Decoding Ultramarathon: Muscle Damage as the Main Impediment to Performance.

The biological determinants of performance have been well described for running races up to and including the marathon (42.2 km). Ultramarathon is more complex.

Effects of Exercise Training on Mitochondrial and Capillary Growth in Human Skeletal Muscle: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression.

Background: Skeletal muscle mitochondria and capillaries are crucial for aerobic fitness, and suppressed levels are associated with chronic and age-related diseases. Currently, evidence-based exercise training recommendations to enhance these characteristics are limited. It is essential to explore how factors, such as fitness level, age, sex, and disease affect mitochondrial and capillary adaptations to different exercise stimuli.

Optimizing Resistance Training for Sprint and Endurance Athletes: Balancing Positive and Negative Adaptations.

Resistance training (RT) triggers diverse morphological and physiological adaptations that are broadly considered beneficial for performance enhancement as well as injury risk reduction. Some athletes and coaches therefore engage in, or prescribe, substantial amounts of RT under the assumption that continued increments in maximal strength capacity and/or muscle mass will lead to improved sports performance. In contrast, others employ minimal or no RT under the assumption that RT may impair endurance or sprint performances.

Characteristics of High-Intensity Interval Training Influence Anthropometrics, Glycemic Control, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Exercise is a non-pharmacological intervention for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Despite diverse exercise protocol variations, the impact of these variations in HIIT on T2DM anthropometrics, glycemic control, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) remains unclear.

Objective: The aim was to examine the influence of HIIT protocol characteristics on anthropometrics, glycemic control, and CRF in T2DM patients and compare it to control (without exercise) and MICT.

Psychological Assessment and Intervention at the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is a highly regarded event in the running world, not just for its prestige and challenging course, but also for its implementation of a psychology team to support runners. The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings underscored the essential role that mental health support plays at this event, prompting the development and expansion of its innovative care model. This review critically outlines, evaluates, and analyzes the approach and effectiveness of the psychological care model provided to runners on race day as part of the Boston Marathon medical team, including the standard of care, how it functions, and best practices for other marathons.

Responses to Exercise with Low Carbohydrate Availability on Muscle Glycogen and Cell Signaling: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: The growing interest in how exercise and carbohydrate (CHO) restriction may modify molecular responses that promote endurance adaptations has led to many interesting controversies.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis regarding the effect of low-carbohydrate availability (LOW) pre-, during, or post-exercise, on the mRNA content of commonly measured genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α, TFAM mRNA) and metabolism (PDK4, UCP3 and GLUT4 mRNA), and on muscle glycogen levels, compared with a high-CHO (CON) condition.

Methods: MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines (with an end date of November 2023).

Nutrition and Golf Performance: A Systematic Scoping Review.

Background: Golf is played both recreationally and professionally by approximately 66.6 million people worldwide. Despite the potential for nutrition to influence golf performance, research in this area is somewhat limited.

The Effect of Exercise Training on Blood Lipids: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Dyslipidemia is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Exercise training (EXTr) improves some lipid markers but not others; the literature is dated and analyses may be underpowered.

Objectives: To clarify which lipid markers are altered with ExTr and establish if information size had yet reached futility.

Bicycle Set-Up Dimensions and Cycling Kinematics: A Consensus Statement Using Delphi Methodology.

Bicycle set-up dimensions and cycling kinematic data are important components of bicycle fitting and cyclist testing protocols. However, there are no guidelines on how bicycles should be measured and how kinematic data should be collected to increase the reliability of outcomes. This article proposes a consensus regarding bicycle set-up dimensions and recommendations for collecting cycling-related kinematic data.

The Overflow Effects of Movement Behaviour Change Interventions for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.

Background: Considering the finite time within a 24-h day, the distribution of time spent on movement behaviours has been found to be associated with health outcomes.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise and evaluate the overflow effects of interventions targeting a single behaviour (physical activity, sedentary behaviour/screen time, or sleep) on other non-targeted behaviours among children and adolescents.

Methods: Six databases (MEDLINE [Ovid], PsycINFO [ProQuest], EMBASE [Ovid], PubMed, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus [EBSCO]) were searched for relevant studies published before 13 May, 2024.

A Machine Learning Approach to Concussion Risk Estimation Among Players Exhibiting Visible Signs in Professional Hockey.

Background: The identification of concussion risk factors, such as visible signs and mechanisms of injury, improves concussion identification. Exploring individual risk factors, such as concussion history, may help to improve existing concussion risk models and algorithms.

Objectives: The primary aim of the current study was to use machine learning techniques to develop a comprehensive, prospectively coded concussion risk model in professional hockey among players exhibiting visible signs.

The Time Course of Injury Risk After Return-to-Play in Professional Football (Soccer).

Background: Injury risk in professional football (soccer) is increased in the weeks following return-to-play (RTP). However, the time course of injury risk after RTP (the hazard curve) as well as its influencing factors are largely unknown. This knowledge gap, which is arguably due to the volatility of instantaneous risk when calculated for short time intervals, impedes on informed RTP decision making and post-RTP player management.

"Health is Just the Basic Requirement for Optimal Performance and Winning": Stakeholders' Perceptions on Testing and Training in Competitive Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding and Freestyle Skiing.

Background And Objective: Competitive alpine skiing, snowboarding and freestyle skiing, all different in nature and risks, are known for their high injury and illness burden. Testing measures and training methods may be considered for athletes' preparation to support performance enhancement while safeguarding their health. We explored the perspectives and perceptions of competitive alpine skiing, snowboarding and freestyle skiing stakeholders regarding testing and training practices in their competitive snow sports.

Conservative Management and Postoperative Return to Sport in Endurance Athletes with Flow Limitations in the Iliac Arteries: A Scoping Review.

Background: Flow limitations in the iliac arteries (FLIA) is a sport-related vascular condition increasingly recognised as an occupational risk for professional cyclists and other endurance athletes. Surgical reconstruction is the definitive treatment for athletes wishing to continue competition. However, less information has been published regarding conservative management options and return-to-sport (RTS) guidelines.

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.

Childhood Physical Fitness as a Predictor of Cognition and Mental Health in Adolescence: The PANIC Study.

Background: Cognitive and mental health problems are highly prevalent in adolescence. While higher levels of physical fitness may mitigate these problems, there is a lack of long-term follow-up studies on the associations of physical fitness from childhood with cognition and mental health in adolescence.

Objective: We investigated the associations of physical fitness from childhood to adolescence over an 8-year follow-up with cognition and mental health in adolescence.

Assessing Head Acceleration Events in Female Community Rugby Union Players: A Cohort Study Using Instrumented Mouthguards.

Background: The rapid growth of women's rugby union has underscored the need for female-specific player welfare protocols, particularly regarding the risk of head injuries. Instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) play a vital role in gathering comprehensive data on head acceleration events (HAEs), including their frequency, magnitude, and spatial distribution during games and training. By doing so, iMGs offer valuable context for circumstances in women's matches that may increase player risk.