K2 crew performance: a preliminary investigation of kinetic parameters in preferred and inverted positions among sub-elite kayakers.

K2 performance depends on different kinematic and kinetic variables. Due to the lack of related studies in this area, we have tried to explain these features to better understand the best positioning of paddlers and how their synchronization affects performance. This study uses the DAQ system comprising two instrumented paddles-an IMU and a GPS ("E-kayak" system)-to investigate paddle synchronization and the specific positioning of paddlers' in preferred and inverted configurations.

Dose-response effects of physical exercise standardized volume on peripheral biomarkers, clinical response, and brain connectivity in Parkinson's disease: a prospective, observational, cohort study.

Background: Exercise has been proposed as the "Universal Prescription for Parkinson's Disease"; however, the specificity of exercise dose in terms of frequency, intensity, duration, and type to be prescribed remains to be elucidated. The 2018 US updated guidelines and WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior recommend older adults (> 65+ years) to achieve weekly minimal activity levels, indicating the intensity of aerobic exercise as the metabolic equivalent of task and duration as minutes/week (150-300 min/week at a moderate intensity of 3-5.9 MET- or 75-150 min/week of a vigorous intensity of ≥6 MET).

Exercise to Counteract Alzheimer's Disease: What Do Fluid Biomarkers Say?

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) represent an unsolved problem to date with an ever-increasing population incidence. Particularly, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most widespread ND characterized by an accumulation of amyloid aggregates of beta-amyloid (Aβ) and Tau proteins that lead to neuronal death and subsequent cognitive decline. Although neuroimaging techniques are needed to diagnose AD, the investigation of biomarkers within body fluids could provide important information on neurodegeneration.

Influence of Substitutions and Roles on Kinematic Variables in Professional Soccer Players.

In soccer, roles and substitutions can make it unclear how different physical capacities decrease over time and impact performance. This investigation aimed to analyze kinematic parameters and their changes over game time, and provide information to effectively prescribe training programs. Data from four professional teams were analyzed, and all the teams competed in the Italian First Division (Serie A).

Return to training in soccer players after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: reflections and considerations.

This clinical and rehabilitative overview focuses on the return to unrestricted sporting activity, aiming to consolidate the scientific evidence surrounding the structural progression of athletes, particularly footballers, undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). A multidisciplinary approach necessitates a shared language and standardized methodologies. Unfortunately, significant disparities persist in the structural strategies guiding the decision-making process for returning to on-field activities, the latter stages of rehabilitation, and subsequent restoration of technical and tactical football abilities.

Exploring the interplay between metabolic power and equivalent distance in training games and official matches in soccer: a machine learning approach.

This study aimed to explore the interplay between metabolic power (MP) and equivalent distance (ED) and their respective roles in training games (TGs) and official soccer matches. Furthermore, the secondary objective was to investigate the connection between external training load (ETL), determined by the interplay of metabolic power and equivalent distance, and internal training load (ITL) assessed through HR-based methods, serving as a measure of criterion validity. Twenty-one elite professional male soccer players participated in the study.

Golden ratio and self-similarity in swimming: breast-stroke and the back-stroke.

Introduction: Dynamics-on-graph concepts and generalized finite-length Fibonacci sequences have been used to characterize, from a temporal point of view, both human walking & running at a comfortable speed and front-crawl & butterfly swimming strokes at a middle/long distance pace. Such sequences, in which the golden ratio plays a crucial role to describe self-similar patterns, have been found to be subtly experimentally exhibited by healthy (but not pathological) walking subjects and elite swimmers, in terms of durations of gait/stroke-subphases with a clear physical meaning. Corresponding quantitative indices have been able to unveil the resulting hidden time-harmonic and self-similar structures.

Role of music therapy in improving cognitive function post-traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.

Cognitive deficits are one of the most prevalent impairments in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Music therapy has the potential to be a valuable intervention for improving cognitive function. This review aimed to investigate the effects of music therapy on cognitive function in patients with TBI.

Prevention of Secondary Injury after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Relationship between Pelvic-Drop and Dynamic Knee Valgus.

(1) Background: Optimal neuromuscular, Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip Complex, and lower extremity control are associated with decreased risk factors for secondary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. This study aimed to analyze any asymmetries and malalignments in the Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip Complex and the lower limbs at 6 months after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). (2) Methods: We conducted an exploratory retrospective observational single-center study in patients during the outpatient postoperative rehabilitation program at ICOT (Latina, Italy).

Acute Effects of Kinesio Taping on Functional Performance in Healthy Soccer Players: A Randomized, Controlled Crossover Trial.

This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of the Kinesio tape (KT) application on functional performance in healthy athletes. In this randomized, controlled crossover trial, a total of sixteen healthy soccer players (male = 14; age = 23.28 ± 3.

Proprioceptive Focal Stimulation (Equistasi) for gait and postural balance rehabilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review.

Gait and postural deficits are the most common impairments in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). These impairments often reduce patients' quality of life. Equistasi is a wearable proprioceptive stabilizer that converts body thermic energy into mechanical vibration.

Whole Body Vibration: A Valid Alternative Strategy to Exercise?

Several studies agree that mechanical vibration can induce physiological changes at different levels, improving neuromuscular function through postural control strategies, muscle tuning mechanisms and tonic vibration reflexes. Whole-body vibration has also been reported to increase bone mineral density and muscle mass and strength, as well as to relieve pain and modulate proprioceptive function in patients with osteoarthritis or lower back pain. Furthermore, vibratory training was found to be an effective strategy for improving the physical performance of healthy athletes in terms of muscle strength, agility, flexibility, and vertical jump height.

Effects of long-term detraining on muscle performance in young soccer players.

Background: Long-term detraining consists of a physiological partial or total reduction of the adaptations induced by training caused by a suspension period of the training itself longer than 4 weeks. The aim of this study was to analyze a group of young soccer players by assessing the effects of long-term detraining on neuromuscular performance.

Methods: A study sample of 35 young soccer players of subelite level (age: 14.

Rehabilitation interventions for cognitive deficits in stroke survivors: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Cognitive deficits are one of the most common impairments after stroke. It negatively affects physical and social functioning. Rehabilitation interventions for cognitive deficits post-stroke have taken less consideration.

Virtual reality for balance and mobility rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Balance and mobility deficits are most prevalent impairments in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The evidence has proposed that rehabilitation plays an important role in improving balance and mobility post-TBI. Virtual reality (VR) is a computer technology that provides immersed users to generate feedback such as visual, audio, and haptic.

Whole Body Vibration Improves Brain and Musculoskeletal Health by Modulating the Expression of Tissue-Specific Markers: FNDC5 as a Key Regulator of Vibration Adaptations.

Whole body vibration (WBV) is well known to exert beneficial effects on multiple tissues, improving synaptic transmission, muscle mass, bone quality, and reducing anxiety and depressive behavior. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood, and organs and tissues may respond differently to the vibratory stimulus depending on multiple factors. Therefore, we investigated the WBV effects on the brain and musculoskeletal tissue of 4-month-old young mice, evaluating synaptic plasticity by electrophysiological recordings and tissue organization by histology and histomorphometric analysis.

COVID-19 as a Potential Cause of Muscle Injuries in Professional Italian Serie A Soccer Players: A Retrospective Observational Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the entire planet. The soccer world has also suffered major upheavals, and many professional soccer players have been infected with the virus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of injuries in Italian Serie A professional soccer players before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paddle propulsive force and power balance: a new approach to performance assessment in flatwater kayaking.

This study aims to determine the propulsive force (F) and its timing of application during the paddle stroke confirming the dynamic balance between propulsive and drag powers (P = P) in kayaking performance. Ten male sub-elite paddlers participated in the study. The athletes carried out three trials of 50 m at three different velocity ranges: 2.

Relationship between aerobic fitness and metabolic power metrics in elite male soccer players.

The aim was to assess the relationship between aerobic fitness and metabolic power metrics in elite male soccer players, and the possible differences that playing positions might impose during match play over new metabolic power metrics. Sixty-two elite professional male soccer players (13 central backs, 13 side backs, 22 midfielders, and 14 forwards) took part in the study. Players were monitored during eleven months of full training (including pre-season and in-season) and over all official matches (Serie A matches, Italy Cup matches).

Specificity of weightlifting bench exercises in kayaking sprint performance: A perspective for neuromuscular training.

Several studies showed significant differences between bench lift exercises without investigating which is more related, in biomechanical and neuromuscular terms, to improve the sprint flatwater kayak performance. This study aims to compare the power-load and velocity-load neuromuscular parameters performed in prone bench pull (PBP), and bench press (BP) exercises to identify which of them meet the gesture specificity in sprint flatwater kayak performance. Ten elite kayakers participated in this study.

Noninvasive brain stimulation for cognitive rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause numerous cognitive deficits. These deficits are associated with disability and reduction in quality of life. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) provides excitatory or inhibitory stimuli to the cerebral cortex.

Neuromuscular response to the stimulation of plantar cutaneous during walking at different speeds.

Background: A lot of authors have been studied the consequence of postural control strategies through investigating the effects of foot-surface contact. In this context an important variable of textured surfaces or insoles could be related to material stiffness. We apply a particular textured insoles to evaluate neuromuscular response of plantar stimulation during walking.

Analgesic Effect of Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Therapy in Individuals with Lateral Epicondylitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (ESWT) on pain, grip strength, and upper-extremity function in lateral epicondylitis. A sample of 40 patients with LE (21 males) was randomly allocated to either the ESWT experimental (n = 20) or the conventional-physiotherapy control group (n = 20). All patients received five sessions during the treatment program.

Transcranial direct current stimulation for upper extremity spasticity rehabilitation in stroke survivors: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: To examine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on upper extremity spasticity after stroke and to define the most effective tDCS parameters.

Literature Survey: Systematic review in the following databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, PEDro, CINAHL, MEDLINE, REHABDATA, AMED, and Web of Science databases. Studies up to June 2020 were included.

Clinical effectiveness of focal muscle vibration on gait and postural stability in individuals with neurological disorders: A systematic review.

Background: Gait deficits and postural instability are common impairments among patients with neurological disorders. These impairments limit function independence and decrease activities of daily living. Focal muscle vibration (FMV) produces vibration signals affecting the nervous system.