more accurate than ACC in evaluating the TEE. These results may be helpful when considering nutritional support for male collegiate sprinters.

Observation system for the technical-tactical analysis of judo by the Rio 2016 Olympic champions.

An observational methodology system has been designed which allows the observation and analysis of the technical-tactical behaviour and interaction of judokas during competition. The observation instrument (JUTACTIC) is composed of 8 fixed criteria that provide information related to the competition and the competitors and 13 variable criteria that, throughout the intrasessional monitoring of each combat, allow the behaviour displayed by both judokas and their interaction to be recorded. From an observational sample consisting of matches from the Rio 2016 Olympic champions and the corresponding samples made using the LINCE PLUS software, evidence of validity, reliability, generalizability and applicability of the observation system is provided. The content validity of the observation instrument has been endorsed by a panel of experts (n = 11). Intra and inter-observer reliability has been guaranteed from the results obtained in the Fleiss Kappa and the Krippendorff Alpha. The generalizability analysis with the design structure [Category] [Participants] / [Matches] has confirmed that around seven matches are needed to accurately analyse the behaviour of the competitor under study. The practical application possibilities of the observation instrument has been shown with an example of the results obtained and the regular behaviour structures detected (T-patterns) using the THEME software.

Validity and reliability of My Jump 2® app to measure the vertical jump on elite women beach volleyball players.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the My Jump 2® app in measuring jump height, flight time, and peak power among elite women beach volleyball players on sand surfaces. Methods: Eleven elite female beach volleyball players (aged 23.6 ± 6.2 years; weight 66.3 ± 5.8 kg; height 174.4 ± 5.8 cm; with 8.4 ± 4.8 years of professional experience) participated in this study. Each player performed six countermovement jumps in a wooden box filled with sand on a force platform while simultaneously recording a video for subsequent analysis using the My Jump 2® app. Results: We found excellent agreement for flight time, jump height and peak power between observers (ICC = 0.92, 0.91 and 0.97, respectively). No significant differences between force platform and My Jump 2® app were detected in the values obtained for the three variables (P > 0.05). For the force platform and the My Jump 2® app, we found a good agreement measuring jump height and flight time (ICC = 0.85 and 0.85, respectively). However, we only found a moderate agreement for peak power (ICC = 0.64). The difference in jump height showed a limit of agreement between -4.10 and 4.74 cm in Bland-Altman, indicating a high level of agreement between the two measurement tools. Conclusion: Based on our findings, the My Jump 2® app reveals a valid tool for measuring jump height and flight time of CMJ on sand surfaces. However, more caution is needed when measuring peak power.

The relationship between workload and exercise-induced cardiac troponin elevations is influenced by non-obstructive coronary atherosclerosis.

The relationship between exercise-induced troponin elevation and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is unclear. This observational study assessed non-obstructive CAD's impact on exercise-induced cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) elevation in middle-aged recreational athletes. cTnI levels of 40 well-trained recreational athletes (73% males, 50 ± 9 years old) were assessed by a high-sensitive cTnI assay 24 h before, and at 3 and 24 h following two high-intensity exercises of different durations; a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), and a 91-km mountain bike race. Workload was measured with power meters. Coronary computed tomography angiography was used to determine the presence or absence of non-obstructive (<50% obstruction) CAD. A total of 15 individuals had non-obstructive CAD (Atherosclerotic group), whereas 25 had no atherosclerosis (normal). There were higher post-exercise cTnI levels following the race compared with CPET, both at 3 h (77.0 (35.3-112.4) ng/L vs. 11.6 (6.4-22.5) ng/L, p < 0.001) and at 24 h (14.7 (6.7-16.3) vs. 5.0 (2.6-8.9) ng/L, p < 0.001). Absolute cTnI values did not differ among groups. Still, the association of cTnI response to power output was significantly stronger in the CAD versus Normal group both at 3 h post-exercise (Rho = 0.80, p < 0.001 vs. Rho = -0.20, p = 0.33) and 24-h post-exercise (Rho = 0.87, p < 0.001 vs. Rho = -0.13, p = 0.55). Exercise-induced cTnI elevation was strongly correlated with exercise workload in middle-aged athletes with non-obstructive CAD but not in individuals without CAD. This finding suggests that CAD influences the relationship between exercise workload and the cTnI response even without coronary artery obstruction.

Meta-analysis of genomic variants in power and endurance sports to decode the impact of genomics on athletic performance and success.

Association between genomic variants and athletic performance has seen a high degree of controversy, as there is often conflicting data as far as the association of genomic variants with endurance, speed and strength is concerned. Here, findings from a thorough meta-analysis from 4228 articles exploring the association of genomic variants with athletic performance in power and endurance sports are summarized, aiming to confirm or overrule the association of genetic variants with athletic performance of all types. From the 4228 articles, only 107 were eligible for further analysis, including 37 different genes. From these, there were 21 articles for the ACE gene, 29 articles for the ACTN3 gene and 8 articles for both the ACE and ACTN3 genes, including 54,382 subjects in total, from which 11,501 were endurance and power athletes and 42,881 control subjects. These data show that there is no statistically significant association between genomic variants and athletic performance either for endurance or power sports, underlying the fact that it is highly risky and even unethical to make such genetic testing services for athletic performance available to the general public. Overall, a strict regulatory monitoring should be exercised by health and other legislative authorities to protect the public from such services from an emerging discipline that still lacks the necessary scientific evidence and subsequent regulatory approval.

Changes in Body Composition and Nutritional Periodization during the Training Macrocycle in Football-A Narrative Review.

Nutrition periodization in football training is an important determinant of adaptation to cyclic training loads. Personalizing an athlete's diet is crucial to ensure optimal performance and body composition, depending on the phase of training. The purpose of this review is to answer the question of how the body composition of football players changes over the training macrocycle and how dietary recommendations should be tailored to specific training periods. The review of scientific evidence was conducted based on the available literature, typing in phrases related to training and nutrition periodization using the PubMed and Google Scholar database methodology tools. A literature search resulted in the selection of 346 sources directly related to the topic of the study, and then those with the highest scientific value were selected. There is a need to adjust energy and nutrient intake according to the different training phases in a football player's preparation cycle. During the preparatory phase, it is recommended to increase protein and energy intake to support anabolic processes and muscle mass development. During the competitive period, due to the intensity of matches and training, the importance of carbohydrates for glycogen replenishment and recovery is emphasized. The transition phase requires the regulation of caloric intake to prevent adverse changes in body composition. Hydration has been identified as a key element in each phase of training. Cooperation between coaches, nutritionists, and players is essential to optimize sports performance and rapid recovery, and the authors recommend continuous adaptation and nutritional optimization as an integral part of football training.

Prevalence of and Contributors to Food Insecurity among College Athletes: A Scoping Review.

Given the financial demands of attending college, the transition to new living situations, abrupt changes in social support, and overall lifestyle adjustments, college students are at an increased risk of food insecurity (FI) compared to the general population. Collegiate athletes experience an even greater risk of FI as a result of greater time commitments and energy demands associated with their sports. This heightened vulnerability poses a tremendous threat to student-athletes' academic and athletic achievements. This study aims to address the prevalence and primary determinants of FI among collegiate athletes while providing potential solutions to navigate and alleviate the effects of diminished food security among this demographic. To address these aims, a total of 18 articles were selected from both peer-reviewed and gray literature. The U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (US-HFSSM) survey tools were predominantly utilized across universities throughout the United States to gather data on FI. Student-athletes reported experiencing FI across various regions of the United States, including universities in the northeastern states (n = 5), the southwest region (n = 3), the southeast region (n = 3), the northwest (n = 1), and the Midwest (n = 1). Overall, FI prevalence rates ranged from 9.9% to 65%, and the most significant contributors included limited financial resources, time management, meal plans, and housing location/amenities. These findings highlight a need for screening, education, and interventions to address FI among collegiate athletes.

Are the shoulder joint function, stability, and mobility tests predictive of handstand execution?

Handstand is a basic element common across gymnastic disciplines and physical education classes that is frequently evaluated for quality in competition or skill acquisition. The correct handstand execution relies on maintaining balance, for which the shoulders seem particularly important. This study explores the relationship between shoulder joint function and the quality of handstand execution in novice college athletes (n = 111; aged 19-23 years). We assessed the shoulder joint function using standardized field tests (Upper Quarter Y Balance Test and Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test) and evaluated handstand execution on official rating scale. Ordinal logistic regression models showed no relationship between the quality of handstand execution (E-score) and measures of shoulder joint stability or mobility in our sample (POR = 0.97 [0.91, 1.03] and 1.00 [0.91, 1.09] for E-score). Two major factors may have caused an observed pattern of results. Firstly, the standardized tests assess shoulder joints in different loads and ranges of motion compared to handstands. Secondly, our novice sample was not able to perform the handstand sufficiently well. In our sample of novice college athletes, shoulder function seems not related to handstand execution as other latent factors hindered their performance.

Longitudinal changes in anthropometric, physiological, and physical qualities of international women's rugby league players.

This is the first study to assess longitudinal changes in anthropometric, physiological, and physical qualities of international women's rugby league players. Thirteen forwards and 11 backs were tested three times over a 10-month period. Assessments included: standing height and body mass, body composition measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a blood panel, resting metabolic rate (RMR) assessed by indirect calorimetry, aerobic capacity (i.e.,[Formula: see text]) evaluated by an incremental treadmill test, and isometric force production measured by a force plate. During the pre-season phase, lean mass increased significantly by ~2% for backs (testing point 1: 47 kg; testing point 2: 48 kg) and forwards (testing point 1: 50 kg; testing point 2: 51 kg) (p = ≤ 0.05). Backs significantly increased their [Formula: see text] by 22% from testing point 1 (40 ml kg-1 min-1) to testing point 3 (49 ml kg-1 min-1) (p = ≤ 0.04). The [Formula: see text] of forwards increased by 10% from testing point 1 (41 ml kg-1 min-1) to testing point 3 (45 ml kg-1 min-1), however this change was not significant (p = ≥ 0.05). Body mass (values represent the range of means across the three testing points) (backs: 68 kg; forwards: 77-78 kg), fat mass percentage (backs: 25-26%; forwards: 30-31%), resting metabolic rate (backs: 7 MJ day-1; forwards: 7 MJ day-1), isometric mid-thigh pull (backs: 2106-2180 N; forwards: 2155-2241 N), isometric bench press (backs: 799-822 N; forwards: 999-1024 N), isometric prone row (backs: 625-628 N; forwards: 667-678 N) and bloods (backs: ferritin 21-29 ug/L, haemoglobin 137-140 g/L, iron 17-21 umol/L, transferrin 3 g/L, transferring saturation 23-28%; forwards: ferritin 31-33 ug/L, haemoglobin 141-145 g/L, iron 20-23 umol/L, transferrin 3 g/L, transferrin saturation 26-31%) did not change (p = ≥ 0.05). This study provides novel longitudinal data which can be used to better prepare women rugby league players for the unique demands of their sport, underpinning female athlete health.

Exploring the role of mindfulness on obligatory exercise among young athletes: mediating roles of obsessive passion and cognitive state anxiety.

Introduction: In the current trend toward youthfulness and age reduction in competitive sports, the issue of obligatory exercise among young athletes is becoming more severe. This not only affects their physical and mental health but also hampers their future prospects in the sports world. While delving into the impact of mindfulness on the issue of obligatory exercise among young athletes, it reveals the mediating role of obsessive passion and cognitive state anxiety. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional research that employs convenience and snowball sampling methods. We selected 403 young athletes from several universities and high-level sports teams in the central-southern region of China as valid samples and used AMOS v.23 to construct a structural equation model to validate the hypotheses. Results: The research findings indicate a significant positive correlation between obsessive passion, cognitive state anxiety, and obligatory exercise. Furthermore, obsessive passion and cognitive state anxiety mediate the relationship between mindfulness and obligatory exercise. This implies that young athletes can better regulate their emotional state during training, manage training loads sensibly, and avoid issues with obligatory exercise through mindfulness training. Discussion: In conclusion, to enhance the cognitive levels of young athletes and reduce their obligatory exercise behaviors, national sports authorities and coaching teams should develop reasonable mindfulness training programs for athletes and encourage their participation in mindfulness training.

Regional Anesthesia for Athletes Undergoing Upper Extremity Procedures: Techniques and Considerations.

Upper extremity injuries are frequent in athletes which may require surgeries. Regional anesthesia for postoperative analgesia is important to aid recovery, and peripheral nerve blocks for surgical anesthesia enable surgeries to be performed without general anesthetics and their associated adverse effects. The relevant nerve block approaches to anesthetize the brachial plexus for elbow, wrist and hand surgeries are discussed in this article. There is very limited margin for error when performing nerve blocks and multimodal monitoring approach to reduce harm are outlined. Lastly, the importance of obtaining informed consent prior to nerve block procedures should not be overlooked.

Regional Anesthesia in the Elite Athlete.

Elite athletes are exposed to an elevated risk of musculoskeletal injury which may present a significant threat to an athlete's livelihood. The perioperative anesthetic plan of care for these injuries in the general population often incorporates regional anesthesia procedures due to several benefits. However, some concern exists regarding the potential for regional anesthesia to adversely impact functional recovery in an elite athlete who may have a lower tolerance for this risk. This article aims to review the data behind this concern, discuss strategies to improve the safety of these procedures and explore the features of consent in this patient population.

The adapted French version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS-FR): Evidence of validity and reliability and relationships with sport well-being.

BACKGROUND: Effectively managing their athletic and academic projects is a major challenge for student-athletes. The salience of the identity they develop in each of these contexts can affect their well-being and is therefore an important variable to consider. Examining these mechanisms in countries and student-athlete support systems other than the United States is also important. AIM: This study aims to both translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of a French version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale, the AAIS-FR, and to examine the additive and interactive relationships of the two identities with sport burnout and engagement. METHODS: Participants were 359 French student-athletes (50.42% female) who were competing at various levels (ranging from regional to international). RESULTS: Results from analyses using a slightly modified version of the original scale provided evidence of construct (i.e., factor structure) and concurrent (i.e., expected relationships between both identities and several correlates identified in previous work) validity, as well as reliability (i.e., internal consistency) and invariance across gender and sport competition levels of the AAIS-FR. In addition, regression analyses revealed a favourable relationship between athletic identity and sport well-being (i.e., positive with engagement and negative with burnout), no relationship between academic identity and sport well-being, and no interaction between the two identities. CONCLUSION: While further research is needed to provide additional evidence for the validity of the AAIS-FR, researchers can still use this tool to measure the salience of the two identities of French-speaking student-athletes.

"A shoulder to lean on during your first year"-An exploration into a Canadian post-secondary institution's peer mentor program for varsity student athletes.

The transition period from high school to post-secondary can be particularly challenging for many, including varsity student-athletes (SAs). To better support SAs through this transitional experience, some institutions have created peer mentor programs. What is unclear, however, is the perceived value of these mentorship programs from the perspectives of multiple stakeholder positions. This paper contributes to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by presenting findings of a program evaluation that investigated the perceived value of a peer mentor program to its stakeholders. To accomplish this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 participants to discuss SA's experiences with being a first year student, making the transition from high school to post-secondary studies, and also, to discuss their lived experiences with the peer mentor program developed for SAs. Using the findings from the inductive thematic analyses, the peer mentor program's effectiveness, areas of strengths, and areas of improvement are discussed to better align with the stakeholders' needs and experiences. Findings offer insights into a) the trials and tribulations of the first year SA experience, b) how peer mentor programs can better support SA's transition to post-secondary education, c) the benefits of conducting a program evaluation, and d) strategies to enhance the peer mentor program to better support students' needs.

Impact of specialized fatigue and backhand smash on the ankle biomechanics of female badminton players.

During fatigued conditions, badminton players may experience adverse effects on their ankle joints during smash landings. In addition, the risk of ankle injury may vary with different landing strategies. This study aimed to investigate the influence of sport-specific fatigue factors and two backhand smash actions on ankle biomechanical indices. Thirteen female badminton players (age: 21.2 ± 1.9 years; height: 167.1 ± 4.1 cm; weight: 57.3 ± 5.1 kg; BMI: 20.54 ± 1.57 kg/m2) participated in this study. An 8-camera Vicon motion capture system and three Kistler force platforms were used to collect kinematic and kinetic data before and after fatigue for backhand rear-court jump smash (BRJS) and backhand lateral jump smash (BLJS). A 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variance was employed to analyze the effects of these smash landing actions and fatigue factors on ankle biomechanical parameters. Fatigue significantly affected the ankle-joint plantarflexion and inversion angles at the initial contact (IC) phase (p < 0.05), with both angles increasing substantially post-fatigue. From a kinetic perspective, fatigue considerably influenced the peak plantarflexion and peak inversion moments at the ankle joint, which resulted in a decrease the former and an increase in the latter after fatigue. The two smash landing actions demonstrated different landing strategies, and significant main effects were observed on the ankle plantarflexion angle, inversion angle, peak dorsiflexion/plantarflexion moment, peak inversion/eversion moment, and peak internal rotation moment (p < 0.05). The BLJS landing had a much greater landing inversion angle, peak inversion moment, and peak internal rotation moment compared with BRJS landing. The interaction effects of fatigue and smash actions significantly affected the muscle force of the peroneus longus (PL), with a more pronounced decrease in the force of the PL muscle post-fatigue in the BLJS action(post-hoc < 0.05). This study demonstrated that fatigue and smash actions, specifically BRJS and BLJS, significantly affect ankle biomechanical parameters. After fatigue, both actions showed a notable increase in IC plantarflexion and inversion angles and peak inversion moments, which may elevate the risk of lateral ankle sprains. Compared with BRJS, BLJS poses a higher risk of lateral ankle sprains after fatigue.

'It's just my knee': a qualitative study investigating the process of reframing and young athletes' perceived quality of life between anterior cruciate ligament injury and surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the factors influencing young athletes' perceptions of quality of life (QOL) following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, prior to reconstructive surgery. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of data. SETTING: Tertiary sports medicine clinic with patients recruited from the practices of three specialist orthopaedic surgeons. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty athletes aged 14-25 provided consent to participate in the study and completed interviews prior to their ACL reconstruction surgery. Participants were eligible to participate if they were scheduled to undergo ACL reconstruction, were 25 years of age or younger, identified as athletes (participated in any level of organised sport), could communicate in English and agreed to be audio recorded. Participants were not eligible if they had experienced a multiligament injury or fracture. RESULTS: Young athletes shared common factors that made up their QOL; social connections and support, sport, health, and independence. However, participants' perceptions of their current QOL were quite variable (13-95/100 on a Visual Analogue Scale). Participants who were able to reframe their injury experience by shifting focus to the positive or unaffected aspects of their lives tended to have more favourable perceptions of their QOL than participants who shifted focus to the losses associated with injury. CONCLUSIONS: Young athletes who have experienced an ACL injury define their QOL based on social support, sport, health and independence. Individual processes of adaptation and cognitive reframing in response to an ACL injury may exert a greater influence on postinjury QOL than the physical ramifications of the injury itself. Understanding individual perceptions may help target potential interventions or supports to enhance athletes' adaptation to injury.