Women's & Youth Athletics

Post-race lactate, clearance velocity, and recovery protocols in youth competitive swimming

This study examined how a 1200-meter cool-down protocol helps youth swimmers clear lactate (a fatigue byproduct) after races of different distances, and whether perceived effort and recovery feeling correlated with actual lactate levels. Swimmers racing 100m accumulated more lactate immediately after racing and cleared it faster during cool-down, though the total amount cleared was similar across race distances.

Impact of Sprint Duration With Fixed Recovery on Acute Physiological and Performance Responses to Repeated Cycle Sprints in Hypoxia in Male and Female Sprinters.

This study compared how trained sprinters perform during repeated 10-second versus 15-second sprint intervals with 30 seconds of rest in simulated high-altitude conditions, looking at power output, fatigue, and differences between males and females. Longer 15-second sprints produced lower average power, greater fatigue accumulation, and reduced oxygen saturation, though female athletes showed smaller performance declines than males in both sprint durations.

Effects of plyometric and combined resistance-plyometric training on agility and vertical jump performance in youth basketball players

This study compared pure plyometric training to a combination of strength and plyometric training in 30 youth basketball players, measuring their vertical jump height, agility, and reactive strength before and after the intervention. The combined strength and plyometric group showed significantly greater improvements in all three measures compared to the plyometric-only group, with the combined approach producing larger gains in jump height (7.21 cm vs. 4.45 cm), agility speed, and reactive strength.

Lean and fat mass associations with areal bone mineral density in adolescent team sport athletes

Is Training Transfer Uniform? A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis of Resisted Sprint Training Effects on Acceleration, Jumping, and Change of Direction Performance in Athletes.

Effects of Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue on Static and Dynamic Balance Performance in Female Athletes

The Effect of Life Kinetic Training on Reaction Time and Anaerobic Power in Taekwondo Athletes

Management of speed-strength preparation in handball as a factor in the effective realisation of competitive activity

Body Composition and Upper- and Lower-Limb Physical Performance in Youth Female Volleyball Players: Evidence from U13 and U15

Effects of an 8-Week Skill-Based Training Program on Anaerobic Performance in Young Basketball Players: A Comparison of U17 and U19 Athletes

Enhancing the Interpretation of Competition Performance and Physical Characteristics in Male Youth Track and Field Athletes

Development of Physical Fitness in Young Athletes: A Longitudinal Meta-analysis.

Comparison of Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) and Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) in Combat Athletes: A Reliability and Validity Study

A multidimensional analysis of factors associated with serving accuracy in youth volleyball players

The Mum-Alete: An Observational Survey-Based Study of Australian Athletes Returning to High-Performance Sport After Pregnancy.

Acute affective responses to interactive, coactive, and hybrid exercises: A field study with amateur athletes.

Menstrual Health Awareness and Misconception in Collegiate Athletes: A Pilot Study

Reframing the traditional sports injury paradigm: Exhibition-as-intervention in elite sport

Impact of Modified Game Formats on Playing Style in Youth Badminton

Impact of a Specific Physical Training Program on Physical Performance in U15 Female Basketball Players

This study tracked how a basketball-specific training program affected physical performance in 12 young female players (U15 level) by measuring their sprinting speed, jumping power, agility, and aerobic fitness before and after the program. The training produced significant improvements in jumping power, agility, and aerobic capacity, but didn't significantly improve straight-line sprinting speed.

Trait Sport Anxiety as the Only Consistent Predictor Across Injury Mechanisms in Young Taekwondo Athletes: A 6- to 10-Month Prospective Cohort Study.

11–14 yoshli bokschi qizlarda tezkor-kuch tayyorgarligini individuallashtirishning ilmiy-metodik asoslari

Multidimensional evidence map of sport science and medicine research in highly trained, elite and world-class female athletes: a scoping review.

Sex- and Age-Specific Differences in Single-Leg Balance Performance Among Young Competitive Ski Racers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Beyond Event Impacts: Relational and Configurational Pathways to a Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation among Youth Athletes

This study surveyed 518 youth athletes in China to understand how they perceive a sports event's economic and social impacts, and how these perceptions relate to their sense of community identity for the Chinese nation. The research found that perceived social support and belief in the continuity of Chinese culture were the strongest factors connecting event experiences to national community identity, with two different pathways emerging: one through sociocultural factors combined with cultural continuity, and another through social support combined with cultural continuity.

Stroboscopic Versus Traditional Balance Training in Female Volleyball Players With Chronic Ankle Instability: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Skeletal muscle function does not differ between menstrual cycle phases: A prospective cohort study across three cycles.

This study tracked 14 physically active women across three menstrual cycles to see if hormone changes affected their muscle strength, endurance, and power. The researchers found no meaningful differences in muscle function between the follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases, suggesting that menstrual cycle phases don't significantly impact how muscles perform.

Football Cleats and Injury Patterns in 14- to 19-Year-Old Female Football Players: The Effect of Surface, Gender-Specific Shoe Gear and Cleat Pattern.

This survey of 99 female football players aged 14-19 found that 60% reported lower extremity injuries, with ankle sprains and ACL tears being most common. Players wearing men's cleats had twice the injury risk compared to those wearing women's cleats, and firm ground surfaces were also linked to nearly double the injury odds regardless of cleat pattern.

Self-reported hormonal contraceptive use in the British Armed Forces.

This study surveyed over 3,000 British servicewomen about their use of hormonal contraceptives and found that 58% currently use them, with the pill and intrauterine systems being most popular. Beyond pregnancy prevention, about 61% of users cited controlling or stopping their menstrual cycle as a reason, likely driven by the demands and conditions of military service.

Influence of Caffeine Consumption on Maximal Strength Performance in Resistance-Trained Females During Various Menstrual Cycle Phases: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study.

This study tested whether caffeine's strength-boosting effects differ depending on where women are in their menstrual cycle, using 16 resistance-trained women who performed leg strength tests after taking either caffeine or placebo during their follicular and luteal phases. Caffeine increased knee extensor peak power across both cycle phases, but the benefit was greater during the follicular phase, suggesting menstrual cycle timing may influence how much caffeine helps with strength performance.

Research Progress on Rhythmic Gymnastics-Specific Training and Meniscal Injuries in Athletes

Rhythmic gymnastics places extreme demands on knee joints through repeated jumping, twisting, landing, and deep knee bends, making meniscal (knee cartilage) injuries a common problem in the sport. This review examines what causes these injuries, how sport-specific training contributes to them, and what interventions and rehabilitation methods can help prevent and treat them.

The effect of re-warm up and its moderators on performance enhancement and rating of perceived exertion in team-sport athletes: A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis of 20 studies examined whether re-warming up (a light activity break between rest and competition) improves performance and affects how hard athletes feel they're working in team sports. Re-warming up improved jumping power, sprint speed, and agility compared to staying passive, though athletes felt more fatigued, and the benefits varied depending on athlete age, jump technique, and how the warm-up was structured.

Coordination abilities and movement organization during the fencing lunge in youth foil fencers: an exploratory biomechanical study

This exploratory study examined whether coordination abilities—like balance, reaction time, and rhythm—are associated with the speed and timing of movements during the fencing lunge in young foil fencers. After accounting for multiple statistical comparisons, the study found no statistically significant relationships between coordination abilities and lunge kinematics, though some correlations were observed before correction.

Effects of unilateral single-mode balance training compared to combined balance and plyometric training on soccer players’ interlimb asymmetry in static and dynamic balance performance

An Ability Referenced Comparison of Speed, Agility, and Leg Explosive Strength in Female Kho-Kho Players

Configurational and predictive mechanisms of performance anxiety in female collegiate athletes: the synergistic roles of evaluative pressure, self-efficacy, and mental toughness.

Percentile-Based Normative Standards for Strength Assessment Beyond Linear Bodyweight Multipliers in Competitive Powerlifters

This study analyzed performance data from over 100,000 drug-tested competitive powerlifters to create percentile-based strength standards across different body weights, replacing the traditional approach of using simple bodyweight multipliers. The researchers found that relative strength doesn't decline in a straight line as body weight increases—elite lifters show steeper drops in relative strength with added bodyweight than intermediate lifters do—and that these patterns differ between sexes and lifts, with females showing sharper declines in bench press and squat as weight classes increase.

Assessing Shoulder Joint Kinematics During the Bench Press Exercise in Competitive Powerlifters With Markerless Motion Capture.

Researchers used markerless motion capture to track shoulder joint movement in 19 competitive powerlifters (10 male, 9 female) performing three sets of eight bench press repetitions at 73.9% of their one-rep max. They found that shoulder range of motion increased significantly within each set as lifters fatigued, with female lifters showing greater increases in range of motion compared to male lifters.

Sex-stratified associations between isokinetic strength, core endurance, and dynamic balance in elite youth rowers: a cross-sectional study

This study examined how knee strength, core endurance, and balance are related to each other in elite teenage rowers, comparing males and females. While some associations appeared in males (core flexor endurance and quad strength correlating with balance), the overall findings suggest that strength, core endurance, and balance are somewhat independent qualities rather than strongly interconnected.

Identification of Key Power Predictors of Bat Swing Speed in Youth Baseball Hitters Using PLS-SEM: Implications for Training Design.

Researchers studied 96 young baseball players to identify which physical qualities best predict bat swing speed, testing their explosive power through medicine ball throws and jump tests. Medicine ball throws—especially backward overhead and rotational throws—were the strongest predictors of swing speed, while lower-body power from jumping showed an indirect effect by building foundational strength.

The Relationship Between Abdominal Muscle Strength and Waist Muscle Flexibility with the Smashing Ability of Volleyball Athletes

Acute Effects of 2S-Hesperidin Supplementation on Performance and External Load in Female Basketball Players.

Warm-ups with Passive Stretching: A Phenomenological Study

This study interviewed ten female futsal players about their subjective experiences with passive stretching during warm-ups, finding that athletes reported initial muscle stiffness that transitioned to relaxation, decreased tension, improved flexibility, and easier movements. Athletes felt physically comfortable and psychologically ready to perform after stretching, with partner-assisted stretching providing additional emotional support, though occasional minor discomfort occurred.

Does fatigue mask directional performance asymmetry? Preferred and non-preferred throwing-side differences during judo-specific tasks in young judo athletes

This study examined whether fatigue affects the performance difference between judo athletes' preferred and non-preferred throwing sides during two types of judo-specific tests. The researchers found that while athletes performed more throws on their preferred side initially, this advantage decreased during repeated high-intensity efforts, with the performance gap narrowing as fatigue accumulated.

Four months of DHA and whey protein supplementation in semi-professional female soccer players: a prospective non-randomized controlled study of omega-3 status, hematological outcomes, and physical performance

This study examined whether 4 months of DHA and whey protein supplementation could improve oxygen transport, physical performance, and menstrual health in female soccer players. DHA supplementation successfully increased blood omega-3 levels and showed an association with better aerobic capacity, though it did not significantly improve sprint, jump, or overall performance metrics.

Small-sided-game task manipulation is associated with greater motor creativity and coordination variability in beginner female Taekwondo athletes

This study compared small-sided games (SSG)—game-based training with fewer players—to traditional taekwondo training in 16 beginner female athletes over six weeks. The SSG group showed significantly better motor creativity (fluency, flexibility, and originality in movement) and greater hip-knee coordination variability during kicks compared to the traditional training group.

Soccer health, performance, and injury prevention in highly trained youth soccer players: a public health approach

This study will test whether grouping young elite soccer players by biological maturity level rather than age, combined with injury prevention exercises and load monitoring, reduces injuries and improves performance compared to standard age-based training. The trial will follow 240 players aged 12-16 across four professional academies over 24 weeks, measuring injury rates, physical performance, and player wellness.

ARISE-Net enables interpretable next-day wellness-risk prediction from longitudinal athlete monitoring data

Researchers developed ARISE-Net, an AI system that uses 14 days of daily training load and wellness data to predict whether an athlete will report elevated stress the next day. When tested on 50 elite female soccer players over two seasons, ARISE-Net achieved a PR-AUC of 0.880 and F1 score of 0.832, outperforming many traditional prediction methods, though it performed similarly to some modern AI baselines.

The Social Media Trend of Cycle Syncing: An Analysis of the Content and Quality of Videos on TikTok.

Researchers analyzed 160 TikTok videos about cycle syncing (adjusting workouts to menstrual cycle phases) and found that the vast majority had poor educational quality, with most videos promoting products through affiliate marketing rather than providing accurate fitness information. Only 9% of videos were posted by healthcare providers, yet 98% of videos promoted a positive view of cycle syncing despite the lack of scientific backing in the content.

Functional and Psychological Predictors of Return to Sport and Reinjury Risk in Professional Athletes After ACL Reconstruction.

This study examined whether absolute hop test performance combined with psychological readiness scores could better predict which professional athletes would reinjure their ACL after surgery compared to traditional limb symmetry index (LSI) measurements. The researchers found that 7 of 10 hop tests showed meaningful side-to-side differences and that absolute hop performance combined with the ACL-RSI psychological scale were more sensitive at identifying reinjury risk than LSI alone, with LSI showing limited discriminatory value.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Useful Field of View Cognitive Training in Adolescent Athletes: Pilot Pre-Post Study.

This pilot study tested whether a visual processing training program called UFOV (useful field of view) could be feasibly delivered to teenage athletes. Six athletes aged 14-18 completed 5 weeks of the online training program and showed high completion rates (95% dose adherence), positive feedback about the program, and measurable improvements in visual processing speed.

Can Lateral Cyclic Reactive Jump Ability Be Reliably Measured Using an Inertial Measurement Unit?

Researchers tested whether an inertial measurement unit (IMU) worn on the foot could reliably measure lateral jumping power in female athletes across multiple sessions. The study found that the test showed poor-to-good reliability (with inconsistent results especially at larger jump distances), suggesting the current protocol needs refinement before it can be trusted for real-world use.

Prioritizing next-day readiness decline in elite female soccer using readiness, workload, and wellness data: A temporally validated and calibrated monitoring framework

Researchers built a model using daily readiness, workload, and wellness data from elite female soccer players to predict which athlete-days would be followed by a significant drop in next-day readiness. The model improved prediction accuracy when combining all three data types, and flagging the top 20% of at-risk athlete-days caught nearly half of the readiness declines.

Associations of body morphology and body composition with swimming performance in male and female youth swimmers: an exploratory cross-sectional study

This study examined how body measurements like height, weight, body fat, and hand/foot size relate to swimming performance in 49 youth swimmers (25 boys and 24 girls) aged 11-13. Among girls, larger hand area showed a positive association with competitive performance (FINA points), though this finding was sensitive to outliers and wasn't observed in boys.

Personality profiles and coaching leadership preferences among Chinese female basketball players: a latent profile analysis.

Effects of Acute Caffeine Supplementation on Performance and Physiological Responses in CrossFit: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis.

Lower-body Wingate Anaerobic Performance of Indian Adolescent Athletes Across Sport Categories: A Cross-sectional Study

Daily prospective associations of structured and unstructured physical activity within 24-hour movement behaviour composition with next-day affect in adolescent athletes: a Bayesian multilevel compositional analysis

This study tracked 169 adolescent athletes over 14 days to see how their daily balance of sleep, sitting time, light activity, and moderate-to-vigorous exercise affected their mood the next day. The researchers found that spending more time doing light physical activity was linked to better moods and less negative emotions the following day, while spending more time sitting was associated with worse moods, and replacing sitting time with light activity showed clear mood benefits.

The reliability and measurement error of the movement quality assessment for athletes

Researchers tested whether the Movement Quality Assessment for Athletes (MQA-A), a new tool for evaluating how well athletes move, produces consistent and reliable scores. The study found that the MQA-A showed good reliability when the same rater scored athletes twice, when different raters scored the same athletes, and when scoring was done live versus from video.

Prevalence, burden and risk markers of health problems in HYROX athletes: a 12-week prospective cohort study

This study tracked 89 HYROX athletes (a hybrid fitness competition mixing running and functional stations) for 12 weeks and found that about 30% experienced health problems weekly, with overuse injuries—particularly in the knee and lower leg—being the dominant issue. Previous injury was identified as a potential risk marker for greater cumulative injury severity, though the researchers note this finding needs confirmation in larger studies.

Load-Dependent Modulation of Intermuscular Coherence During Drop Jumps in Female Athletes: Insights Into the Performance Optimization.

This study examined how drop jump height affects neuromuscular coordination in female athletes by measuring electrical signals from leg muscles during drops from 30, 40, 50, and 60 cm. The researchers found that moderate heights around 40–50 cm produced the best balance of jump performance and neuromuscular efficiency, while 60 cm drops caused excessive fatigue and reduced performance indicators.

Dynamic motor imagery, but not pre-execution movements, enhances serve tennis performance.

This study compared different pre-serve preparation methods in young tennis players, including dynamic motor imagery (visualizing the serve while mimicking the motion), preparatory movements alone, and a control task. Results showed that combining imagery with congruent movements significantly improved serve success, speed, and technique compared to control and movements-only conditions, suggesting that imagery paired with movement is more effective than either approach alone.

Analysis of Functional Movement Screen Scores According to Playing Positions in Elite Junior Female Volleyball Players

This study evaluated movement quality using the Functional Movement Screen test in 62 elite junior female volleyball players across different positions (outside hitters, middle blockers, setters, liberos, and opposite hitters). While overall scores didn't differ significantly by position, outside hitters showed better movement quality than opposite hitters, and 79% of all players scored in the at-risk range for injury, with opposite hitters and middle blockers showing particularly high risk.

The Associations of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature With Match Injury and Concussion Incidence in American Youth Soccer

Does menstrual cycle tracking enhance female athlete health and performance? Evaluating five implicit assumptions of an emerging paradigm.

Predicting Endometriosis Status and Menstrual Cycle Phase Using DNA Methylation

Anaerobic Power Cycling Training and Lower-Extremity Performance in Elite Female Handball Players: A Predictive Model Based on Morphological Indices

A comparative study of general fitness and coordination-accuracy training on stress in first-year female university students

Effectiveness of the Knäkontroll Program on Functional Flexibility and Dynamic Balance of Young Female Futsal Players: A Pre-Experimental Study

Importance of respect for the menstrual cycle in sports training and competition: a nationwide multisport coach questionnaire

Age- and Gender-Related Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics of Competitive Youth Swimmers Aged 10-14 Years

Associations between maturation assessment methods and growth-related injury occurrence in a German Bundesliga youth football academy

Can Lateral Cyclic Reactive Jump Ability Be Reliably Measured Using an Inertial Measurement Unit?

Resilience in female athletes: a meta-analysis of levels, gender differences, and associations across psychosocial, performance, and health domains.

Block periodization of the training process as a factor in increasing the physical fitness of rowers at the stage of specialized basic training

Explainable machine learning for age-specific talent identification in Chinese youth football

Menstrual cycle hormonal fluctuations and their associations with athletic performance and injury susceptibility in female athletes.

Mental Health Effects as a Consequence of Early Sports Specialization in College Athletes: A Multicenter Study.

Researchers surveyed 257 NCAA college athletes about whether they specialized in a single sport before college and how they were faring mentally, academically, and physically. Athletes who were highly specialized reported less enjoyment of their sport, a lower sense of athletic accomplishment, worse academic performance, more weight loss, and poorer sleep, and feeling pressured to specialize predicted bad outcomes even more strongly than specialization itself.

Current Musculoskeletal Pain and Injury History in Former NCAA Division I Female Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Standard Versus Arm-Length-Normalized Conditions for Assessment of the Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test in Healthy Youth Athletes.

Preferences of Female Triathletes and Their Coaches for Education on REDs: A Qualitative Study.

Researchers interviewed 12 female triathletes and 8 coaches about how they learn about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) and what education formats they prefer. Both groups were keen to learn more, but the sport's ingrained 'leaner is faster' culture and reluctance to change training habits were seen as barriers; participants favoured podcasts mixing expert content with real athletes' stories.

Coach- and Peer-Created Motivational Climate Profiles in Youth Sport: Associations With Enjoyment and Intentions to Continue.

Researchers surveyed 272 Norwegian youth athletes aged 12-14 about the motivational atmosphere created by their coaches and teammates, sorting them into five profile groups. Athletes who perceived a strong mastery-focused climate (emphasis on learning and effort) alongside a low performance-focused climate (emphasis on beating others) reported the most enjoyment, and were more likely to intend to keep playing than those with low mastery perceptions.

Non-invasive lactate threshold estimation using deep learning: practical applications across endurance sports

Effect of Plyometric Exercise on Agility, Sprint, and Jump Performance in Taekwondo Athletes

Analyzing Workload-Monitoring Consistency and Same-Week Injury-Classification Performance in Female Adolescent Swimmers: An Exploratory Session-RPE and Neural Network Study

Enzyme-Specific Redox Stability and Plasticity in Trained Youth Athletes: Longitudinal Analysis of SOD and GPX.

The Effect of Service Quality and Training Motivation on the Performance of Muay Thai Athletes in Tanah Laut Regency

The Effects of Organizational Culture and Financial Factors on the Performance of Muay Thai Athletes in Tanah Laut Regency

A cross-modal feature fusion model integrating tongue image phenotypes and accessible endocrine profiles for the screening of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Hormonal Contraceptive Use, Neuromuscular Performance, and Musculoskeletal Health During Military Training.

Methods for developing the physical qualities of adolescent female volleyball players

Methods of Calculating Energy Availability in Current Research: A Standardised Audit.

Influence of Training Load on Recovery, Wellness, and Performance in Elite Soccer Athletes.

Paddle-to-podium: A case study of sprint-paddle technique training in an elite female surfer

"They can coach themselves essentially": goalball coaches' perspectives on athlete-centered coaching with youth athletes with visual impairments.

Relationship Between Leg Muscle Strength and Leg Explosive Power in Rugby Athletes Based on Playing Position

Impact of an 8-week integrated neuromuscular training program on anthropometric and body composition profiles, jump-landing mechanics, and vertical jump height in male volleyball athletes—A non-randomized matched controlled study protocol

Cross-training between running and cycling: practitioner perspectives on transferability and exercise substitution

Machine Learning Framework for Standing Long Jump Assessment and Training Optimization

Dietary practices among slovenian athletes: A comprehensive assessment of energy, macronutrient, and micronutrient intake and adherence to sport-specific dietary strategies.

Researchers analyzed 3-day weighed food diaries and questionnaires from 150 Slovenian athletes (aged 14–34) to see if their diets met sports nutrition guidelines. Most fell short: only 15.3% hit energy targets, 27.3% met the minimum carbohydrate intake, and 72% ate too little fat, while protein was generally adequate; nutrient timing around training was often poor and calcium and iron shortfalls were common in female athletes.

The Relationship of Body Mass Indeks, Minutes Played, Assists, and Turnovers on the Efficiency of Male and Female Basketball Athletes in the 2025 Honda DBL Central Java North Final Round

Comprehensive characterization of somatometric parameters and body composition of athletes from the Russian national teams.

Teaching-learning-training methods and basic psychological needs in adolescent futsal: A qualitative study

Does Lifelong Sports Participation Protect Against Sarcopenia? Prevalence, Diagnostic Criteria, and Sport-Specific Muscle Outcomes in Masters and Former Elite Athletes: A Scoping Review

This scoping review gathered studies on masters athletes and former elite athletes aged 40+ to see how lifelong sport affects sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and strength). Athletes had lower rates of confirmed sarcopenia than the general older population, with strength and sprint athletes showing more lean mass, strength, explosive force, and type II fibre preservation than endurance athletes; endurance training brought low body fat and good aerobic and oxidative muscle qualities but didn't prevent lower muscle mass, motor-unit loss, or power decline, and continuing to train mattered more than past elite status.

Effects of low-dose iron supplementation on iron status, safety outcomes and gut microbiota in female soccer players: a randomized controlled study

Researchers tracked iron intake and iron status in female soccer players over a competitive season and randomly assigned them to either 3 months of low-dose iron supplementation (27 mg/day) or no supplement. Baseline iron intake was low (median 11.2 mg/day) and 43% showed depleted iron stores; the low-dose supplement was well tolerated, helped prevent iron stores from dropping, increased gut microbial diversity, and reduced systemic inflammation.

Characterizing multidimensional worst-case scenarios in elite youth basketball: effects of time window and playing position

Researchers tracked 31 elite youth basketball players across 40 official games using position-tracking and accelerometer sensors, then identified each game's 'worst-case scenario' — the 10, 30, 60, or 120-second stretch with the highest combined physical load. Shorter windows showed much higher intensity than longer ones for running-based measures (though less so for jumps and changes of direction), and guards (backcourt) generally faced greater locomotor demands than bigs, especially among the males.

In-season resistance training intervention improves strength and power characteristics in academy freestyle freeski athletes – a quasi-experimental study

The relationship between lower extremity post-activation performance enhancement and body morphology, physiological development, and kinetics in adolescent athletes: a key factor analysis

Researchers tested 115 adolescent athletes (ages 11-16) to see who benefits most from post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) — the temporary jump boost after heavy squats (3x3 at 85% of 1RM). Most athletes (58%) peaked 8-10 minutes after the squats, and the size of the boost was best predicted by rate of force development and biological maturity, which along with 1RM explained about 69% of the variation.

Associations Between Anthropometric Characteristics, Jump Performance and Recorded Tendon-Related Disorders in Youth Volleyball Players.

Acute and Short-Term Effects of Real-Time Feedback Neuromuscular Training on Vertical Jump Performance and Reactive Efficiency in Youth Basketball Players

Effects of a Mindfulness Intervention on Volleyball-Specific Performance: A Randomized Trial.

Researchers randomly split 28 elite female volleyball players (ages 17-19) into a group that added 12 mindfulness sessions (two 60-minute sessions per week) before regular practice, or a group that just did normal training, with training load kept the same for both. The mindfulness group improved significantly more on all five skill tests (forearm pass, overhead pass, serve, spike, and block accuracy), with the biggest gains in spike and serve accuracy.

Sprint and jump performance responses to curvilinear sprint training with and without a weighted vest in youth female soccer players

Serum spexin levels in women with diminished ovarian reserve: a prospective case-control study.

Force-time metric responses to training in an Olympic 400m sprinter across a two-week microcycle: a case study

Researchers tracked one world-class female 400m sprinter over a two-week training block, testing her countermovement jump on a force plate before and after each practice. Jump height, force, and power dropped right after hard sessions (especially sprint speed and endurance work), but these dips were temporary and rebounded to or above baseline after rest days.

Tapering and Peaking in the Weight Lifting Sports: A Systematic Review of Athletes' Self-Reported Strategies.

Researchers pooled seven high-quality survey and interview studies to describe how strength-sport athletes (powerlifting, weightlifting, strongman, Highland Games, CrossFit) actually taper before competition. Tapers were almost universal and typically lasted 5-9 days (longer in powerlifting), most often as an abrupt "step" cut of about 40-45% in training volume, with peak volume hit 4-6 weeks out and peak intensity 2-3 weeks out; heavy deadlifts stopped 6-8 days out, squats 5-6.5 days, and bench 3-5 days, followed by 1.5-4 days of full rest.

Indicadores do talento esportivo em escolares do sexo feminino praticantes de voleibol

Researchers compared 128 school-aged female volleyball players (12-17.9 years) with 767 non-athlete classmates at a military school, measuring body size, physical-motor performance, psychosocial traits, and biological maturity. The volleyball players were bigger, performed better on physical-motor tests, were more biologically mature, and were rated more highly by their teacher-coach.

Methodology for determining model characteristics based on the study of weight and height indicators of highly qualified women wrestlers

This paper looks at how coaches can identify and guide promising female wrestlers using body measurements (height, weight, body proportions) alongside physical tests of speed, agility, strength, special endurance, coordination and technical-tactical skill. The authors propose a multi-stage selection system with criteria for preliminary selection, specialized orientation, and high-level mastery, and argue that psychological stability, stress resistance, adaptation to competition and decision-making speed matter as much as anthropometrics; no specific numerical results are reported in the abstract.

Neuromuscular Activation Strategies of the Lower Limb During Maximal Sprinting in Youth Track and Field Athletes: Age-Related Differences and Implications for Talent Identification.

Functional movement patterns and bilateral asymmetry in badminton athletes: A Functional Movement Screen analysis at the Malang Regional Training Center

Researchers screened 16 sub-elite badminton players (ages 15-20) with the 7-part Functional Movement Screen to see how well they moved and whether their left and right sides differed. Most athletes (62.5%) fell into the moderate injury-risk band, and side-to-side asymmetry was widespread \u2014 every athlete showed shoulder mobility asymmetry, with in-line lunge and rotary stability asymmetry in 62.5%.

Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproduction Among Athletes: An Online Survey.

Researchers surveyed 216 recreational and elite female athletes who had gone through egg freezing or IVF in the past five years, asking whether they kept exercising and what happened. Most (79%) kept training, usually at reduced intensity, frequency or duration, and those who continued exercising were no more likely to report an adverse event than those who stopped.

Longitudinal changes in phase angle and its association with body composition in adolescent athletes

Researchers tracked 47 teenage athletes for six months, measuring "phase angle" (a bioelectrical impedance readout thought to reflect cell and muscle quality) alongside DXA scans of lean tissue and body fat. Phase angle rose slightly (about 2%) but not significantly, and it was positively associated with lean soft tissue while showing no meaningful link to body fat percentage or fat mass.

Association between Somatotype Characteristics and Changes in Body Fat Percentage Following Exercise Intervention Among Overweight Adults

Researchers put 42 overweight and obese adults into one of two 12-week exercise weight-loss programs, grouping them by body type (somatotype) using the Heath-Carter method and tracking body fat with bioelectrical impedance. Neither body type nor which program people did significantly affected changes in body fat percentage, and there was no interaction between the two.

Run Smart, Run Strong: Exploring the Role of Physiotherapy in Running Load Management and Injury Prevention Among Recreational Runners

This narrative review pulled together six randomized trials on recreational runners to see whether physiotherapy-style exercise and smarter training-load management reduce running injuries and improve performance. It reported that a multi-component exercise programme cut overall and overuse running injuries, HIIT and plyometrics improved power, sprint speed and agility, while isolated hip/core or ankle/foot drills produced only small biomechanical changes with no clear clinical benefit.

The Role of Training Age and Sport Specialization in Achieved Selection Tier in Adolescent Handball Talents.

Researchers surveyed talented U15 female and U16 male handball players to see how many had specialized in handball only, how much they played other sports, and whether these factors related to how high a selection tier (talent squad) they reached. Most players were specialized and about a third had only ever played handball; playing other sports did not hurt their chances of selection, while players who had trained handball for more years were more likely to reach higher tiers.

Oral Contraceptive Use Has Protective Effect Against Ankle Sprains in Women.

Researchers used a large US insurance database (2010-2023) to compare women aged 15-50 who had an ankle sprain with matched women who didn't, checking whether they had been prescribed oral contraceptive pills in the year beforehand. Women on oral contraceptives had significantly lower odds of ankle sprain, though the abstract's detailed numbers are cut off and this design can only show an association, not cause and effect.

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries In Female Wrestling

This review pooled ten studies to map how often female wrestlers get hurt and where. Injury rates ranged from about 4.3 per 1000 training hours to 16.8 per 1000 athlete-exposures, with arms and legs accounting for most injuries (shoulder/upper arm leading among extremity injuries); upper-limb injuries dominated in youth wrestlers while lower-limb injuries dominated in elite athletes, and most injuries were mild joint or muscle problems.

Reproductive Disorders among Female Athletes: Causes, Pathomechanism, and Treatment Approaches – A Literature Review

This narrative review pulled together research and expert guidelines on reproductive problems in female athletes, from the older Female Athlete Triad idea to the broader RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) framework. It concludes that low energy availability is the main trigger, suppressing the hormonal signals that drive menstruation and harming bone, heart, metabolic, and mental health; treatment should focus on nutrition and psychological support, with hormone patches only as a last resort, while routinely prescribing oral contraceptives simply masks the underlying energy deficit.

The impact of menstrual cycle phase and BMI on mitochondrial dysfunction in PMOS endometrium.

Researchers compared the gene activity of the uterine lining across four menstrual cycle phases in 39 women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PCOS-like, called PMOS) and 39 matched healthy women, plus lab tests on cultured endometrial cells. Endometrial gene patterns differed in PMOS women in ways specific to each cycle phase, especially in genes for mitochondrial (energy) function, hormone signaling and tissue structure; in lab cells, mitochondrial respiration was reduced in cells from obese PMOS women but increased in cells from lean PMOS women.

Workload, maturation, and injury risk in youth football: A machine learning approach

Researchers tracked 240 male academy football players aged 12-18 for a year, recording GPS-based external load, session RPE internal load, and biological maturity (timing relative to peak height velocity), then used machine learning to predict time-loss injuries in the following week. The model combining workload and maturation predicted injuries best (AUC 0.78) versus load alone (0.76) and demographics alone (0.62), with acute:chronic workload ratio, maturity offset, and weekly high-speed distance the strongest predictors.

Technical-locomotor proficiency gaps in youth badminton beginners: serve, net-drop, smash, and footwork

Researchers tested 23 novice badminton players aged 11-15 in Indonesia on serve, net-drop, and smash accuracy plus an 8-point footwork agility drill. Racket skills correlated strongly with each other, but footwork was largely separate (only linked to smash accuracy), and nearly 70% of the athletes landed in the slowest footwork category; boys scored higher than girls on all four measures, and older athletes generally scored better.

The Effects of Plyometric and Ladder Drill Training on Agility Performance in Boxing

Twenty male amateur boxers (ages 17-28) either added six weeks of plyometric and ladder drill training to their routine or just kept boxing as usual, with agility tested before and after. The training group got 6.5% faster on an agility cone drill and 22.2% better on the ladder drill test, while the control group's small changes weren't statistically meaningful.

Biological maturation may contribute to difference in neutrophil mobilization and IL-8 responses following repeated sprint exercise in athletes: a quasi-experimental study

Researchers had 30 trained athletes — adolescents grouped by maturity stage (before or around their growth spurt) plus adults — perform a standard repeated-sprint workout, then tracked immune markers in their blood (neutrophil counts and shape, plus the inflammatory signal IL-8) at rest and during recovery. Sprinting temporarily raised neutrophils and IL-8 in everyone, but adults and athletes around their growth spurt showed larger and/or longer-lasting immune responses than less mature adolescents, and these differences held even after accounting for age.

Gender-based differences in physical fitness profiles of sepak takraw athletes: A multivariate and machine learning analysis

Researchers tested 163 competitive sepak takraw athletes (81 men, 82 women) on strength, speed, endurance and agility, then used statistics, principal component analysis and a random forest model to see which measures separated the sexes. Men and women differed significantly in jump, back strength, 30 m sprint and 1600 m run, and back strength was the single most important variable for distinguishing groups; fitness clustered into two broad components: strength-power and endurance.

6-week Integrated Strength and Conditioning Program with Soccer Training Effect on 30m Sprint and Explosive Strength Performance in Youth Soccer Players

Thirty male soccer players aged 14–17 were split into two groups: one added two 50-minute strength and conditioning sessions per week to their normal soccer training for six weeks, while the other just did soccer training. After six weeks, the S&C group improved significantly more in 30 m sprint time (4.85 to 4.66 s) and standing broad jump distance (2.02 to 2.14 m) than the soccer-only group.

Early-season changes in concentric-only, long and short stretch–shortening cycle jump performance in highly trained youth basketball players

Researchers tracked 26 elite youth basketball players (under-16 and under-18) across pre-season and early in-season, testing four jump types: squat jump, countermovement jump, drop jump and repeated jumps. Squat and countermovement jump heights improved only during pre-season, while drop-jump ground contact times shortened and reactive strength index kept improving into the in-season, with repeated-jump RSI also rising in-season.

Awareness of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport Among Russian Coaches Working with Athletes of Various Levels in Athletics and Short-Track Speed Skating

Researchers surveyed 101 Russian coaches in athletics and short-track speed skating about their knowledge of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), a condition where athletes don't eat enough to support their training. Only about 39% had heard of RED-S before, and even those recognized on average fewer than 6 of 12 known health consequences, with no differences by sport, sex, coaching qualification, or athlete level.

The effect of rapid expansion and contraction composite training on dynamic posture control and landing biomechanics of athletes with chronic ankle instability

Researchers randomly assigned 56 athletes with chronic ankle instability to either 8 weeks of plyometric (stretch-shortening cycle) training three times per week or standard rehab. The plyometric group improved more in balance (Y balance test, especially reaching backward-inward), self-reported ankle stability (CAIT), and landing mechanics, with lower peak vertical ground reaction force and loading rate, with no serious adverse events.

Training load monitoring in taekwondo: athlete-reported and coach-planned ratings of perceived exertion and the role of session duration

Researchers tracked 13 elite taekwondo athletes over 1,075 sessions, comparing athlete-rated effort (RPE), session-RPE (RPE x duration), heart-rate-based training load (TRIMP), and the coach's planned RPE. Session duration turned out to be the dominant driver of the links between these measures \u2014 once duration was accounted for, the relationship between RPE-based scores and TRIMP shrank sharply \u2014 while coaches' planned effort ratings did line up reasonably well with what athletes actually reported.

Effects of antidepressant administration on physical performance and perceived exertion in athletes: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Researchers pooled 10 crossover randomized trials (99 male athletes) testing whether short-term antidepressant use — including reboxetine, bupropion, and SSRIs like fluoxetine or paroxetine — changes exercise performance or how hard effort feels. Acute antidepressant dosing raised perceived exertion slightly (about 0.5 points on the 6-20 Borg scale) but did not consistently impair objective physical performance.

Vegetarian diets in female athletes: performance, health outcomes, and the implementation gap.

This narrative review gathered the existing research on vegetarian diets in female athletes, focusing on performance, muscle adaptation, hormonal health, and the risk of low energy availability. Studies to date generally show similar performance and health outcomes for vegetarian and omnivorous female athletes, suggesting outcomes depend more on adequate energy, protein, and micronutrient intake than on avoiding animal foods, though the evidence base is small and inconsistent.

Current Evidence and Practical Considerations for Adaptogen Use in Exercise Recovery, Training Adaptation, and Exercise Performance in Athletes: A Narrative Review.

This narrative review gathered existing research on "adaptogen" supplements — ashwagandha, ginseng (Panax), Rhodiola rosea, and Cordyceps — and their potential effects on recovery, training adaptation, and performance in trained athletes. The authors report that a small number of varied studies hint at some benefits, with ashwagandha having the most consistent evidence, while the other three remain preliminary; overall the evidence is too thin and inconsistent to set dosing or efficacy recommendations, and female athletes are underrepresented.

Tracking Recovery in Motion: Longitudinal, Multi-Contextual Monitoring of Return-to-Play in Collegiate Basketball.

Researchers followed one female college basketball player through her return to play after ACL reconstruction, tracking jump force-plate tests, on-court limb loading with wearable sensors, and psychological questionnaires against her own pre-injury baseline. Jump height came back within seven weeks of starting return-to-play, but left-right asymmetries in force and on-court loading lingered even though she reported high confidence, and loading variability persisted after clinical clearance.

Menstrual Cycle Effects on Performance Parameters in Female Football Players: A Systematic Review.

Researchers pooled 15 studies (210 female footballers total) to see whether performance changed across phases of the menstrual cycle. Results were mixed: five studies found slightly worse aerobic and sprint performance in the early follicular phase (around the period), while ten found no differences, and no consistent effect appeared for agility, jumping, or power.

Practical Experience of Coaches in Organizing Athletes’ Training During the Wartime Period

Researchers surveyed Ukrainian coaches and observed training sessions to see how sports training changed under wartime martial law. Coaches reported major disruptions or%%) lacking facilities, 31.8% psychological tension, 22.7% inadequate equipment, and 18.2% irregular sessions, and adapted by training in non-traditional venues, using online platforms, and shifting toward individual and small-group sessions; athletes showed heightened anxiety.

Athlete-specific force asymmetry monitoring in collegiate volleyball: a prospective observational cohort

Researchers tracked weekly countermovement jumps in 41 NCAA Division I volleyball players to measure left-vs-right leg differences in peak force, braking force, and rate of force development (RFD). Asymmetries were small, largely overlapping between men and women, and fairly stable across the season, with RFD asymmetry being the metric that best separated athletes into distinct profiles.

Analysis of physical fitness indicators of 10–12-year-old female pole dancers at the stage of preliminary basic training

Researchers tested 40 girls aged 10-12 who had trained in pole sport for over a year, measuring grip strength, endurance, flexibility, speed-strength and coordination against standards drawn from EUROFIT, ACSM and gymnastics/acrobatics norms. The young athletes scored well on flexibility and static endurance (plank, superman hold, wall-sit) but fell below norms for grip strength, dynamic abdominal strength (one-minute sit-ups) and explosive power (pole jump).

Features of the dynamics of functional fitness indicators of volleyball players aged 18-20 in the preparatory period of the annual macrocycle under the influence of the experimental program of building the training process

Researchers compared a traditional preseason program with an experimental one combining plyometric exercises and targeted cardio training in female volleyball players aged 18-20, across two consecutive seasons. The experimental program produced notably better functional fitness by the end of the preparatory period, including ~8% better endurance and metabolic capacity, 11-16% better speed and speed-strength endurance, 12-14% higher anaerobic power, 10% higher VO2max, and a 12% higher overall fitness score.

Effects of a four-week ladder drill training program on dribbling performance in u-14 youth soccer players: a quasi-experimental study

Sixteen under-14 male soccer players in Indonesia did 16 agility-ladder sessions over four weeks (four times a week, 40 heir slalom dribbling time was tested before and after. Average dribbling time improved from 14.67 to 14.36 seconds \u2014 a small 2.1% gain, but statistically significant with a large standardized effect size. Note there was no control group, so normal training or practice on the test could explain part of the change.

The Influence of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Recovery Measures and Performance: A Case Study From Ski Jumping.

Researchers tracked one world-class female ski jumper across her menstrual cycle, logging symptoms, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and wind-adjusted jump performance. Symptoms were worst in the last two days of the cycle, resting heart rate was slightly higher and HRV slightly different in the premenstrual phase, and performance shifted in opposite directions on the normal hill versus large hill during that phase.

Different mucosal immunity and hormonal responses to routine physical training in the follicular and the luteal phases of elite female athletes.

Researchers tracked 25 elite female athletes through routine team training sessions in both the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle, measuring immune and hormone markers in saliva before and after each session. Training lowered SIgA, lactoferrin, and cortisol and raised alpha-amylase in both phases equally, though at rest lactoferrin and progesterone were higher in the luteal phase and the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio was higher in the follicular phase.

Traditional and Band-Assisted Nordic Hamstring Training Improves Knee Flexor Strength and Hip Range of Motion

Researchers had 45 collegiate athletes do the Nordic hamstring exercise twice a week for 8 weeks, either the traditional way or with an elastic band assisting the lowering. Both groups improved similarly: eccentric knee flexor strength rose about 17%, strength at long muscle lengths rose 9-12%, break point angle and hip flexion range of motion also improved, with no statistically significant difference between methods (though band-assisted reported slightly less early soreness).

The Effect of Training Using Fitlight on Developing Complex Reaction Speed and Receiving Skill Performance In Volleyball Players

Researchers split 16 experienced Iraqi volleyball players (ages 20-25) into two groups for eight weeks: one trained with Fitlight reaction-light devices, the other with traditional drills. The Fitlight group showed statistically significant, large improvements in complex reaction speed and serve-receiving skill compared with the traditional group.

Analysis of The Differences Between Training Matches and International Competitions for Elite Chinese U15 Female Table Tennis Players

Researchers compared 40 training matches with 40 international matches played by China's U15 national women's table tennis team, using heat maps and statistical modeling to see how technique and tactics differed. Individual technical indicators were similar, but training matches favored control of short areas and early-rally strokes, while international play involved more backhand long-area attacking to open up points and gave more weight to later strokes in deciding who won.

Exploring the associations between physical fitness components and physical activity during gameplay in Special Olympics Unified Cup athletes

Researchers measured physical fitness and on-field activity in 70 Special Olympics athletes during soccer games at the 2022 Unified Cup. Fitness levels varied widely (47-97% scored in the 'healthy' range), and on-field activity was linked to hamstring flexibility, handgrip strength, blood pressure and weight status, with athlete sex showing the strongest association.

Effects of high-intensity interval cross training and classical training on physical and sprint performance in male junior sprinters

Researchers split 64 male junior sprinters into two groups for 8 weeks: one did high-intensity interval cross training (HIICT, mixing sprints, plyometrics, and functional strength work) and the other did classical sprint training, with both groups matched for overall training effort. The HIICT group showed better improvements in 100 m sprint time, the first 60 m split, ground contact time, countermovement jump, relative peak power, and power clean, while body composition and most strength measures improved similarly in both groups.

Prevalence of Capitellar Osteochondritis Dissecans and Medial Epicondylar Abnormalities in Female Youth Baseball Players: A Large-Scale Ultrasonographic Screening Study

Researchers used ultrasound to screen the elbows of 13,483 youth baseball players (353 of them female) for two throwing-related problems: capitellar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and medial epicondyle abnormalities. OCD rates were similar between sexes (2.4% male vs 0.57% female, not statistically different), while medial epicondyle abnormalities were less common in girls (16.4% vs 24.0%) but always in the throwing arm and far more frequent in pitchers and catchers (28.9%) than in fielders (11.6%).

Anticipatory Cortisol Regulation During Competition in Elite Female Field Hockey Players.

Researchers tracked saliva cortisol in 52 elite female field hockey players across a competition day at the Spanish Championship Cup, along with anxiety and mood questionnaires. Players who went on to lose showed a larger morning cortisol rise after waking (and higher post-match cortisol) than winners, and that morning rise was moderately linked to cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, perceived difficulty and arousal.

Interpretable multimodal machine learning for injury risk stratification in adolescent athletes: integrating kinematic, physiological, and load data with SHAP/LIME explainability.

Researchers combined movement (kinematic), physiological, and training-load data from 320 adolescent athletes and tested ten machine-learning models to classify lower-limb injury risk. A simple logistic regression performed best (86.9% accuracy), and interpretability tools consistently flagged peak hip adduction angle, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, and dynamic knee valgus as the top risk indicators, though the risk labels came from a composite score rather than actual tracked injuries.

Effects of a block-based training approach on the morphometric parameters of rowers during the specialized basic training stage

Researchers compared a block-based training program with the standard youth sports school program in 43 young rowers over a 10-month cycle, measuring body size markers (height, mass, trunk length, chest circumference, arm span) and hand grip strength. Both groups improved, but the gains were larger and statistically significant across the measured parameters in the block-training group.

Acute caffeine supplementation and resistance exercise performance in female participants: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis.

Researchers pooled 24 randomized placebo-controlled trials on women taking a single dose of caffeine before lifting weights, analyzing six performance categories. Caffeine produced a small average boost in maximal strength (g = 0.17) and a larger but far less consistent boost in muscular endurance (g = 0.54), though the certainty of evidence was rated low or very low and effects varied widely across protocols.

Body Composition Differences Among Individual, Team, and Combat Sport Athletes Enrolled in a Spanish Sports Technification Program

Researchers measured body composition (fat, muscle, and bone) in 118 young Spanish athletes from a talent development program, comparing those in individual sports (athletics, swimming, triathlon), team sports (handball, volleyball), and combat sports (karate, taekwondo) using standardized ISAK skinfold methods. The individual-sport athletes had lower estimated body fat than both team and combat athletes and higher muscle mass percentage than team athletes, while team athletes carried more absolute fat and muscle than combat athletes.

Construction of a Zigzag Running Test to Measure Specific Anaerobic Capacity in Youth Football Players

Researchers designed a zigzag running test — repeated high-speed direction changes over a set distance — to measure sport-specific anaerobic capacity in 17–19 year old football players. They checked the test's validity, reliability, and objectivity and reported high coefficients, concluding it is a suitable tool for assessing anaerobic capacity and for talent identification.

Competition and training load of high-level competitive non-motorised surface water sports athletes: a scoping review of athlete monitoring methodology.

This scoping review mapped 22 studies on how elite athletes in non-motorised surface water sports (like rowing, surfing, sailing and canoeing) have their training and competition load monitored. It found that most research relies on heart rate for internal load (71%) and GPS for external load (47%), but these tools were borrowed from land and ergometer settings and haven't been validated against water-specific conditions like wind, waves and current.

Early Horizontal Deceleration Ability Across Multiple Steps and Approach Speeds in Multidirectional Team Sport Athletes

Researchers had 19 team-sport athletes sprint and then brake as hard as possible from 100%, 85%, and 70% of top speed, measuring ground forces and body positions during the first three braking steps. Faster deceleration was linked to larger horizontal braking force and a higher horizontal-to-vertical force ratio, with step 1 depending most on force magnitude (aided by deeper hip and knee flexion) and later steps on force direction (lower centre of mass, foot planted further ahead, backward-leaning shank at touchdown).

Effect of 6-Weeks of SAQ Training on the Speed and Agility Parameters of U-18 Female Soccer Players

Researchers split 48 teenage female soccer players into two groups: one added a Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) drill program three times a week for six weeks, the other kept training as usual. The SAQ group improved significantly more in the 30-m sprint and Illinois Agility Test, while the control group made only a small sprint gain and no agility improvement.

Eight-Week Vitamin D<sub>3</sub> Supplementation at 4000 IU/Day Was Not Associated with Further Improvements in Speed or Power Performance in Professional Female Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Eighteen professional female soccer players took either 4000 IU/day of vitamin D3 or a placebo for eight weeks during preseason, with sprint, jump, blood, and vitamin D measures tracked. Most players already had sufficient vitamin D at the start, and supplementation produced no significant advantage over placebo in sprint times, jump performance, or blood markers, though sprint performance improved over time in both groups (likely from training).

Effects of muscle warm-up phases on proprioception, vertical jump, agility, and balance in elite adolescent soccer players: a repeated-measures experimental study.

Researchers tested 25 elite under-18 soccer players on knee joint position sense, vertical jump, agility (T-test), and dynamic balance (Y-balance) at three points: at rest, after a warm-up, and after training. All measures differed significantly across the three states, with the authors concluding that warming up improved proprioception, agility, and balance, while post-training fatigue worsened them.

Evaluation of Physical Development in Male Athletes of the Binh Phuoc Vovinam Team after One Training Cycle

Researchers tracked 17 general and sport-specific fitness tests in male athletes on a Vovinam (Vietnamese martial arts) team before and after one training cycle. All tested fitness measures improved significantly after the training period, suggesting the program boosted both general and sport-specific fitness.

Effects of Acute Caffeine Supplementation on Physical, Sport-Specific, Physiological, Perceptual, and Cognitive Outcomes in Female Team-Sport Athletes: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis.

Researchers pooled 26 randomized placebo-controlled crossover trials to see how a single dose of caffeine affects female team-sport athletes across physical, sport-specific, physiological, perceptual, and cognitive outcomes. Caffeine produced small improvements in physical performance (repeated sprints, agility, speed, anaerobic power, jumping) and reduced perceived exertion, while raising heart rate; effects on sport-specific skills and cognition were unclear, and no dose, timing, or formulation stood out as better.

Systemic Concentrations of Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein, Neo-Epitope of MMP-derived Type III Collagen fragment, and Propeptide of Type IV Collagen are Greater in Those at Risk of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis in Comparison to Matched Controls

Researchers compared blood markers of joint tissue turnover in 38 young adults who had a knee injury 1-7 years earlier against 38 matched uninjured people. Three markers (COMP, and type III and type IV collagen fragments) were higher in the previously injured group, and a combined three-marker panel could distinguish injured from uninjured people with acceptable accuracy (AUC around 0.73-0.77).

Screening and Management of Menstrual Cycle Disorders in Women Athletes by Sports Physicians: The HYPOFIT Study.

Researchers surveyed 129 sports physicians in France about how they screen for and manage menstrual cycle problems in female athletes. Only about half routinely asked about current menstrual status and just a third consistently checked cycle regularity; bone density scans were often skipped, and most doctors reported difficulty managing these issues and wanted standardized screening tools.

Daily physical activity patterns across the menstrual cycle in eumenorrheic female athletes: an accelerometry-based study.

Researchers tracked 20 female athletes with regular, hormonally verified menstrual cycles for one full cycle using wrist accelerometers, measuring how much time they spent at each activity intensity and their estimated energy expenditure across seven cycle phases. Sedentary, light, and moderate activity didn't change across the cycle, but time in vigorous and higher intensities — and energy expenditure — dipped significantly during the ovulatory phase.

Physical Activity Monitor Outputs Are Not Compatible With Current Recommendations in Wheelchair Users With Paraplegia

Researchers pooled wearable-sensor data from 60 wheelchair users with paraplegia to see how device-recorded moderate-to-vigorous activity minutes line up with official physical activity guidelines. Participants averaged about 177 minutes/week of device-detected moderate-to-vigorous activity, yet the analysis suggested roughly 519 minutes/week would be needed to reach the recommended overall activity level, because devices also capture everyday lifestyle movement rather than just deliberate exercise.

Effects of menstrual cycle phases on athletic performance and related physiological outcomes: a systematic review of studies using high methodological standards

Systematic review, restricted to high-methodological-standard studies, examining whether menstrual cycle phase affects athletic performance and related physiological outcomes.

Power in the flow: how menstrual experiences shape women's strength training performance

Study exploring how women's lived menstrual experiences shape their strength-training performance and training behaviour.