Designing a study on footballers' injuries in the 2024 African cup of nations competition (Ivory Coast).

INTRODUCTION: To enhance players' performance and implement effective injury prevention protocols and surveillance programs in football, it is essential to conduct epidemiological studies. Since significant disparities in injury rates across various football competitions were reported, it is important to characterize injuries in the context of the African cup of nation (AFCON) competition. AIM: To determine the incidence and factors associated with injuries among African footballers during the 2024 AFCON competition, which will be held in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11, 2024. METHODS: Two expert physician in sports medicine will perform an analytical study (i.e.; a video-based analysis) of the 52 matches that will be played during the 2024 AFCON. The following parameters will be noted: i) Injury incidence, ii) Characteristics of injured players such as age, on-field position, and player league continent, iii) Characteristics ofinjuries such as mechanism, body location, moment of injury in terms of the minute of play and the round of the match, place of the injury in term of stadium zone, replacement consequent to the injury, absence next match, re-injury, recurrence of the injury with the same location during the competition, referee decision, and stoppage time for on-field injury, and iv) Characteristics of matches such as the match' schedule, ambient temperature, humidity, and wind speed. CONCLUSION: This study will allow enriching the existing literature with additional data regarding the injuries and the players' characteristics in the African context.

Essential elements of physical fitness analysis in male adolescent athletes using machine learning.

Physical fitness (PF) includes various factors that significantly impacts athletic performance. Analyzing PF is critical in developing customized training methods for athletes based on the sports in which they compete. Previous approaches to analyzing PF have relied on statistical or machine learning algorithms that focus on predicting athlete injury or performance. In this study, six machine learning algorithms were used to analyze the PF of 1,489 male adolescent athletes across five sports, including track & field, football, baseball, swimming, and badminton. Furthermore, the machine learning models were utilized to analyze the essential elements of PF using feature importance of XGBoost, and SHAP values. As a result, XGBoost represents the highest performance, with an average accuracy of 90.14, an area under the curve of 0.86, and F1-score of 0.87, demonstrating the similarity between the sports. Feature importance of XGBoost, and SHAP value provided a quantitative assessment of the relative importance of PF in sports by comparing two sports within each of the five sports. This analysis is expected to be useful in analyzing the essential PF elements of athletes in various sports and recommending personalized exercise methods accordingly.

Analysis of football research trends using text network analysis.

This study was aimed to identify football research trends in various periods. A total of 30,946 football papers were collected from a representative academic database and search engine, the 'Web of Science'. Keyword refinement included filtering nouns, establishing synonyms and thesaurus, and excluding conjunctions, and the Cyram's Netminer 4.0 software was used for network analysis. A centrality analysis was conducted by extracting the words corresponding to the top 2% of the main research topics to obtain the degree and eigenvector centralities. The most frequently mentioned research keywords were injury, performance, and club. Keyword performance showed the highest degree centrality (0.294) and keyword world and cup showed the highest eigenvector centrality (0.710). The keyword with the highest eigenvector degree changed from injury in the 1990s and world in the 2000s to cup since the 2010s. Although various studies on football injuries have been conducted, research on the sport itself has recently been conducted. This study provides fundamental information on football trends from research published over the past 30 years.

Against the odds: exploring individuals' pushback mechanisms against commercialized football gambling.

Introduction: The need for money, the pursuit of pleasure, and the liberalized access to gambling have been documented in several pieces of literature as the drivers of gambling. Such drivers are predicated on commercialized gambling, leading to the growth of the gambling industry and constituting a structural influence that normalizes the activity among young people. Methods: Through a qualitative inquiry, this study investigates the social agentic factors of individuals who are susceptible to gambling. Fifteen non-gamblers were recruited across three commercial cities in Africa, namely Nairobi, Lagos, and Johannesburg. We first established the gambling susceptibility of the participants: their need for money, their passion for football, ownership of a smartphone, access to the internet, and exposure to football gambling marketing. Results: Consequently, we probed for their agency, which is indicative of why they do not gamble, despite being susceptible to engaging in the activity. Four major agentic factors were identified from the participants; knowledge of the industry's business model, conserving the integrity of football, identity of self, morality and/or religion model. Discussion: As such, these factors may be utilized to develop an intervention program for gamblers within the geographical context.

Arabic translation and cultural adaptation of a training load and player monitoring in high-level football questionnaire: A cognitive interview study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the current practice and the associated challenges in applying monitoring tools is essential to improving football performance in the Middle East, thus the purpose was to translate and culturally adapt a published questionnaire that assessed the practice and perception of High-Level football teams toward Training Load and Player Monitoring to be used in the Arabic context, aiming to contribute to the enhancement of football performance, player welfare, and training quality in the region. METHOD: A total of 15 Arabic-speaking coaches (mean age 42.6 ± 9.9 years; mean experience 10.9 ± 5.7 years; 53.3% football coaches and 46.7% strength & conditioning coaches) were conveniently selected to participate in this study. The current research followed a systematic cross-cultural adaptation process, which included forward translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert panel review, and pre-testing through cognitive interviewing. Three rounds of cognitive interviews were conducted with the 15 participants. Descriptive statistics, including means with standard deviations and frequencies with percentages, were reported for the participants' characteristics. RESULT: With some minor linguistic modifications to the questionnaire by the expert committee (i.e., adjustments such as Sport Scientist to Sport Science Specialist), the instrument was translated and culturally adapted into Arabic. All participants confirmed that the resulting Arabic versions of the training load and player monitoring in high-level football questionnaires were appropriate and fully understandable for Arabic speakers in conveying the intended meanings of the items in each. CONCLUSION: The training load and player monitoring in the high-level football questionnaire was successfully translated and culturally adapted into Arabic and are now ready for use in the Arabic context, offering an opportunity for comprehensive research and enabling tailored performance optimization strategies, which could ultimately lead to advancements in player development and welfare within Arabic-speaking football communities.

Groin injuries in women's premier league football in Norway: A two-season prospective cohort study describing clinical and imaging characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence, incidence, and burden of groin injuries in the Norwegian women's premier football league and to describe their clinical and imaging characteristics. METHODS: During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, players in the Norwegian women's premier league reported groin injuries weekly, using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-H2). We calculated weekly prevalence, incidence, and burden of groin injuries. The team physical therapists classified the player-reported injuries based on the Doha classification system. Injuries with more than 3 days' time loss or reported in 2 consecutive weeks were eligible for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: On average, 3.9% (95% CI: 3.4-4.4) of players reported a groin injury at any time; of which 78% caused time loss. The incidence rate was 1.6 injuries/1000 h (95% CI: 1.3-2.0) and their burden was 11 days lost/1000 h. The physical therapists examined 67 of 124 player-reported groin injuries (53%). Adductor-related injury was most common (55%) followed by iliopsoas (15%) and rectus femoris-related (12%). Pubic-related injuries caused most time loss (median: 24 days, IQR: 5-133). In this study, 42 injuries were investigated with MRI; 8 (19%) showed no changes, 6 (14%) an acute musculotendinous lesion, and 32 (76%) a nonacute finding (e.g., central symphyseal disc protrusion, tendinopathies). CONCLUSION: The incidence rate and burden of groin injuries were high. Adductor-related injuries were most common, but pubic-related injuries caused most time loss. Most MRI examinations demonstrated nonacute findings.

ACTN3 XX Genotype Negatively Affects Running Performance and Increases Muscle Injury Incidence in LaLiga Football Players.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the ACTN3 rs1815739 polymorphism with match running performance and injury incidence in top-level professional football players. A total of 315 top-level professional football players from the first division of Spanish football (i.e., LaLiga) participated in this prospective and descriptive study. The ACTN3 rs1815739 genotype was identified for each player using genomic DNA samples. During LaLiga 2021-2022, players' performance was obtained through a validated camera system in all official matches. Additionally, the incidence of non-contact injuries was obtained by each team's medical staff according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) statement. From the study sample, 116 (36.8%) players had the RR genotype, 156 (49.5%) had the RX genotype, and 43 (13.7%) had the XX genotype. The anthropometric characteristics of the players were similar across genotypes. However, the total running distance (p = 0.046), the distance at 21.0-23.9 km/h (p = 0.042), and the number of sprints (p = 0.042) were associated with the ACTN3 genotype. In all these variables, XX players had lower match performance values than RR players. Additionally, total and match injury incidences were higher in XX players than in RR players (p = 0.026 and 0.009, respectively). The rate of muscle injuries was also higher in XX players (p = 0.016). LaLiga football players with the ACTN3 XX genotype had lower match running performance and a higher incidence of non-contact injuries over the season.

Position-specific workload of professional rugby union players during tactical periodization training.

The positional workload characteristics in rugby union on three acquisition days (i.e. strength, endurance, and speed days) of tactical periodization are still relatively unknown. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to shed light on the positional external workload variables (10 Hz Global Positioning System and accelerometer microtechnology) and internal workload indicators (the session rating of perceived exertion) of players in a professional rugby union team by utilizing and comparing two tactical periodization models. Twenty-six male players (15 forwards and 11 backs) were recruited from a French second-division rugby club. Data were obtained over 10 weeks of in-season home games: a total of 780 observations were analyzed. Student's t-test observed different external workload profiles between positions among acquisition days. Mean external workload values, except PlayerLoadslow, were significantly higher (p≤0.01; effect size: 0.41-1.93) for backs than forwards for all acquisition days. Moreover, forwards perceived a higher internal workload than backs on the strength day of both models. The findings demonstrate that applying these two tactical periodization models could result in effective rugby union training. Validating external and internal workload characteristics on tactical periodization acquisition days enables extensive analysis of training load monitoring data; these data can be utilized to discover the unique characteristics of each position and design position-specific acquisition days to improve performance.

Predicting adolescents' continuation in club sports: A prospective cohort study of the importance of personal and contextual motivational factors in five sports in Denmark.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the influence of types of motivation, basic psychological needs satisfaction and of a coach-created motivational climate on continued participation in youth sports across types of sport, competitive levels, ages, and gender. METHODS: Participants were 7110 adolescent (age 12-20 years) members of leisure time club organized in basketball, handball, football, badminton, and gymnastics in Denmark. Motivational regulation was measured with BRSQ-6, basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration were measured with PNSS-S, and coach-created climate was measured with the EDMCQ-C. The participants' continuation or dropout was measured at the beginning of the following season with a short electronic questionnaire. RESULTS: Intrinsic motivation, identified behavior regulation, experiences of competence, relatedness, and autonomy, as well as a coach-created empowering motivational climate, were associated with continuation both in the sport and in the club the following season across different sports, genders, age groups, and competitive levels. Introjected and external behavior regulation, frustrations with the need to experience competence, relatedness, and autonomy, as well as a disempowering coach-created climate, were associated with dropout. CONCLUSION: In Danish youth sports, autonomous motivation, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and an empowering coach-created motivational climate have a positive impact on the continuation of the sport and the club the following season. In contrast, controlled types of motivation, needs frustration, and a disempowering coach-created climate are associated with dropout. This is the case at both elite and recreational levels, for boys and girls, adolescents, and youth.

Linking Type and Extent of Head Trauma to Cavum Septum Pellucidum in Older Adults With and Without Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is a common but nonspecific MRI finding in individuals with prior head trauma. The type and extent of head trauma related to CSP, CSP features specific to head trauma, and the impact of brain atrophy on CSP are unknown. We evaluated CSP cross-sectionally and longitudinally in healthy and clinically impaired older adults who underwent detailed lifetime head trauma characterization. METHODS: This is an observational cohort study of University of California, San Francisco Memory and Aging Center participants (healthy controls [HCs], those with Alzheimer disease or related dementias [ADRDs], subset with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome [TES]). We characterized traumatic brain injury (TBI) and repetitive head impacts (RHI) through contact/collision sports. Study groups were no RHI/TBI, prior TBI only, prior RHI only, and prior RHI + TBI. We additionally looked within TBI (1, 2, or 3+) and RHI (1-4, 5-10, and 11+ years). All underwent baseline MRI, and 67% completed a second MRI (median follow-up = 5.4 years). CSP measures included grade (0-4) and length (millimeters). Groups were compared on likelihood of CSP (logistic regression, odds ratios [ORs]) and whether CSP length discriminated groups (area under the curve [AUC]). RESULTS: Our sample included 266 participants (N = 160 HCs, N = 106 with ADRD or TES; age 66.8 ± 8.2 years, 45.3% female). Overall, 123 (49.8%) participants had no RHI/TBI, 52 (21.1%) had TBI only, 41 (16.6%) had RHI only, 31 (12.6%) had RHI + TBI, and 20 were classified as those with TES (7.5%). Compared with no RHI/TBI, RHI + TBI (OR 3.11 [1.23-7.88]) and TES (OR 11.6 [2.46-54.8]) had greater odds of CSP. Approximately 5-10 years (OR 2.96 [1.13-7.77]) and 11+ years of RHI (OR 3.14 [1.06-9.31]) had higher odds of CSP. CSP length modestly discriminated participants with 5-10 years (AUC 0.63 [0.51-0.75]) and 11+ years of prior RHI (AUC 0.69 [0.55-0.84]) from no RHI/TBI (cut point = 6 mm). Strongest effects were noted in analyses of American football participation. Longitudinally, CSP grade was unchanged in 165 (91.7%), and length was unchanged in 171 (95.5%) participants. DISCUSSION: Among older adults with and without neurodegenerative disease, risk of CSP is driven more by duration (years) of RHI, especially American football, than number of TBI. CSP length (≥6 mm) is relatively specific to individuals who have had substantial prior RHI. Neurodegenerative disease and progressive atrophy do not clearly influence development or worsening of CSP.

Assessing the Match Physical Responses of International Referees for Footballers with Cerebral Palsy: A Tournaments and Halves Comparative Analysis.

Similar to conventional football, the modality dedicated to footballers with cerebral palsy (CP) requires referees who cope with the physical demands imposed during competitive matches to apply the rules of the game. While a significant body of research has explored the physical demands on referees in mainstream football, there is a noticeable lack of data regarding CP football. This study aimed to examine the physical response of international referees participating in different levels of world competitions for footballers with CP. Thirteen international referees, who officiated 49 matches in the men's 2022 World Cup (1st to 15th ranked teams) and 2022 World Championships (16th to 30th ranked teams), participated in this study. A cross-sectional design was used to determine the physical responses and compare the 1st and 2nd halves and the performance in the different tournaments, recording physical variables throughout the matches. Significant higher physical responses were observed in the World Cup in comparison to the World Championship. Overall, high-level tournaments have been shown to elicit more intense physical responses from referees officiating CP football matches compared to lower-level tournaments. For the World Cup, a significantly higher number of accelerations and decelerations were registered in the 1st half compared to the 2nd half. This information may be useful for the strength and conditioning coaches of referees to plan weekly training sessions more specifically and adjust the periodical training load and post-match recovery protocols.

The effects of a combined physical activity and health education program on health knowledge and well-being of socially vulnerable children.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the football-based health education program "11 for Health" on health knowledge and well-being in the setting of a 10-week residential stay in a Danish charity home for socially vulnerable children. Six hundred and fourteen children participated in the study, of which 305 took part in the standard program plus "11 for Health" (SG+: 12.4 ± 1.4 (mean ± SD) years) and 309 took part in the standard program (SG: 12.4 ± 1.6 years). We used a crossover design over two full years. The study examined changes in health knowledge and well-being through questionnaires. Overall health knowledge increased more in SG+ than SG over 10 weeks (6.6 vs. 3.4%, p < 0.05). The overall well-being scores were markedly improved (p < 0.05) by 4.54 ± 7.17 AU in SG+ and 4.51 ± 7.16 AU in SG, with no between-group differences. Specific improvements (p < 0.05) were seen in all well-being subcategories, raising the well-being scores to the national average. In conclusion, a 10-week stay at a Danish charity home, the Christmas Seal Home, markedly affected health knowledge and well-being of socially vulnerable children. When the football-based health education program-11 for Health-was added, there were additional positive effects on health knowledge.

Sporting tournaments and changed birth rates 9 months later: a systematic review.

Introduction: Major sporting tournaments may be associated with increased birth rates 9 months afterwards, possibly due to celebratory sex. The influence of major sporting tournaments on birth patterns remains to be fully explored. Methods: Studies that examined the relationship between such events and altered birth metrics (number of births and/or birth sex ratio (male/total live births)) 9(±1) months later were sought in PubMed and Scopus and reported via standard guidelines. Database searches were conducted up to 7 November 2022. Results: Five events led to increased birth metrics 9(±1) months later and these included the Super Bowl, the 2009 UEFA Champions League, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2016 UEFA Euros and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Several la Liga soccer matches also had effects. With a few exceptions, major American football, Association football (soccer) and Rugby apex tournaments in Africa, North America, Asia and Europe were associated with increases in the number of babies born and/or in the birth sex ratio 9(±1) months following notable team wins and/or hosting the tournament. Furthermore, unexpected losses by teams from a premier soccer league were associated with a decline in births 9 months on. Conclusions: This systematic review establishes that major sporting tournaments have a notable impact on birth patterns, influencing both birth rates and sex ratios. Emotional intensification during these events likely triggers hormonal shifts, driving changes in sexual activity and subsequently shaping birth rates, often positively, about 9 months later. The context is crucial, especially when a region/country hosts a major single-sport tournament or participates for the first time, as population excitement is likely to be at its peak. These findings hold significance for healthcare planning and highlight the role of societal events in shaping demographic trends. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022382971.

AI-based betting anomaly detection system to ensure fairness in sports and prevent illegal gambling.

This study develops a solution to sports match-fixing using various machine-learning models to detect match-fixing anomalies, based on betting odds. We use five models to distinguish between normal and abnormal matches: logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) classification, and the ensemble model-a model optimized from the previous four. The models classify normal and abnormal matches by learning their patterns using sports betting odds data. The database was developed based on the world football league match betting data of 12 betting companies, which offered a vast collection of data on players, teams, game schedules, and league rankings for football matches. We develop an abnormal match detection model based on the data analysis results of each model, using the match result dividend data. We then use data from real-time matches and apply the five models to construct a system capable of detecting match-fixing in real time. The RF, KNN, and ensemble models recorded a high accuracy, over 92%, whereas the LR and SVM models were approximately 80% accurate. In comparison, previous studies have used a single model to examine football match betting odds data, with an accuracy of 70-80%.

Role of the Menstrual Cycle on Performance and Injury Risk: A Survey of Female Professional Rugby Players in the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: Female athletic performance and injury risk is impacted by variations in the menstrual cycle (MC), but the understanding of the impacts and mechanisms influenced by the menstrual cycle on exercise performance are not fully delineated. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Evaluate associations between the menstrual cycle, perceived performance, and injury risk of elite female rugby players using an online survey. METHODS: An anonymous online questionnaire was completed by 150 elite female rugby players from two English rugby leagues, the Betfred Women's Super League (BWSL) and the Allianz Premier 15s (AP15s). The collected data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: The Chi-square test was used to assess associations between age groups and contraception usage, weight change, and training and playing performance; none of the associations were statistically significant (all p values > 0.05). Thematic analysis of 11,660 words of data revealed four themes: (a) MC impact on training and competition, (b) education and period management plans, (c) openness of conversations and comfort taking time off, and (d) injury risk. The impacted performance areas were physical (83.7%), psychological (85.7%), and nutritional (80.3%); players experienced decreased appetite, nausea, fatigue, strength declines, heighted emotions, and worsened focus. In total, 87.8% of athletes perceived the MC to negatively impact performance, 85.7% of players desired to be educated further to prevent injuries, improve nutrition, and training adaptions, 51.7% of participants perceived risk of injury to be higher during MC, and 86.4% of participants did not feel comfortable taking time off due to the MC, worrying that selection would be affected and about opinions from others. CONCLUSION: A clear negative impact on perceived performance and injury risk was reported by survey participants. The interaction of physical, psychological, and nutritional factors, and a lack of awareness and education emphasise the need for further comprehensive studies and interventions, with measures such as MC monitoring and profiling, education, and training adaptions to develop openness, knowledge, and understanding.

Exploration of collective tactical variables in elite netball: An analysis of team and sub-group positioning behaviours.

Collective tactical behaviours are aspects of player interactions that are particularly important in netball, due to its unique restrictions on player movement (players unable to move when in possession of the ball and positional spatial restrictions). The aim of this study was to explore variables representing collective tactical behaviours in netball. A local positioning system provided player positions of one team throughout seven elite-level netball matches. The positions were analysed to provide mean, variability (standard deviation) and irregularity (normalised approximate entropy) for each attack and defence possession (470 and 423, respectively) for the team and positional subgroups (forwards, midcourts and defenders) for 10 position-related variables. Correlational analyses showed collective tactical variables could be grouped as lateral and longitudinal dispersion variables. The variables were each analysed after log transformation with a linear mixed model to compare attack and defence and to estimate standardised effects on attack and defence of possession outcome, possession duration, score difference, match time, opposition strength and season time. During attack, the team and all sub-groups adopted greater lateral dispersion between players, while on defence there was generally greater longitudinal dispersion. The team also showed increased longitudinal dispersion when home and opposition possessions ended in a score. Additionally, greater irregularity was observed in active sub-groups (forwards on attack, defenders on defence). Score difference and opposition strength had trivial-small but generally unclear effects. In conclusion, these effects show that analysis of player positions on attack and defence is a promising avenue for coaches and analysts to modify collective tactical behaviours in netball.

Level of Agreement Between Child and Parent Reporting on the Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT5).

CONTEXT: The Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, fifth edition (SCAT5), remains the consensus instrument for concussion evaluation in youth athletes. Both child and parent are recommended to complete the athlete background and symptom reporting. OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of agreement between child and parent medical history and symptom reporting and quantify their performance on the Child SCAT5 in male football athletes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college football facility. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 157 youth male football athletes (age = 10.7 ± 1.3 years) participating in a university-sanctioned youth football camp and their parent or legal guardian. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Youth athletes and their parent completed the athlete background (demographics, diagnosed medical history) and symptom evaluation (symptom items, total number of symptoms, and symptom severity score) of the Child SCAT5 and were instructed not to discuss reporting with each other during testing. Cronbach α tests were conducted to determine the internal consistency, and descriptive statistics determined the level of agreement between medical history, symptom reporting, and baseline performance. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the symptom items was high for both child (Cronbach α = 0.91) and parent (α = 0.92). Agreement on medical history ranged from 67% (learning disability or dyslexia) to 85% (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), with 82% agreement on sustaining a previous concussion. Fourteen youth athletes reported having been hospitalized for a head injury, with zero matched parent confirmations. Individual symptom agreement ranged from 70.7% (gets distracted easily) to 94.9% (going to faint). Agreement was 35% on total number of symptoms and severity. Abnormal scoring ranged from 2% (going to faint) to 25% (headache) for child and 2% (double vision) to 28% (gets distracted easily) for parent reporting. CONCLUSIONS: Fair agreement was shown between children and their parent on medical history and self-reported symptoms on the Child SCAT5 at baseline. When available, child and parent reporting should be used for concussion assessment and clinical decision-making.

Inflammatory biomarkers for neurobehavioral dysregulation in former American football players: findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) is defined as the clinical manifestation of the neuropathological entity chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A core feature of TES is neurobehavioral dysregulation (NBD), a neuropsychiatric syndrome in repetitive head impact (RHI)-exposed individuals, characterized by a poor regulation of emotions/behavior. To discover biological correlates for NBD, we investigated the association between biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and NBD symptoms in former American football players and unexposed individuals. METHODS: Our cohort consisted of former American football players, with (n = 104) or without (n = 76) NBD diagnosis, as well as asymptomatic unexposed individuals (n = 55) from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Specific measures for NBD were derived (i.e., explosivity, emotional dyscontrol, impulsivity, affective lability, and a total NBD score) from a factor analysis of multiple self-report neuropsychiatric measures. Analyses of covariance tested differences in biomarker concentrations between the three groups. Within former football players, multivariable linear regression models assessed relationships among log-transformed inflammatory biomarkers, proxies for RHI exposure (total years of football, cumulative head impact index), and NBD factor scores, adjusted for relevant confounding variables. Sensitivity analyses tested (1) differences in age subgroups (< 60, ≥ 60 years); (2) whether associations could be identified with plasma inflammatory biomarkers; (3) associations between neurodegeneration and NBD, using plasma neurofilament light (NfL) chain protein; and (4) associations between biomarkers and cognitive performance to explore broader clinical symptoms related to TES. RESULTS: CSF IL-6 was higher in former American football players with NBD diagnosis compared to players without NBD. Furthermore, elevated levels of CSF IL-6 were significantly associated with higher emotional dyscontrol, affective lability, impulsivity, and total NBD scores. In older football players, plasma NfL was associated with higher emotional dyscontrol and impulsivity, but also with worse executive function and processing speed. Proxies for RHI exposure were not significantly associated with biomarker concentrations. CONCLUSION: Specific NBD symptoms in former American football players may result from multiple factors, including neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Future studies need to unravel the exact link between NBD and RHI exposure, including the role of other pathophysiological pathways.

Relationships influencing organisational culture in men's elite football clubs in Norway.

This paper examines the relationships within and outside organisations that have the leverage to influence culture in the context of men's elite football clubs in Norway. Participants from three clubs held positions as Performance Director (n=2), sport psychology practitioner (n = 3), and physiotherapist (n = 2) and participated in semi-structured interviews focusing on the relationships, tensions, and dynamic organisational forces in their respective clubs. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we developed two overarching themes showing (1) Organisational cultures in time frames and (2) Relationships among stakeholders influencing organisational culture. Developing these themes indicated that an organisational culture is not only a point of arrival, but also a point of departure for future activities. Hence, those charged with organisational culture work must maintain awareness of the influence of a club's history and how it influences dynamic tensions with stakeholders within and outside clubs. It is also critical that cultural practitioners are mindful of players' and staffs' individual journeys, which influence how they self-organise into fluid and temporary subgroups. The findings can sharpen our understanding of working with culture in elite football by emphasising other sources of culture besides leaders' attempts at controlling or steering it in their preferred way. Using the findings provided in this study can help practitioners recognise organisational tensions or slippage towards cultural problems before they lead to traumatic organisational crises.

Differences in physical activity volume and intensity between Unified and non-Unified Special Olympics football training: An observational pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The participation of people with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics sports and training opportunities offers numerous benefits for health and inclusion. However, little is known about the impact of such training on physical activity behaviour. Here, we evaluate the differences in physical activity volume and intensity of Special Olympics athletes between Unified and non-Unified football training. METHOD: Accelerometer data of 12 male athletes from eight standardised training sessions (four Unified, four non-Unified) were analysed. RESULTS: While there was no statistically significant difference for the main part of the training, athletes showed higher levels of physical activity intensity (MVPA: Mdiff = 11.74%; 95% CI = 5.50-17.97) and volume (average acceleration ENMO: Mdiff = 112.82 mg; 95% CI = 24.73-200.90) in a Unified compared to non-Unified endurance-related exercise task. CONCLUSION: Understanding physical activity participation in different training types can help to design and implement future training programmes.