Racing Experiences of Recreational Distance Runners following Omnivorous, Vegetarian, and Vegan Diets (Part B)-Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2).

The potential running or endurance performance difference based on following different general types of diets, such as omnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan, remains questionable. Several underlying modifiable factors of long-distance running performance, especially runner training behaviors and experience, diminish the clarity of results when analyzing dietary subgroups. Based on the cross-sectional design (survey), the NURMI Study Step 2 aimed to investigate a plethora of training behaviors among recreational long-distance running athletes and the relationship of general diet types with best time race performance.

Training Behaviors and Periodization Outline of Omnivorous, Vegetarian, and Vegan Recreational Runners (Part A)-Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2).

Runners train for long-distance competitions based on underlying motivations, which may be similar to individual dietary motivations (e.g., well-being and performance).

Maximal Isometric or Eccentric Hamstring Strength-Which Test Modality Might Be More Suitable for Assessments in Youth Alpine Ski Racers?

Physical fitness is an important component in the development of youth alpine ski racers. To write systematically planned and age-appropriate fitness programs athletes need to be physically tested at regular intervals at an early age. Although well-developed hamstring muscle strength is important for alpine ski racing performance and the prevention of serious knee injuries, it has not been well investigated, especially in youth athletes.

Are There Associations Between Submaximal and Maximal Aerobic Power and International Ski Federation World Cup Ranking in Elite Alpine Skiers?

Purpose: To analyze the predictive value of parameters of submaximal and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise performance on International Ski Federation (Fédération Internationale de Ski) World Cup ranking (FIS ranking) in elite Austrian Alpine skiers.

Methods: Over 7 World Cup seasons (2012-2018), exercise data (maximal oxygen uptake and maximum power output, lactate threshold 2, and ventilatory threshold 2, based on stepwise cycle spiroergometry) were analyzed to determine whether there was a correlation between world FIS ranking and exercise capacity of male and female elite Alpine skiers.

Results: The data of 39 male skiers (age: 27.

Nationality and sociocultural factors influence athlete development and sport outcomes: Perspectives from United States and Austrian youth alpine ski racing.

Geographical regions possess distinct sporting cultures that can influence athletic development from a young age. The United States (US) and Austria both produce elite alpine ski racers, yet have distinct sport structures (i.e.

Did the Relative Age Effect Change Over a Decade in Elite Youth Ski Racing?

The relative age effect (RAE) represents an asymmetry in birth quarter distribution, favoring athletes born early in the selection year and discriminating against late born athletes. The RAE was proven to be present in all age categories of national and international levels of alpine ski racing. Due to the existence of the RAE in all categories, it can be assumed that a selection error takes place favoring early born and early maturing youth ski racers.

Correction: The path to international medals: A supervised machine learning approach to explore the impact of coach-led sport-specific and non-specific practice.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Changes in Anthropometric and Fitness Characteristics Over a Decade of Young Elite Alpine Ski Racers.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether anthropometric and fitness characteristics have changed between former and current elite male and female Austrian young ski racers (U11-U15).

Methods: A battery of anthropometric, general, and skiing-specific fitness tests was conducted annually. In total, 1517 participants (846 males, 671 females) who were tested in 2005-2009 ("former athletes" n = 805) and 2015-2019 ("current athletes" n = 712) were included.

Using Wearable Sensors and a Convolutional Neural Network for Catch Detection in American Football.

Highly efficient training is a must in professional sports. Presently, this means doing exercises in high number and quality with some sort of data logging. In American football many things are logged, but there is no wearable sensor that logs a catch or a drop.

The path to international medals: A supervised machine learning approach to explore the impact of coach-led sport-specific and non-specific practice.

Research investigating the nature and scope of developmental participation patterns leading to international senior-level success is mainly explorative up to date. One of the criticisms of earlier research was its typical multiple testing for many individual participation variables using bivariate, linear analyses. Here, we applied state-of-the-art supervised machine learning to investigate potential non-linear and multivariate effects of coach-led practice in the athlete's respective main sport and in other sports on the achievement of international medals.

[Injuries and influencing factors on accidents in paragliding].

Approximately 100 000 pilots worldwide practice the sport of paragliding. Most studies performed to date have been conducted retrospectively, using data from hospitals or emergency rescue organisations and focusing on injury patterns. Reasons for accidents and possible influencing factors have hardly been investigated.

Training load characteristics and injury and illness risk identification in elite youth ski racing: A prospective study.

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the role of training load characteristics and injury and illness risk in youth ski racing.

Methods: The training load characteristics as well as traumatic injuries, overuse injuries, and illnesses of 91 elite youth ski racers (age = 12.1 ± 1.

Physical Fitness after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Influence of Graft, Age, and Sex.

Functional tests are used to facilitate return-to-sports decisions after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). This study presents comprehensive physical fitness test data acquired in highly active patients within the first year after ACLR, for comparison between different grafts, age groups, and sexes. The outcomes from a specific seven-item test battery and isokinetic strength test data were extracted from a patient database.

Relationship of Changes in Physical Fitness and Anthropometric Characteristics over One Season, Biological Maturity Status and Injury Risk in Elite Youth Ski Racers: A Prospective Study.

Alpine ski racing is a sport with a high risk of injuries. In order to contribute to the longitudinal career development of young athletes, prevention measures should be elaborated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate prospectively the role of biological maturity status, and changes in anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness parameters over one season in elite youth ski racers younger than 15 years.

Effects of Visual and Auditory Perturbations on Ski-Specific Balance among Males and Females-A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Injuries in skiing show sex-specific differences, especially when visual perception is reduced. Reduced visual perception impairs balance, which plays an important role in avoiding skiing injuries. However, males and females might cope differently with reduced visual perception.

Can Hyperoxic Preconditioning in Normobaric Hypoxia (3500 m) Improve All-Out Exercise Performance in Highly Skilled Skiers? A Randomized Crossover Study.

Background: The altering effects of hypoxia on aerobic/anaerobic performance are well documented and form the basis of this study. Application of hyperoxic gases (inspiratory fraction of oxygen [FiO2] > 0.2095) prior to competition or training (hyperoxic preconditioning) can compensate for the negative influence of acute hypoxia.

The 2 Minute Loaded Repeated Jump Test: Longitudinal Anaerobic Testing in Elite Alpine Ski Racers.

This study investigated the 4-year development of anaerobic power and capacity in Austrian elite female alpine ski racers and examined the relationship between the 2-minute loaded repeated jump test (LRJT) results and ski racing performance (International Ski Federation (FIS) points). Ten Austrian elite female ski racers were tested prior to four racing seasons. The LRJT consisted of 48 loaded countermovement jumps (LCMJs) with barbell load equivalent to 20% bodyweight.

Challenges of talent development in alpine ski racing: a narrative review.

Alpine ski racing is one of the most popular sports in many countries; nevertheless, selection disadvantages and severe injuries result in high dropout rates. In this review we summarize existing knowledge about the specific challenges associated with selection bias and injuries, and their effects on talent development in ski racing. The relative age effect (RAE) appears in all age categories of national Austrian and international alpine ski racing.

Limb symmetry index in competitive alpine ski racers: Reference values and injury risk identification according to age-related performance levels.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to assess differences of limb symmetry index (LSI) in strength- and coordination-related tasks between high-level, competitive, noninjured ski racers of different age-related performance levels and to prospectively assess limb differences as a possible risk factor for traumatic and overuse injury in youth ski racers.

Methods: The study (Study 1) included 285 high-level competitive ski racers (125 females, 160 males) of 3 age-related performance levels and based on the school system: 95 youth (10-14 years, secondary modern school), 107 adolescent (15-19 years, grammar school), and 83 elite athletes (20-34 years). To investigate the second aim (Study 2), 67 of the 95 youth athletes were included and any traumatic or overuse injuries were prospectively recorded over 2 seasons.

Fitness, knee function and competition performance in professional alpine skiers after ACL injury.

Objectives: To assess the fitness of elite alpine skiers during recovery from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and changes in performance level after return to competition.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: The database of a specialized sports clinic was screened for professional alpine skiers with a history of ACL rupture and reconstruction.

Maturity Status Strongly Influences the Relative Age Effect in International Elite Under-9 Soccer.

The aim of the study was to assess the role of the relative age effect (RAE) and to investigate the influence of the biological maturity status on the RAE in international under-9 soccer. The birth dates of 222 male participants of the U9 Eurochampionship Soccer Tournament in Vienna in 2016 were analyzed and divided into four relative age quarters (Q1-Q4) and the biological maturity status was assessed with the age at peak height velocity (APHV) method. Based on the mean±standard deviation of the APHV, the athletes were divided into three groups of maturity: early, normal and late maturing.

Long-Term Athletic Development in Youth Alpine Ski Racing: The Effect of Physical Fitness, Ski Racing Technique, Anthropometrics and Biological Maturity Status on Injuries.

Alpine ski racing is known to be a sport with a high risk of injuries. Because most studies have focused mainly on top-level athletes and on traumatic injuries, limited research exists about injury risk factors among youth ski racers. The aim of this study was to determine the intrinsic risk factors (anthropometrics, biological maturity, physical fitness, racing technique) for injury among youth alpine ski racers.

Sex Differences in Balance Among Alpine Ski Racers: Cross-Sectional Age Comparisons.

Although balance is a key ability in the strength demands of alpine ski racing, affecting both performance and injury prevention, few studies have examined balance or related sex differences among still-maturing athletes. In this 10-year study, we investigated cross-sectional balance performances at different age periods of a representative sample of over 500 11-18-year-old elite skiers of both genders. Participants performed balance tests using the MFT S3-Check.

Maturity status influences the relative age effect in national top level youth alpine ski racing and soccer.

Since the relative age effect (RAE) characterizes a problem in all age categories of alpine ski racing and soccer and the fact that, yet, to date the underlying factors have not been well investigated, the aim of the present study was to assess the influence of the biological maturity status on the RAE among youth alpine ski racers (YSR) and soccer players (SP). In total, 183 male and female YSR selected for national final races and 423 male SP selected for Elite Youth Development Centres were investigated. Additionally, a comparison group of 413 non-athletes was evaluated.