Measurement Properties of Wearable Kinematic-Based Data Collection Systems to Evaluate Ball Kicking in Soccer: A Systematic Review with Evidence Gap Map.

Kinematic assessment of ball kicking may require significant human effort (e.g., traditional vision-based tracking systems).

Can motor competence be influenced by the type of training interventions preschool children are exposed to? A randomized experimental study comparing sports games and psychomotricity activities.

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the effects of structured sports games (SG) and psychomotricity activities (PCM) on the locomotor, stability, and manipulative motor competencies of preschool children.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted over an 8-week period, involving two experimental groups (SG, = 30 and PCM, = 30) and one control group (CG, = 28), with participants attending two intervention sessions per week. A total of 88 5-year-old children participated in the experiment (boys = 48; girls = 40).

Enhancing physical fitness using recreational soccer and basketball: A parallel-controlled 8-week study involving overweight and obese individuals, with consideration of sex-related interactions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 8-week intervention of recreational soccer (SCG) and basketball (BCG) conditioned games, as compared to self-exercise (SECG) and inactive (ICG) control groups, on aerobic capacity, vertical (VJ) and horizontal jump (SLJ) performance, and handgrip maximal strength (HG) in sedentary overweight and obese men and women. Ninety male and female sedentary overweight and obese volunteers (19.8 ± 1.

Adverse Reactions to Dry Needling Therapy: Insights from Polish Physiotherapy Practice.

: The current study aimed to characterize the adverse reactions associated with dry needling (DN) treatments reported by Polish physiotherapists, with a secondary objective of investigating whether the level of DN experience influences the occurrence of these adverse effects. : A total of 102 Polish physiotherapists, all with regular DN practice, participated in an ad hoc online survey. The participants were categorized by their level of experience in DN treatment: 44 with 0-2 years, 43 with 3-6 years, and 15 with more than 7 years of experience.

An Educational Review on Machine Learning: A SWOT Analysis for Implementing Machine Learning Techniques in Football.

Purpose: The abundance of data in football presents both opportunities and challenges for decision making. Consequently, this review has 2 primary objectives: first, to provide practitioners with a concise overview of the characteristics of machine-learning (ML) analysis, and, second, to conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis regarding the implementation of ML techniques in professional football clubs. This review explains the difference between artificial intelligence and ML and the difference between ML and statistical analysis.

Linear and Multidirectional Speed Testing (On-Field and Off-Field) Protocols in Senior and Elite Female Football.

Beato, M, Datson, N, Clemente, FM, Harper, DJ, Fílter, A, Emmonds, S, Dos' Santos, T, and Jones, PA. Linear and multidirectional speed testing (on-field and off-field) protocols in senior and elite female football. J Strength Cond Res 39(1): e70-e84, 2025-Female football has had a considerable rise in popularity with millions of fans after matches during the recent Women's World Cup.

Combination of Manual Therapy and Dry Needling Effectively Improves Acute Neck Pain and Muscular Tone and Stiffness in Combat Sports Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study.

This study aimed to compare the effects of manual therapy combined with dry needling (MTDN) to a control group, focusing on the impact on pressure pain threshold (PPT), muscle tone (MT), muscle stiffness (MS), muscle strength, and range of motion in the neck muscles of adult combat sports athletes. A randomized controlled study design was employed, with one group of athletes (n = 15) receiving MTDN intervention, while the other group (n = 15) underwent a control treatment (CG) involving a quasi-needle technique combined with manual therapy. Both groups participated in three sessions, either in the MTDN intervention or the control condition.

Elastic Bands During Half-Squats as A Re-Warm-Up Strategy for Youth Soccer Players' Performance.

The study aimed to assess the immediate effects of re-warm-up strategies using half-squats with elastic looped bands on the performance of youth soccer players. A cross-over study design with repeated measures was implemented in field youth male soccer players (n = 20, age 15.7 ± 0.

Accuracy Standards of Wearable Technologies for Assessment of Soccer Kicking: Protocol for a Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Wearable technology is widely applied in performance monitoring, an integral part of sports and exercise sciences. The kick movement in soccer exemplifies a sports technique that could benefit from appropriate biomechanics assessment methodologies. However, the accuracy of wearables in quantifying soccer kick mechanics, particularly under field conditions, remains unclear.

Surf therapy for people with mental health disorders: a systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials.

Background: Surf therapy is gaining popularity for improving mental health. However, there is limited research evidence to substantiate these claims. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess randomized or non-randomized studies analyzing the efficacy of surf therapy in improving symptoms of mental illness compared to non-exercising controls and/or alternative intervention, and to identify evidential gaps to inform future research.

Relationships between physical fitness and match running demands during a futsal congested-weeks training camp.

This study examines the relationships between body composition, anthropometry and physical fitness measures, and internal and external load (match physical and running demands) during a congested period of an overseas futsal training camp. Eleven under-20 national futsal players participated in a eleven-day training camp. During the matches, exercise heart rate (HR) and locomotion profiles were recorded via a Polar Team Pro system as the players' internal and external load.

The Influence of Playing Position on Physical, Physiological, and Technical Demands in Adult Male Soccer Matches: A Systematic Scoping Review with Evidence Gap Map.

Background: There has been an increase in studies examining the demands of soccer relative to each playing position in recent years. Understanding the physical, physiological, and technical demands on soccer players according to their positional role during competitive matches is necessary to understand match requirements and develop position-specific training practices. Thereby, there is a clear need to synthesize the information on the different profiles of each playing position.

Comparing The Effects of Compression Contrast Therapy and Dry Needling on Muscle Functionality, Pressure Pain Threshold, and Perfusion after Isometric Fatigue in Forearm Muscles of Combat Sports Athletes: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

The aim of this study was to compare the acute effects of compression contrast therapy (CT) and dry needling therapy (DN) on muscle tension (MT), muscle strength (Fmax), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and perfusion (PU) following fatigue of forearm muscles (e.g., flexor carpi radialis) in combat sports athletes.

Effects of complex training compared to resistance training alone on physical fitness of healthy individuals: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Combining traditional resistance and ballistic exercises in a complex training (CT) format has shown improved physical fitness compared to the control conditions. However, no meta-analysis has directly compared CT with traditional resistance training (RT) alone. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and WoS.

A three-arm randomized controlled trial of aerobic and resistance training in women with spinal cord injuries: Effects on physical fitness and pulmonary function.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of different volumes of aerobic training (AT) and resistance training (RT) during a concurrent exercise training program on selected indicators of physical fitness and pulmonary function in women with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Twenty-three inactive females with complete or incomplete SCI from T6 to L5 were divided into three groups: concurrent training with a focus on AT (CTAT; two weekly sessions of AT and one of RT), concurrent training with a focus on RT (CTRT; two weekly sessions of RT and one of AT), and control (CON). Tests were performed before and after an 8-week experimental period for indicators of pulmonary function, aerobic power, endurance performance, muscular strength and endurance, speed, and change of direction.

Elite Soccer Players' Weekly Workload Assessment Through a New Training Load and Performance Score.

: Monitoring players' training load allows practitioners to enhance physical performance while reducing injury risk. The aim of this study was to identify the key external load indicators in professional U19 soccer. : Twenty-four-professional Italian young (U19) soccer players were monitored by using the rating of perceived exertion (CR-10 RPE scale) and a wearable inertial sensor during the competitive season.

Effects of recreational team sports on the metabolic health, body composition and physical fitness parameters of overweight and obese populations: A systematic review.

This systematic review aims to provide a summary of the results from individual studies that specifically focused on overweight or obese populations, regardless of age or sex. The goal is to determine the effects of structured recreational team sports interventions (TSG) on metabolic health, body composition and physical fitness parameters when compared to passive or active control groups. This study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines for reporting a systematic review.

Locomotor and Physiological Demands of Small-Sided Soccer Games in Wildcard and Regular Players: Effects of Goalkeepers and Type of Wildcard.

Background: Small-sided games (SSGs) are frequent training drills in soccer. This study investigated whether type of game (ie, with/without goalkeepers) and wildcard ( without vs internal vs external wildcard) impact the physiological (heartrate [HR]) and locomotor (total distance [TD] covered) demands in regular and wildcard players and to evaluate between-player and within-player variability.

Hypothesis: Demands are influenced by wildcard and game type, with higher demand (distance covered at high intensities and sprint speed) in regular players and with higher variability in SSG with wildcard players.

Biomechanical Profile after Dry Needling in Mixed Martial Arts.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dry needling (DN) intervention on the responses of muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity, as well as power, pressure pain thresholds, and blood perfusion of the flexor carpi radialis muscle in mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes. Thirty-two trained/developmental men MMA fighters (25.5±4.

Comparing locomotor intensity indicators in soccer training and competition across contextual factors: a study of replaced coaches in a Portuguese professional 1st league team.

This study aims to examine, for each head coach (HC) replaced, the association between training intensity and physical performances obtained in games. Furthermore, the study investigated how contextual factors influence locomotor and mechanical performance association. External load variables were collected using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices across the 4 weeks and 4 games before and after the replacement in a professional adult male soccer team.

Monitoring Within-Individual Dose-Response Relationships in Professional Soccer Players: The Importance of Fitness Level.

Purpose: To (1) examine within-individual player dose-response associations between selected training-load measures and changes in aerobic fitness level via submaximal exercise heart rate (HRex%) and (2) measure the relationships between these dose-response associations with basal HRex% (to study the influence of fitness level on dose-response relationship).

Methods: During an in-season phase, selected training-load measures including total minutes, total distance, mechanical work (the sum number of accelerations and decelerations > 3 m2), high metabolic load distance, and Edwards' training impulse were collected via Global Positioning System and heart-rate sensors for analyzing accumulated load. A submaximal warm-up test was used repeatedly before and after 9 phases to elicit HRex% and track fitness changes at an individual level.

Relationships among Physical Fitness, External Loads, and Heart Rate Recovery: A Study on Futsal Players during an Overseas Congested-Weeks Training Camp.

This study examined relationships among players' physical characteristics, match external loads, and heart rate recovery (HRR) during match substitutions in a congested fixture of an overseas futsal training camp. Eleven under-20 national futsal players' anthropometric characteristics (age, body height, body mass, % fat, and % muscle) and physical fitness [HRmax, VOmax, maximal aerobic speed (MAS) during the 30-15 intermittent fitness test (IFT)] were determined. Additionally, locomotion profiles during field play and HRR sitting on the bench were recorded during five matches.