Search

Objective: By comparing the differences in pre-competition state anxiety, inter-competition heart rate variability (HRV), and shooting performance of young athletes of different grades, and revealing the correlation between these variables, it provides a potential basis for improving athletes' shooting performance., Methods: A total of 45 adolescent shooters were selected in Chongqing, China, and completed 40 effective shots at self-pace in real shooting scenes. The pre-competition state anxiety, inter-competition HRV, and shooting performance of the athletes were monitored and evaluated respectively., Results: (1) There was a significant difference in the pre-match state anxiety of the adolescent shooters, which showed that the cognitive state anxiety and physical state anxiety of the first-level athletes were significantly lower than those of the second-level athletes, while the state confidence was significantly higher than that of the second-level athletes. (2) There were significant differences in HRV of athletes with different sports levels during the competition, showing that the root mean square differences of the standard deviation (RMSSD), total power (TP), and high-frequency of normal (HFn) of the first-level athletes were significantly higher than those of second-level athletes, while low-frequency of normal (LFn) was significantly lower than the latter. (3) The shooting performance of first-level athletes was significantly better than that of second-level athletes. (4) Among adolescent shooters of different grades, there was a significant correlation between pre-competition state anxiety, inter-competition HRV, and shooting performance. The negative dimension of state anxiety was positively correlated with sympathetic activity in HRV, negatively correlated with parasympathetic activity, and negatively correlated with shooting performance. The positive dimension of state anxiety was negatively correlated with sympathetic activity in HRV, positively correlated with parasympathetic activity, and significantly positively correlated with motor performance., Conclusion: Adolescent shooters with higher sports levels usually have better pre-competition mental state and emotional regulation ability, and could better maintain autonomic nerve dynamic balance and focus attention resources on shooting tasks during the competition, so it was easier to achieve good shooting performance. Meanwhile, pre-competition state anxiety and HRV during competition could be used as objective indicators to monitor and evaluate the competitive state of young shooters., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Physical Education of Southwest University (SWU-TY202101), and was conducted with written informed consent obtained from all participants following the Declaration of Helsinki. Meanwhile, the study involved minors (under 16 years of age), and prior to the study we also obtained statements of consent from parents and/or legal guardians for their participation in the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The primary inquiry of this study was to determine if exergaming is more effective than balance training in improving dynamic postural control during jump-landing movements among athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Additionally, the study aimed to compare the effectiveness of these interventions on clinical and psychological outcomes. This study was a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial in which participants were assigned to either an exergaming group or a balance training group. Outcome measures were assessed before, after, and one month following the intervention. Primary outcomes included the stability index (SI) and time to stabilization (TTS) in the anteroposterior (AP), mediolateral (ML), and vertical (V) directions, the dynamic postural stability index (DPSI), and the resultant vector time to stabilization (RVTTS). Secondary outcomes included performance, fear of movement, and perceived ankle instability, measured using the side-hop test, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT), respectively. Results indicated a significant decrease in ML SI in both groups one month after treatment compared to before and after treatment (P = 0.013 and P<0.001, respectively). Additionally, one-way ANCOVA revealed a significant difference between the groups post-treatment (F(1,31) = 6.011, P = 0.020, η2 = 0.162) and one month post-treatment (F(1,31) = 4.889, P = 0.035, η2 = 0.136), with ML SI being significantly lower in the exergaming group than the balance training group at both time points. In both group, the DPSI also decreased significantly one month post-treatment compared to before and after treatment (P = 0.040 and P = 0.018, respectively). Both groups showed improvements in performance, severity of perceived ankle instability, and fear of movement. Thus, the study concluded that both exergaming and balance training effectively improved postural control during jump-landing, with exergaming showing superior performance in the ML direction both after and one month post-treatment. In terms of clinical and psychological outcomes, both interventions were effective, with neither showing superiority over the other., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Sarkhosh et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Depression and concussion are highly prevalent neuropsychological disorders that often occur simultaneously. However, due to the high degree of symptom overlap between the two events, including but not limited to headache, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, they may be treated in isolation. Thus, clinical awareness of additive symptom load may be missed. This study measures neuropsychological and electroencephalography (EEG) alpha band coherence differences in collegiate student-athletes with history of comorbid depression and concussion, in comparison to those with a single morbidity and healthy controls (HC). 35 collegiate athletes completed neuropsychological screenings and EEG measures. Participants were grouped by concussion and depression history. Differences in alpha band coherence were calculated using two-way ANOVA with post hoc correction for multiple comparisons. Comorbid participants scored significantly worse on neuropsychological screening, BDI-FS, and PCSS than those with a single morbidity and HC. Two-way ANOVA by group revealed significant main effects of alpha band coherence for concussion, depression, and their interaction term. Post-hoc analysis showed that comorbid participants had more abnormal alpha band coherence than single morbidity, when compared to HC. Comorbidity of concussion and depression increased symptom reporting and revealed more altered alpha band coherence than single morbidity, compared to HC. The abnormalities of the comorbid group exclusively showed decreased alpha band coherence in comparison to healthy controls. The comorbidity of depression and SRC has a compounding effect on depression symptoms, post-concussion symptoms, and brain functional connectivity. This research demonstrates a promising objective measure in comorbid individuals, previously only measured via subjective symptom reporting., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Coach autonomy-supportive behaviors are a crucial factor in the communication effectiveness with athletes experiencing depressive moods. Therefore, clarifying the relationship between coach autonomy-supportive behaviors and the communication effectiveness with athletes experiencing depressive moods is of significant importance for promoting effective communication between coaches and athletes. This study employs in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and stepwise regression analysis, using purposive sampling to investigate coaches and athletes experiencing depressive moods from various regions, levels, genders, and sports in China. The study examines the impact of coach autonomy-supportive behaviors on their communication effectiveness, as well as the mediating role of intrinsic motivation variables, measuring and testing these variables., Patient Concerns: The participants care about whether the coach's autonomous support behavior can promote communication between them and the coach., Diagnoses: The athletes participating in the test have a certain degree of depression., Interventions: For these athletes, coaches adopt autonomous support behavior in training practice to support their decision-making and meet their psychological needs., Outcomes: Coach autonomous support behavior has a positive supportive effect on the communication effect between athletes with depressive emotions and coaches., Lessons: (1) Coach autonomy-supportive behaviors can positively predict the communication effectiveness between coaches and athletes experiencing depressive moods; (2) Intrinsic motivation partially mediates the relationship between coach autonomy-supportive behaviors and communication effectiveness between coaches and athletes experiencing depressive moods. The study concludes that coaches can promote athletes' intrinsic motivation by supporting and encouraging them to make their own choices and affirming the outcomes of those choices. This approach can alleviate athletes' depressive moods and foster their willingness to actively communicate and share their feelings with coaches, thereby enhancing communication effectiveness., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Athlete support personnel (ASP) work closely with, treat, or assist an athlete participating in or preparing for sports competition. Their involvement in preventing and eliminating doping is crucial. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to doping in sports among ASP from Southeast Asian countries. An anonymized self-administered questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to doping in sports issues was administered to ASP from Southeast Asian countries. Overall, 596 respondents from eleven countries participated in the study. The majority were male (67.1%), non-healthcare professionals (89.4%), and retired elite athletes (57.7%). Their knowledge was found to be poor, reflected in a mean score of 16.1±5.4 out of 30. Attitudes towards doping, as measured by the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale (PEAS), scored 18.1±9.4, indicating a negative attitude. While some respondents provided information on medication and supplements use in sports to athletes, only 11.8% reported regular updates on doping in sports topics. Meanwhile, the knowledge and PEAS scores were significantly different between the genders (p = 0.04; p = 0.02). The knowledge score was also negatively correlated with the PEAS (p<0.01). This study highlights significant knowledge gaps among ASP in Southeast Asia regarding anti-doping practices. Enhancing their knowledge and fostering positive attitudes toward anti-doping efforts can promote a culture of doping-free sports, particularly among the emerging generation of young athletes they support., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Lim et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The paper aims to investigate the interplay of sports athletic behavior between big-five personality traits and sports performance in China. The study acquired cross-sectional responses on the questionnaire from 260 Chinese sports athletes, including males and females. Fuzzy analysis techniques were applied to examine the results of the study. Fuzzy TODIM assessment, and fuzzy decision analysis technique applied to draw inferences. The results established that big-five personality traits are significant predictors of athletic behaviors; however, neuroticism is found to be insignificant. The interplay of athletic behavior of sports athletes is also significant in sports game performance. The role of athletic behavior in the nexus between personality traits and sports performance is also significant. Gender also has a significant role in behavior and sports performance. Chinese educational institutional and sports administrations should strive to encourage psychological training programs are enhance mental resilience for effective performance. Valuing sports opportunities for females to shape gender equality would promote sports performance at the school and college levels. Therefore, policy makers need to take such initiatives for a physically academic grooming of the individuals., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Physical activity is recommended as a strategy for promoting mental health, and it can even be integrated into treatment plans for psychiatric disorders affecting the general population. However, elite athletes are a subpopulation with protective and risk factors inherent to high-level competition and are not shielded from psychiatric symptoms and conditions. The mental health of elite athletes has been the subject of increasing attention, driven in part by the initiatives of the International Olympic Committee and the growing importance of sports psychiatry. This article is a narrative review that provides an overview regarding anxiety, in particular generalized anxiety disorder in elite athletes. Our assessment concluded that competitive anxiety may affect an elite athlete's performance in both harmful and beneficial ways. Assessing the duration, frequency, and functional impact of anxiety symptoms is crucial for ruling out generalized anxiety disorder. Elite athletes do not show a significantly different prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder compared to the general population. Identifying specific protective and risk factors can contribute to adopting more effective preventive and intervention strategies. As in the general population, psychotherapy is recommended for elite athletes as the initial treatment for this condition, combined, if necessary, with pharmacotherapy, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency Code.

There are many routes to achieving an elite status in sports, which can be described as a journey that involves many developmental environments. In terms of navigating transitions and across environments, the adolescent years are particularly crucial, and psychosocial skills may assist youth athletes to maintain balance and wellbeing in combining sports and education. The aim of this study was to investigate the environmental differences in career adaptability profiles as students adapt to their sports high schools. A total of 391 student-athletes (51% female, 49% male) from six sports high schools in Finland participated in the study. To compare the environments' features, we created a typology of the environments based on a document analysis methodology. Our quantitative analysis builds upon the findings of the first author, who applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to career adaptability measures across the first year of sports high school. To investigate whether student-athletes have a higher probability of belonging to a profile in certain sports high schools, we used multinomial regression analysis. The results showed that the most sports-focused and centralized environment did not support career adaptability development to the same extent as other environments. Furthermore, we found that student-athletes in the "highly successful" environment had the highest probability of belonging to the high or increased career adaptability profile, despite reporting the highest number of sports training hours and high academic success. This study demonstrates the importance of the locality and the authenticity of the environments and of how their features support student-athletes' career adaptability development., (© 2024 The Author(s). Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: While body image dissatisfaction (BID) and eating disorders (EDs) are relatively common in athletes (ranging from 11% to 67% of athletes, depending on the sport) [1], they are also prevalent in weight-class restricted sports (a common format in strength sports), and among physique athletes [2]. These athletes manipulate their nutrition to reach aesthetic or body weight standards and, in that process, may undergo prolonged periods of low energy availability. Low energy availability, defined as consuming insufficient energy for one's lean mass and exercise activity, can lead to Relative Energy Deficiency in sport (REDs), a syndrome that can impact menstrual cycle (MC) symptoms (and many other aspects of physiology and psychology) [3]. There has not been an investigation into the relationships between these resistance-trained (RT) athletes' nutritional habits, MC-related symptoms, BIDs, and EDs., Methods: A survey was implemented to explore the dieting habits, MC characteristics, BID, and EDs in RT females., Results: 64.6% ( n  = 469) of participants reported tracking calories, with a slightly higher percentage of competitive athletes tracking calories 71.8% ( n  = 181) than recreational-level athletes. Competitive athletes were significantly more likely to track calories than recreational-level athletes ( p  = 0.003). When asked what the primary purpose of calorie restriction was, most participants selected weight loss for aesthetic purposes 58.8% ( n  = 356). Competitive athletes were less likely to select weight loss for aesthetic purposes 35.7% ( n  = 77), but weight loss for the purpose of a weight class-based sport was higher at 43.5% ( n  = 94). There were no significant associations between BID and MC characteristics or most MC symptoms and limited associations between EDs and MC characteristics and symptoms., Conclusion: RT athletes exhibited a higher prevalence of calorie tracking than the general population. Competitive RT athletes were less likely to calorie restrict for aesthetic purposes than non-athletes, but more likely to calorie restrict for the purpose of weight-class-based sports. There were limited significant associations between BID and MC characteristics or MC symptoms, as well as between EDs and MC characteristics. However, there was a significant association between amenorrhea and EDs, which aligns with previous research in this area. Both BID and EDs were significantly associated with MC-based mental health effects; this is likely due to the interconnected nature of mental health concerns, such as EDs with depression and anxiety.

Dual careers (DCs) are challenging trajectories followed by athletes willing to develop their academic/professional career with their athletic careers. These trajectories usually entail additional stressors, which can decrease athletes' mental health or even increase their risk of mental ill-health. While existing research has recognized the importance of psychological and social factors in both of these areas separately, we lack systematic knowledge on which factors are associated with European DC athlete mental health outcomes, making evidence-based practice more challenging. In this regard, to advance the European DC tradition and to provide a strong base for researchers and practitioners working within this field, this systematic review aims to appraise this evidence identifying and categorizing the psychological and social factors associated with the European DC athletes' mental health. We conducted this review according to Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines and performed the systematic search in six databases, finding 56 eligible articles. Our analysis identified 35 different psychological and social factors, most showing significant associations with athletes' mental health. Notably, affect, stress, motivational climate, mindfulness, resilience, perfectionism, goal orientation, motivation, and basic psychological need satisfaction showed the strongest evidence associated with mental health. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive synthesis of psychological and social factors, advancing the holistic ecological approach in dual careers and athlete mental health. Yet, our results highlight the need to strengthen the evidence regarding these factors and provide specific research avenues, such as focus on DC-specific factors and consideration of DC athlete definition and career trajectories., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.)

It has been found that the way high-performance coaches lead influences both athletes' performance and mental health. However, limited research exists on the Social Identity Approach to leadership in elite sports, despite growing interest in coaching science regarding interpersonal behaviours and leadership. This study investigates the empirical links between coaches' leadership, sport performance and mental health from a social identity approach. One hundred and forty-five elite athletes ( M age  = 20.6 years; SD  = 4.1; 62% women, 38% men) answered questionnaires measuring coaches' social identity leadership, sport performance satisfaction and mental health. The overall structural equation model (SEM) accounted for 36% and 19% of the variances in athletes' mental health and mental illness dimensions, respectively. There was a positive association between perceived coaches' social identity leadership and sport performance satisfaction, explaining 10% of its variance. Coaches' social identity leadership predicted athletes' mental health but not mental illness. Sport performance satisfaction positively influenced mental health and negatively impacted mental illness. Fostering a sense of "we" and "us" within elite sport training groups is instrumental in promoting sport performance satisfaction and, consequently, enhancing the mental health of athletes. Coaching educational courses may benefit from social identity leadership in interpersonal behaviours.

We investigated sensorimotor synchronization abilities across swimmers of different artistic expertise levels. Elite, novice, and non-artistic female swimmer participants completed finger and foot tapping tasks involving single and polyrhythmic patterns that were intended to simulate the rhythmic coordination required in artistic swimming. Although no significant group differences were found in basic sensorimotor synchronization skills, elite athletes exhibited superior performance on polyrhythmic tasks. This observed superior performance could be partly attributable to a pre-existing predisposition for such motor skills and/or the effects of rigorous training. These findings highlight the critical impact of sport-specific demands on temporal control skills and suggest important implications for training methodologies in artistic swimmers., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport scale (I-PRRS) into Thai and evaluate the measurement properties of the Thai version (TH-I-PRRS)., Methods: The I-PRRS was translated according to international guidelines. Athletes who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction during the previous 6 months to 5 years were recruited to complete two sets of questionnaires. At baseline, participants filled out the TH-I-PRRS questionnaire and other relevant measures. After 2 weeks, they completed the TH-I-PRRS again, along with the Global Rating of Change scale., Results: The TH-I-PRRS was successfully translated from English. A total of 142 patients (mean age: 30.7 ​± ​8.9 years; 83.1% male) participated. Eight of nine predefined hypotheses (88.9%) regarding correlations between the TH-I-PRRS and other measures were confirmed, indicating good construct validity. The TH-I-PRRS exhibited excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ​= ​0.92; 95% CI: 0.90-0.94) and high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ​= ​0.83; 95% CI: 0.66-0.90). No floor or ceiling effects were observed., Conclusion: The TH-I-PRRS is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the psychological readiness of athletes to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction., Level of Evidence: II., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All of the authors declare that they have no personal or professional conflicts of interest related to any aspect of this study., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Perfectionism includes various dimensions focused on different planes of psychological functioning, with both positive and negative elements that influence adaptation to the pursuit of achievement and personal satisfaction with efforts and their attainment. We examined participants' levels of perfectionism and the relationship between perfectionism and anxiety in young athletes, and we described the mediating factor of self-confidence as a determinant of sport performance. We utilized a non-experimental, descriptive, and transversal research design. A total of 263 Spanish young athletes ( M age = 15.79 years; SD = 1.07) who belonged to different sports clubs and engaged in different sports completed the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) and the Competitive Anxiety Inventory (CSAI-2R). Our results confirmed our belief that self-confidence was a protective factor for diminishing the negative relationships between perfectionism, anxiety, and sport performance. Regarding the predictive power of these variables, the construction of exaggerated achievement expectations (or personal standards) by combining functional and dysfunctional resources was reflected in cognitive anxiety (dysfunctional) and was mediated by self-confidence (functional). Application of these elements into training via well planned communication may allow coaches to enhance young athletes' resources for mental and behavioral adjustment toward their sporting goal. In addition, this training approach may underscore athletes' self-perceived competence and enhance their self-confidence., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: Rugby league is a physically demanding sport that necessitates considerable nutritional intake, focusing on quality and type, in order to optimize training and competition demands. However, rugby league athletes are reported to have inadequate nutrition intake to match these demands. Some factors that may determine an athlete's nutrition intake have been reported in other sports, including (but not limited to, knowledge, time, cooking skills, food costs, income, belief in the importance of nutrition, body composition goals, and family/cultural support). However, these potential factors are relatively unexplored in rugby league, where a range of personal (age, body composition) or social (ancestry) influences could affect nutritional intake. Further exploration of these factors is warranted to understand the knowledge, attitudes and behavior underlying rugby league athletes' nutritional intake that can provide practitioners with a more detailed understanding of how to approach nutrition behaviors and attitudes in rugby league athletes., Objectives: The primary aim was to describe the nutrition behaviors and knowledge of rugby league athletes. A secondary aim was to compare nutrition knowledge and behavior based on age, body composition and self-identified ancestry., Methods: Fifty professional rugby league athletes anonymously completed a seventy-six-question online survey. The survey consisted of three sections : 1) sports nutrition knowledge, 2) attitudes toward nutrition on performance , and 3) nutrition behaviors. All participants completed the online survey without assistance using their own personal device, with data entered via REDCap during pre-season. Nutrition knowledge was compared based on age (years), body composition (body fat percentage (%)) and ancestral groups (Pasifika, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) and Anglo- European).Pearson correlation was used for the relationship between nutrition knowledge, age and body composition. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine nutrition knowledge differences between ancestral groups with age and body composition as covariates. Attitudes and behaviors were compared based on age groups (<20, 20-24 and >25 y), ancestry and body composition. Attitudes and behaviors were analyzed by Pearson correlation for body composition, one-way ANOVA for age groups and ANCOVA for ancestry with covariates age and body composition., Results: Overall athletes' nutrition knowledge score was reported as 40 ± 12% (overall rating "poor"). Nutritional behaviors were significant for body composition, as those with lower body fat percentage had higher intakes of vegetables and dairy products ( p  = 0.046, p  = 0.009), and ate more in the afternoon (lunch p  = 0.048, afternoon snack p  = 0.036). For ancestry, after adjustment for both age and body composition, Pasifika athletes were more inclined to miss breakfast and lunch compared to their Anglo-European ( p  = 0.037, p  = 0.012) and ATSI ( p  = 0.022, p  = 0.006) counterparts and ate more fruit than Anglo-Europeans ( p  = 0.006, p  = 0.016). After adjustment for body composition, ATSI athletes also viewed the impact of nutrition on mental health and well-being significantly lower than Pasifika ( p  = 0.044)., Conclusion: These findings suggest differences exist within rugby league athletes based on ancestral backgrounds and body composition for nutrition attitudes, behaviors and knowledge. Such outcomes could be used when designing nutrition education interventions, with consideration given to these factors to optimize long-term positive behavior change.

The growing number of athletes in the population leads to an increasing demand for high-protein functional foods to which food industries are trying to respond with new products and strategies that can meet the needs of athletes. An experimental auction was performed to elicit athletes' willingness to pay for an innovative high-protein bread, correlating it to specific food values. For a deeper understanding of the determinants of respondents' choices for high-protein bread and preferences regarding food values, the combination of Best-Worst Scaling and Cluster Analysis was used. The Cluster Analysis identified five different groups of athletes, each characterised by specific preferences and willingness to pay. Participants with high attention for the nutritional aspect and needs related to sports activity, are willing to pay more than the other ones. The investigated issue is crucial for customizing marketing strategies and meeting the needs of different athlete segments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the role of parental influence on youth SSS and to characterize parental perceptions of SSS., Data Sources: Embase.com, Ovid-Medline All, CINAHL Plus, APA PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed Central (PMC) since database inception., Study Selection: Primary studies that assessed reasons for youth SSS that included parental influence as a factor and/or studies that investigated the nature or extent of parental influence on SSS were included., Data Extraction: A single author extracted data, focusing on definitions and measures of SSS and parental influence, findings concerning primary reasons for SSS, any quantitative or qualitative findings on the extent of parental influence on SSS, and findings concerning various associations between parental influence, SSS, and other themes., Data Synthesis: 61 articles were assessed in total, with 23 meeting criteria for inclusion. Parental influence plays a limited direct role in SSS, accounting for approximately 10.6% of the overall influence. Athlete self-influence or self-enjoyment of sport was found to be the predominant reason to pursue SSS, accounting for 82.3% of the overall influence. However, parents indirectly influence SSS by modulating athlete motivation and providing financial, practical, and emotional support., Conclusions: Athlete self-motivation primarily drives SSS directly, while parents indirectly influence SSS by modulating athlete self-motivation and offering financial, practical, and emotional support. Misconceptions persist regarding parental perceptions of SSS-related injury risks, scholarship attainment, and athletic development. Communication with parents regarding the risks associated with SSS and their role in monitoring their children's sports participation is crucial for mitigating adverse outcomes in youth athletes.

Coaches' role in athletes' eating pathology has been largely understood according to athletes' accounts of the coaching behaviors and practices that harmed them. Uniquely, this study engaged coaches as research participants to more fully inform future intervention efforts. Using a multiparadigm approach, this study explored how coaches' understood, constructed, and communicated sport-related body ideals with their female athletes through specific coaching behaviors and practices along with systems of influence and interaction that informed them. Ten coaches (Mage= 35.6) of female aesthetic sport athletes were interviewed. Data were analysed via interpretive description. Results indicated coaches' negative experiences as athletes themselves informed their intention to prevent harm with athletes they coached. Coaches nonetheless emphasized weight, shape, size, and appearance ideals steeped in sport tradition. Dissonance was salient between wanting to prevent harm using strategic approaches to body-related communication, while also reinforcing body ideals believed to promote high performance. Yet, neither athletes' performance goals nor prevention of harm were attained. Influences across coaches' ecosystems explained their behaviors and practices. A novel framework is proposed to describe five intersectional body ideal orientations embodied by the coaches, ranging from body ideal conformity to body diversity advocacy. This framework can inform coach-centered, systems-based education and research., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sports nutrition is an impactful component to sports performance. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the sports nutrition knowledge of National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate athletes and assess self-reported perceived requirements for energy and macronutrient intake. A secondary aim was to evaluate the awareness of physical and emotional perceptions associated with mindful eating., Methods: Participants included NCAA Division I (DI, n  = 45), II (DII, n  = 31), and III (DIII, n  = 47) athletes. Athletes completed a validated questionnaire designed to assess sports nutrition knowledge and were asked questions about their perceived dietary energy and macronutrient requirements. Daily energy intake values were calculated using a recommended relative energy intake value of 40, 50, and 60 kcal/kg/day for low, moderate, and high activity levels, respectively. Carbohydrate recommendations were calculated using 4, 6, and 8 g/kg/day, protein recommendations were calculated using relative intakes of 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 g/kg/day, and fat recommendations were calculated from a relative percentage of total predicted daily energy requirements, equating to 15, 25, and 30% of daily energy. Additionally, athletes completed a questionnaire to assess mindfulness regarding eating habits., Results: Overall, athletes answered 45.5 ± 13.5% of questions correctly on the nutrition questionnaire with significant differences observed between male (48.6 ± 13.6%) and female athletes (43.6 ± 13.2%; p  = 0.044), as well as significant differences observed between DI athlete scores (38.8 ± 14.1%) and DII athletes (47.7 ± 11.4%; p  = 0.002), and DI athletes and DIII athletes (51.71 ± 11.83%; p  =  <0.001). All athletes significantly ( p  < 0.001) underestimated daily energy intake requirements (female, 2,112 ± 575 kcal/day; male, 3,283 ± 538 kcal/day). The mindfulness eating habits total score was significantly higher in male athletes (65.1 ± 6.5) compared to female athletes (60.9 ± 9.5; p  = 0.009)., Conclusions: Division I, II, and III collegiate athletes have poor sports nutrition knowledge, with Division I athletes having exhibited lower scores compared to Division II and III athletes on the sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire. Athletes from all levels of collegiate sports underestimated their energy and macronutrient requirements. Differences in mindful eating habits among female and male athletes were also evident.

Recent research suggested that mental toughness might play a mediating role in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and sleep quality. This study sought to examine the associations between multidimensional perfectionism, mental toughness, and sleep quality in young Chinese athletes, with a particular focus on investigating the potential mediating role of mental toughness in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and sleep quality. A total of 208 Chinese athletes (129 females and 79 males) aged from 15 to 29 (Mage = 19.9, SD = 2.52) were included. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the potential mediating effect. The results revealed that perfectionism striving was not associated with sleep quality, whereas perfectionism concerning emerged as a negative predictor of sleep quality. Mental toughness could positively predict sleep quality. The mediation analysis demonstrated that mental toughness partially mediated the relationship between perfectionism concerning and sleep quality. This study revealed that perfectionism concerning can reduce sleep quality, and mental toughness played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perfectionism concerning and sleep quality among Chinese young athletes. These findings suggest that enhancing athletes' mental toughness and reducing perfectionism concerning may be effective strategies for improving sleep quality., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. This study used an online questionnaire to collect data, and subjects could opt to complete the questionnaire at any time. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Approval Number: H20230292I). Consent for publication: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Our aim was to define the priorities for future research in safeguarding athletes from interpersonal violence (IV) in sport through a Delphi consensus study of researchers in the field., Methods: An internet-based three-round Delphi method was used as a multistage facilitation technique to arrive at a group consensus (set at ≥75% agreement). A targeted literature search was conducted to develop a list of potential research priorities that were presented as short statements in the first round., Results: A total of 52 participants (researchers in IV in sport) took part in the first round, 52 completed the second round and 44 completed the third round. Respectively, 47 items, 83 items and 60 items were included in each round. The participants achieved consensus on 11 statements in the first round, seven in the second round and 31 in the third round, for a total of 49 consensus research priorities. The first four priorities that reached consensus (78.8-80.8% agreement) directly following the first Delphi round were scored with high importance (between 6.2 and 6.3 on a scale of 7). Those four priorities included: (1) documenting the experiences of children athletes and minors, (2) studying the disclosure or reporting of violence, (3) developing, evaluating and advising on interventions targeting education and training and (4) documenting the experiences of violence of para athletes., Conclusion: This study defines research priorities for IV in sport that may elucidate further gaps in current policies and practices., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MM is a Deputy Editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: A paucity of studies assesses the intersection of physical health (injury and illness), mental health and experiences of interpersonal violence (IV, also known as harassment and abuse) in sport. The objectives of this study were to examine the (a) frequency of self-reported physical and mental health problems of elite athletes in the 12 months prior to the survey, (b) differences in physical and mental health between male and female athletes and (c) relationship of athlete health with experiences of IV., Methods: Elite adult athletes from four sports were approached at eight international events to answer an online questionnaire on their physical and mental health, as well as experiences of IV in sport within the past 12 months., Results: A total of 562 athletes completed the questionnaire. Overall, 75% reported at least one physical symptom, most commonly headache and fatigue (n=188; 33.5% each), followed by musculoskeletal symptoms (n=169; 29.4%). 65.1% reported at least one mental health symptom, mostly of anxiety or depression. More female than male athletes reported physical (F:81.9%; M:68.3%; p<0.001) and mental (F:71.9%; M:58.4%; p<0.001) health problems, while addiction problems were more frequent in male athletes (F:1.8%; M:6.4%; p=0.006. 53.0% of the female and 42.3% of the male participants reported having experienced at least one form of IV. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that all forms of IV, except physical IV (all p's<0.001), were associated with an increasing number of physical and mental health symptoms. In addition, the analysis showed that female athletes had a higher increase in symptoms in response to IV than male athletes., Conclusions: This study demonstrates the relationship of elite athlete physical and mental health with IV. Injury and illness prevention programmes in international sport should include strategies to reduce IV., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MM is a Deputy Editor of the BJSM and a member of the BJSM IPHP Editorial Board., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: College athletes are at elevated risk for sexual violence, yet few formally report it and screening for sexual violence is uncommon. This study aimed to evaluate the nature of screening occurring among college athletes and collect athletes' opinions on how best to screen for sexual violence., Methods: This was a mixed-methods study combining a cross-sectional survey with small group interviews. Intercollegiate and club athletes 18 years and older at a division I institution were recruited to complete an online, anonymous survey. Those who completed the survey were invited to participate in follow-up interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis., Results: 165 athletes completed the survey. Only 25% of respondents reported past screening for any type of interpersonal violence, and only 22% reported past screening for sexual abuse and 21% for sexual harassment. 12 student-athletes participated in follow-up interviews. Athletes suggested several best practices including normalising conversation about sexual violence, empowering athletes to maintain a sense of control around disclosure, building trust and providing multiple opportunities for discussion and disclosure., Conclusion: Less than one-quarter of athletes in this study have been screened for sexual violence. Sensitive and effective screening practices should include providing safe environments, initiating the conversation, offering multiple opportunities for disclosure, and ensuring personnel completing screening are knowledgeable on what to do in case of a disclosure. These can inform screening and educational practices to decrease stigma, support those affected and ultimately decrease the incidence of sexual violence victimisation., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Vigor plays an important role in mental health, and it is closely related to sporting performance. Neuroticism can affect individual vigor, but its internal mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to examine the relationship between neuroticism and vigor, and the role of anxiety and mind wandering between the two., Methods: A total of 591 athletes completed questionnaires on neuroticism, pre-competition anxiety, mind wandering and vigor. The survey data were tested for common method biases, Pearson's correlation, and structural equation model via SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 7.0., Results: Results showed that neuroticism had a predictive effect on athletes' vigor 4 ( β  = -0.511, p < 0.001). Pre-competition anxiety ( β  = -0.056, BC 95% CI = [-0.091, -0.028]) and mind wandering ( β  = -0.030, BC 95% CI = [-0.054, -0.014]) mediate neuroticism effects on vigor separately. There was a significant serial mediation effect from "neuroticism→Pre-competition anxiety→mind wandering→energy" ( β  = -0.010, BC 95% CI = [-0.023, -0.002])., Discussion: This study provides a reference for the systematic investigation of the relationship between neuroticism and vigor, and specific intervention methods for ensuring athletes' vigor and improving sports performance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Li and Tian.)

Objective: Little is known about the relationship between neuropsychological test performance, cognitive symptom reporting, and depressive symptoms after sport-related concussion. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study examined these relationships in collegiate athletes. It was hypothesized that depressive symptoms would moderate and mediate the relationship between performance-based and self-reported cognitive functioning after concussion., Methods: After sustaining a sport-related concussion, 110 collegiate athletes completed a neuropsychological battery, the Post-Concussion Symptoms Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen. Neuropsychological test performance, depressive symptoms, and their interactions were entered into distinct hierarchical linear regression analyses with self-reported cognition as the dependent variable to assess moderation. Mediation was analyzed using the PROCESS macro with 5000 bootstrap samples and a 95% confidence interval., Results: There was a significant interaction between the mean memory composite and depressive symptoms when predicting cognitive symptom reporting, p = 0.047. Simple effects tests revealed that for athletes who had a lower memory composite score, an increase in depressive symptoms led to an increase in self-reported cognitive dysfunction, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.11. Depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between the memory composite and cognitive symptom reporting, indirect effect = -0.26, 95%CI[-0.58,0.001], but this relationship was not found for any other neurocognitive domain., Conclusions: For tests of memory, depressive symptoms moderated and partially mediated the relationship between performance-based and self-reported cognitive functioning after sport-related concussion. Athletes reporting high depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction may need more comprehensive evaluations to inform return-to-play decisions, and depression could be a treatment target for athletes who report high levels of cognitive dysfunction after concussion., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Mouth rinsing (MR) with a carbohydrate solution is one of the most popular methods athletes use to improve their game-based performance due to its acute ergogenic effect., Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the carbohydrate MR intervention on psychophysiological responses and kinematic profiles during intermittent ( INT ) and continuous ( CON ) 4-a-side small-sided soccer games (SSGs)., Methods: Thirty-two adolescent soccer players (age: 16.5 ± 0.5 years) played six bouts of 4-a-side SSGs with MR INT or MR CON at 3-day intervals in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, and crossover study design. Psychophysiological responses and kinematic profiles were continuously recorded during all games. The rating of perceived exertion (RPE), the rating scale of mental effort (RSME), and the physical enjoyment scores (PES) were also determined at the end of each game., Results: The MR CON induced higher psychophysiological responses such as RPE, internal training load (ITL), and RSME ( p ≤ 0.05, d values ranging from 0.50 to 1.04 [small to moderate effect]). Conversely, the MR INT induced higher PES ( p ≤ 0.05, d values = 1.44 [large effect]) compared to MR CON . Although the MR intervention led to similar improvements in the performance of 4-a-side MR INT and MR CON , there was no significant difference between the groups., Conclusions: Our results suggest that the MR intervention can be used as an effective ergogenic supplement for acute game performance enhancement, regardless of the game's structure.

In the Paris Olympic cycle, South Korean women's athlete An Se-young rose to the top of the 2023 BWF Olympic points with a win rate of 89.5%. With An Se-young as the subject, this paper aims to carry out technical and tactical analysis of women's badminton singles and formulate a prediction model based on machine learning. Firstly, An's technical and tactical statistics are analyzed and presented in a proposed "three-stage" data classification method. Secondly, we improve our "three-stage" machine learning dataset using video analysis of 10 matches (21 point games) where An Se-young faced off against four other players ranked in the top five of the World Badminton Federation (BWF) in week 44 of 2023. Finally, we establish a prediction model for the scoring and losing of points in the women's badminton singles based on the 'Decision tree', 'Random forest', 'XGBoost', 'Support vector' and 'K-proximity' algorithms, and analyze the effectiveness of this model. The results show that the improved data classification is reasonable and can be used to predict the final score of a match. When the support vector machine uses the RBF function kernel, the accuracy reaches its highest at 87.5%, and the consistency of this prediction model is strong. An's playstyle is sustained and unified; she does not seek continuous pressure, but rather exploits and maximizes her aggression following any mistake made by her opponents, immediately utilizing assault methods such as kills or dives, often resulting in the conversion of points during the subsequent 2-3 strikes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Yuan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Control beliefs are adaptive for athletes coping with significant obstacles to sport. Our study tested whether the effects of setback-related primary (PC) and secondary control (SC) on adaptive sport-related outcomes were mediated via setback rumination in collegiate athletes. We recruited 200 collegiate athletes using Prolific, from both Canada and the United States of America (Mage = 22.3 years; 125 women, 69 men, five nonbinary individuals, and one nonresponse). We used structural equation modelling to test direct paths from Time 1 PC and SC and rumination to Time 2 competition anxiety and sport commitment and test indirect paths of PC and SC to the outcomes through rumination. Findings revealed PC directly increased sport commitment, and through higher rumination, PC predicted higher competition anxiety. Athletes' SC predicted lower competition anxiety via lower rumination. We discuss the implications of these findings for athletes managing significant sport setbacks and for sport personnel supporting athletes.

This study aims to explore the complex and multifaceted relationship between Behavioral Activation and Behavioral Maintenance in sports participation, delving into the underlying mechanisms to provide practical insights into how individuals initiate and sustain engagement in sports activities. Utilizing a combination of convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods, 378 sports participants from over ten provinces and cities in China were selected as survey subjects, and an intermediary model concerning the activation and maintenance of sports participation behavior was constructed. Discriminant validity and mediation effect analyses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS 23.0. The results indicate that Behavioral Activation indirectly influences Behavioral Maintenance through Competence (ad = 0.39), with a 95% confidence interval [0.201, 0.642], excluding 0. Behavioral Activation also indirectly influences Behavioral Maintenance through Autonomy (be = 0.23), with a 95% confidence interval [0.109, 0.421], excluding 0. However, Behavioral Activation indirectly influences Behavioral Maintenance through Relatedness (cf. = 0.09), with a 95% confidence interval [-0.068, 0.336], which includes 0. The study reveals that both Competence and Autonomy significantly mediate the activation and maintenance of sports participation behavior among athletes. However, Relatedness does not play a significant mediating role in the activation and maintenance of sports participation behavior among the participants., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Sporting success relies not only on athletes' physical qualities but also involves psychological, technical, and environmental factors. Given the lack of effective tools to comprehensively measure sporting success in the Chinese context, this study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Sport Success Scale (SSS-C)., Methods: A total of 604 adolescent basketball players, comprising 301 (49.8%) males and 303 (50.2%) females aged between 12 and 19 (M = 15.53, SD = 1.42), were recruited from secondary schools across 17 cities in Shandong Province, China, to answer the questionnaire, which measured their views on 29 items through a six-point Likert scale. The SSS was translated into Chinese language (SSS-C) using forward-backward translation techniques. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed using Mplus 8.0 software to assess the structural validity of SSS-C. The reliability and convergent validity were also evaluated., Results: CFA results demonstrated an excellent fit to the hypothesized six-factor model based on the fit indices (CFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.016 [90% CI: 0.005, 0.022], SRMR = 0.018). All items displayed significant factor loadings above 0.40, supporting the robustness of the model. The SSS-C exhibited high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α ranged from 0.95 to 0.96; Composite Reliability ranged from 0.95 to 0.96) and strong convergent validity (Average Variance Extracted values > 0.50)., Conclusion: The SSS-C with 29 items was a valid and reliable instrument for comprehensively assessing sport success among Chinese adolescent athletes. The multidimensional approach of the SSS-C provides a new perspective for understanding the psychological factors contributing to athletes' success, which can inform the development of targeted interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Smartphones and social media have become an integral part of human daily life and they influence mental well-being. These accounts have been researched in the general population, but not in athletes. This is critical given enhanced physical and emotional stressors in athletes versus non-athletes. Therefore, we here studied intra- and interindividual relationships of four social media sites (WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat) with mood, stress, recovery, and sleep using log-based media usage tracking as an objective measure in 53 competitive athletes aged 12-27 years. Multilevel modeling revealed that intraindividual TikTok usage negatively predicted sleep (β = -0.10, p = 0.040) and recovery (β = -0.15, p < 0.002), and positively predicted stress (β = 0.12, p = 0.018). Interindividual Instagram usage predicted feelings of calmness (β = 0.27, p = 0.029) and valence (β = 0.20, p = 0.043). Intriguingly, competition level moderated the usage outcomes of all four apps: Athletes on low performance levels showed lower mental well-being when using social media longer, yet in national and international athletes the strength of these relationships was weaker or even reversed. Our study unravels social media usage associations with mental well-being to vary as a function of performance level and provides findings on intra- and interindividual effects of critical importance to inform future population-tailored and expedient interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: This study investigated the influence of sociodemographic factors on the dietary habits of athletes of the Polish Biathlon Association. Focusing on age, education, employment status, and gender, this research assesses food choices, meal preparation, and nutritional awareness within a structured sports environment. A cross-sectional survey of 54 athletes was conducted using a modified "Eating Habits of Poles" questionnaire to explore food selection, preparation methods, consumption patterns, and nutritional perspectives. This focus on biathletes emphasizes their distinct dietary needs, which arise from the demanding combination of endurance and precision in their sport, providing valuable insights for tailored dietary strategies to enhance their performance and overall health., Results: The results indicate that age, education, and employment status significantly influence Polish biathletes' dietary habits and nutritional awareness. Older athletes (under 23 years) demonstrated significantly higher nutritional awareness regarding modern dietary trends ( p = 0.015). In contrast, 50% of higher-education athletes were more engaged in meal planning and healthier food choices than those with elementary education ( p = 0.031). Employment status also played a role; 70% of the athletes were students who exhibited more convenience-based food choices, whereas 30% were employed and maintained more structured eating patterns ( p = 0.008). Minimal gender differences were found, with 50% of male and 50% of female athletes showing similar dietary habits, likely due to standardized nutrition programs provided to all athletes., Conclusions: This indicates a potential need for further research to determine whether professional dietary support can effectively address typical gender-related variations in food behavior and lead to improvements in dietary outcomes. This study highlights the importance of targeted nutrition education and professional support for optimizing the nutritional habits of professional athletes. This emphasizes that socio-demographic factors such as age, education, and employment status significantly shape these behaviors, underscoring the need for personalized nutritional strategies within athletic programs.

The menstrual cycle (MC) is a series of hormonal fluctuations that occur approximately every 22-35 days in reproductive-age females, often resulting in a range of physical and psychological symptoms at different points of the cycle. MC symptoms range from mild discomfort to debilitating effects. One intervention that may be able to address these symptoms is yoga, a mind-body practice that incorporates physical postures with breathwork to foster a mindful connection to the body. In the present randomized crossover trial, participants were enrolled for three consecutive MCs and completed a 10-minute daily yoga protocol, which included ten different yoga poses, for one full MC while answering daily questions about MC symptoms, well-being, and training performance; they answered the same questions for the other cycles without the yoga intervention. Twenty women who participated in resistance training sports were recruited. A series of generalized linear mixed models were used to determine whether the association between each outcome variable and current day of the MC varied by cycle type (intervention cycle or control cycle). There was a statistically significant Day × Cycle interaction for bloating, low-back pain, menstrual cramps, and stress, indicating a lower probability of experiencing these symptoms across the MC during the intervention than the control cycle. Daily yoga was also significantly associated with changes in perceived athletic performance across the MC, as shown in the linear mixed-model figures. A 10-minute daily yoga practice was significantly associated with changes in MC symptoms and has the potential to mitigate some MC symptoms and stress perception in an athletic cohort. Furthermore, daily yoga was significantly associated with changes in perceived performance and may stabilize perceived performance metrics across the MC.

Background: Situational awareness and cognitive function are often discounted in sports training programs, potentially limiting their effectiveness., Objective: This research aimed to examine the effect of a six-week neuromuscular-cognitive training program on postural stability, hop performance, and agility with and without perceptual-cognitive challenge in a tennis team., Design: Double baseline, quasi-experimental pretest-posttest., Methods: Ten collegiate female tennis athletes volunteered to participate in this study. Participants completed two baseline testing sessions, a six-week training program, and a post-test session one week after the training program. Participants completed the neuromuscular-cognitive training twice a week for six weeks. The training integrated cognitive load (e.g., working memory and inhibitory control) during exercise (e.g., balance and shuffling). At each data collection session, subjects completed a single-limb stance on a force plate with and without an upper extremity reaction test, single-leg hop, single-leg memory hop, reactive agility, and a lower extremity reaction task. Pre-to post-intervention changes were analyzed using t-tests with corresponding Hedge's g effect sizes. Results were considered significant when p ≤ 0.05 and Hedge's g effect sizes were moderate to strong., Results: Statistically significant improvements were identified for single and dual-task anteroposterior mean center of pressure velocity (g = -0.684-0.803), single-task time-to-boundary mediolateral mean minima (g = 0.921), and single and dual-task time-to-boundary anteroposterior mean minima (0.708-0.830). Additionally, significant improvements were identified in the upper extremity reaction task during the dual-task static balance (g = -0.795)., Conclusion: Neuromuscular-cognitive training may be beneficial in improving postural stability outcomes; however, more research is needed to develop this type of training further., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore self-perceived changes in athlete journey trajectory, or shifts, after ACLR that facilitate or hinder physical activity participation among youth., Methods: Ten participants were included in this study at a median of 5.9 years after adolescent ACLR. Using an interpretive phenomenological methodology, semi-structured interviews with each participant were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data collection focused on participants' lived experiences of reintegration to physical activity after ACLR. Thematic analyses were guided by the procedures of the constant comparative method., Results: Nineteen distinct shifts were identified from participants' perspectives, categorized into the main classification scheme of 1) environmental shifts (extrinsic demands, built environment, social network), 2) psychological shifts (expectations, motivation, meaning of sports, accountability, priorities, athlete identity, mental health, confidence, knowledge, character, participation mentality), and 3) physical shifts (movement competence, sport participation, physical activity, normalization, knee health). Factors perceived to induce shifts were categorized as natural, injury-driven, or life transition-driven., Conclusion: In the years following adolescent ACLR, young athletes experience physical, psychological, and environment shifts that impact physical activity participation. These findings provide important insight for future work that aims to optimize physical activity outcomes after an injury-related disruption in the athlete journey., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The aims of this study were (a) to identify links between transdiagnostic psychological processes and mental health disorder (MHD) symptoms, and (b) to examine differences in MHD and transdiagnostic psychological processes as a function of demographic variables, including, gender, status as an athlete (elite vs. non-elite), number of training sessions per week, previous severe injuries, and use of medical care following severe injuries., Methods: A total of 159 competitive athletes aged between 18 and 40 years old (44 % female; mean age = 24.20 ± 4.88 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire along with validated questionnaires evaluating MHD symptoms and transdiagnostic processes including: motivation to practice sport, emotional competencies, self-efficacy, repetitive negative thinking, meta-cognitive beliefs, and impulsive and perfectionist behaviors., Results: MHD symptoms were positively correlated with controlled forms of motivation, repetitive negative thinking, meta-cognitive beliefs, and impulsive and perfectionistic behaviors; and negatively correlated with emotional competencies and self-efficacy. Gender differences showed that women were more likely to experience MHD, higher levels of repetitive negative thinking, meta-cognitive beliefs, and lower levels of emotional competencies and self-efficacy than men. Finally, elite athletes showed higher personal standards than their non-elite counterparts and those training more than four times per week showed significantly higher perfectionistic behaviors., Discussion: These results are in line with previous findings in clinical psychology and shed light on the role of transdiagnostic processes and the risk of MHD in a sample of French athletes. Further research on the identification of key risk factors for MHD in competitive athletes is needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Until recently, research examining the application of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in sports settings was virtually absent in South Africa. Despite the growing evidence of REBT's potential as a psychological intervention in Western nations, its use within the multicultural and sports-fervent context of South Africa remains unexplored. Moreover, limited research has addressed the impact of REBT on rugby players, with only a few case studies being reported. The current experiment employs a cluster randomized trial (CRT) to compare the effects of a 7-week preferential REBT program with a 7-week Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) program on irrational beliefs, competitive anxiety and subjective performance, among adolescent South African rugby players. We also include a wait-list control group who received neither REBT nor MAC. Results indicate that athletes receiving REBT reported greater improvements in irrational beliefs, anxiety, and subjective performance, while that athletes receiving MAC also reported some improvements in anxiety. This study highlights the potential of REBT as a valuable psychological intervention in the context of South African adolescent rugby players., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest “A cluster randomized trial of a v-emotive behavior therapy program and a mindfulness-acceptance-commitment program, with South African adolescent rugby players," The aforementioned authors affirm that we tried to adhere to the highest ethical standards and scientific integrity when conducting and writing about this research. We affirm that the results presented in this manuscript are based solely on the data collected and analyzed during the course of the study, and they are reported with objectivity and impartiality., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Converging evidence has shown that domain-general cognitive abilities, especially executive functions (EF), tend to be superior in sport experts. However, recent studies have questioned this cognitive advantage and found inconsistent findings when comparing sport type and sex. This study aimed to compare the impact of sport expertise, sport type, and sex on various domains of cognitive functions. Two hundred and thirty elite athletes (n Female  = 124, n Male  = 106) representing three sport categories (Team [n = 91], Precision-skill dependent [n = 63], and Speed-strength [n = 76] sports) were assessed using a computerized neuropsychological test battery including tests of EF (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility and planning), as well as tests of selective and sustained attention. T-scores and raw values were used to analyze performance through t-tests and ANCOVA with age as covariate. Athletes demonstrated better performance than the normative mean on 5 out of 11 cognitive test variables (p < 0.005). However, their performance fell within the average range when considering the results along a normative scale, except for sustained attention and working memory where they performed just above average (<1 SD). There was a significant main effect of sport category on only one EF variable (p = 0.003). Males performed significantly faster than females on motor reaction time measures of attention and inhibition (all p < 0.001). In this study, the 'expert advantage' on domain-general cognitive tests was less prominent when utilizing a normative scale and controlling for age or speed-accuracy trade-offs, except for sustained attention and working-memory. Cognitive functions did not appear to differ meaningfully based on athletes' sport type or sex., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

A competitive sport season represents a multidimensional stressor where physical and psychological stress may render an athlete susceptible to energy deficiency (ED). Downstream effects of ED can include a reduction in measured-to-predicted resting metabolic rate (RMR ratio ), indicating metabolic compensation. A pathway linking stress, eating attitudes, and metabolic compensation has not been explored. To test if sport-specific stress is associated with eating attitudes and metabolism in endurance athletes (18-22 years) at different phases of a competitive season, we assessed two groups of athletes: 26 swimmers (15 female and 11 male) during peak season (PEAK), and 26 runners (female) across pre- (PRE) and off-season (OFF). Stress (RESTQ-52), eating attitudes (cognitive restraint (CR), drive for muscularity (DM), and body dissatisfaction), and metabolism (RMR ratio ) were assessed. In PRE, sport-specific stress and CR were negatively correlated with RMR ratio ( R = -0.58; p  < 0.05, and R = -0.57; p  < 0.05, respectively). In PEAK, sport-specific stress and DM were negatively correlated with RMR ratio ( R = -0.64; p  < 0.05; R = -0.40; p  < 0.05, respectively). DM was positively related to sport-specific stress ( R  = 0.55; p  < 0.05). During OFF, there was no relation between RMR ratio and sport-specific stress. In runners, there was a change in stress from PRE-to-OFF with highest reported stress during PRE ( p  < 0.05) versus OFF. Regression analyses revealed that sport-specific stress and CR were significant predictors of RMR ratio during PRE and PEAK ( p  < 0.05), but not OFF ( p  > 0.05). Associations between stress, eating attitudes, and metabolic compensation in endurance athletes during PRE and PEAK season suggest that during heavier training, metabolic compensation may be linked to upstream eating attitudes associated with sport-stressors., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests.

Objectives: Depression is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, with almost half of the adolescent population affected according to latest research. Given this serious burden of disease, research points toward interventions that could effectively fight this disease in this population subset. One of these pivotal interventions is physical activity, although the effects of different sport types and sport performance level on depression have not yet been studied in adolescent populations. Accordingly, the objective of the current study was to assess the relationship between depressive symptoms, sport type and performance level in a large adolescent population., Design: Cross-sectional study assessing a large cohort of adolescents through self-reported data., Methods: 10,248 participants aged 11-19 years old answered questionnaires regarding depressive symptoms and sporting habits and were classified according to their sport performance level: from physically inactive to internationally competitive., Results: Girls reported higher incidence of depressive symptoms than boys, difference that further increased during late adolescence. Performance level was related to depressive symptoms: inactive participants reported the highest depressive scores while internationally competitive athletes reported the lowest. However, there were no differences between competitive athletes of different performance levels. Further, sport type had a small influence on depressive symptoms., Conclusions: All these findings result in a potential guideline for future research and community health recommendations: as long as sufficient physical activity levels are met and the adolescent engages in sporting activities, the protection against depressive symptoms remains largely unrelated to the sport type and the level at which he or she performs., Competing Interests: Declaration of interest statement The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To synthesize the best available evidence regarding the perceptions and current clinical practices of athletic trainers (ATs) in integrating psychological skills into patient management., Data Sources: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL; via EBSCOhost), PsycInfo (via EBSCOhost), SPORTDiscus (via EBSCOhost), and Scopus (via Elsevier)., Study Selection: Studies had to investigate the current clinical practices and perceptions of certified ATs in integrating psychologically informed practice for patient management. Studies that had level 4 evidence or higher were included. Studies were excluded if they were published before 1999, the primary language was not English, they involved athletic training students or other rehabilitation specialists, or they explored the athlete's and/or patient's perception of psychosocial techniques or strategies., Data Extraction: This systematic review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 Statement in Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport Medicine and Sports Science guidance., Data Synthesis: A total of 1857 articles were reviewed, and 8 met inclusion criteria. Two studies had level 2a evidence, 4 studies had level 4a evidence, and 2 studies had level 4b evidence. Six studies were rated as good quality, and 2 studies were rated as lesser quality. The included studies demonstrated a high-quality body of evidence with consistent results, which strengthens the review findings., Conclusions: Athletic trainers have the knowledge to identify when athletes are psychologically affected by injury and can identify common psychological responses. Although ATs acknowledge the value of implementing psychosocial strategies, a lack of confidence in implementing basic or advanced techniques, feeling underprepared by their educational program, and a lack of clinical training appear to affect the use of psychosocial techniques in clinical practice and the rate of mental health recognition and referral among ATs., (© by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, Inc.)

This study explores visuomotor control in athletes for collision avoidance using virtual reality. Thirty-nine athletes navigated dynamic scenarios, pursuing a virtual target while avoiding two to five virtual defenders. Confirmatory Factor Analysis validated a model that captured two features of scanning behavior based on head movements recorded during activity: the overall amount and temporal pattern. Linear mixed models showed that these features significantly differentiated successful from unsuccessful defender avoidance (p < .05), suggesting that efficient environmental scanning is crucial for collision avoidance while highlighting the potential of visuomotor interventions to reduce collision-related sport injuries., Competing Interests: Declaration of interest statement None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Context: Coaches play an important role in promoting mental health in elite sports. However, they themselves are exposed to risks affecting their mental health, and their fears and worries are often overlooked. Moreover, it remains unclear how coaches' mental health affects their athletes' mental health., Objective: To create a compilation of the literature on (1) elite coaches' mental health and (2) how coaches' mental health influences elite athletes' mental health. Building on this, recommendations for improving coaches' psychological well-being should be elaborated upon and discussed., Data Sources: A literature search was conducted up to November 30, 2021, using the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and SportDiscus., Study Selection: Studies reporting elite coaches' mental health symptoms and disorders and the influence of elite coaches' mental health on elite athletes' mental health were included., Study Design: Scoping review., Level of Evidence: Level 4., Data Extraction: Data regarding elite coaches' mental health, as well as their influence on athletes' mental health and performance, were included in a descriptive analysis. The PRISMA guidelines were used to guide this review., Results: Little research has been done on elite coaches' mental health disorders, although studies confirm that they do experience, for example, symptoms of burnout, anxiety, and depression. The influence of coaches' mental health on their athletes is underinvestigated, with research focused mainly on the influence of coaches' stress., Conclusion: Knowledge about coaches' mental health is still limited. Coaches' poor mental health diminishes coaching performance and might impair athletes' mental health. Coaches should receive more support, including sports psychiatric care and education on the importance of mental health. This could improve the mental health of both coaches and athletes, and positively affect athlete performance., Competing Interests: The following authors declared potential conflicts of interest: A.C. has received consulting fees from the Scottish Institute of Sport and hospitality from the International Olympic Committee and the English Institute of Sport. E.S. has received consulting fees from Lundbeck Pharma, Schwabe Pharma, Jaussen Pharma, and OM Pharma, and payments or honoraria from Lundbeck, Schwabe, and OM Pharma.

Objective: The present study investigated the association between social media engagement and factors related to well-being (e.g., depression, anxiety, sleep, loneliness, self-esteem). Participants: A sample of 1120 college student-athletes (338 males, 777 females, 5 identified as non-binary) from nine universities participated in this study. Method: Data were collected through self-report measures and screen shots of participants' screen time in the previous week. Results: Overall screen time taken from devices was not associated with self-reported well-being, whereas use of social media during daily activities was related to worse well-being across domains (e.g., lower self-esteem, higher fear of missing out, stress, anxiety, depression). In addition, student-athlete perceptions that social media interfere with their lives were related to worse well-being. Conclusions: The implications of these findings, including the possibility of using protective behavioral strategies (PBS) to reduce negative impacts of social media in college students, are discussed.

Athletes and coaches often feel a great deal of passion for sport. But are these highly passionate individuals also highly engaged in sport? Based on the theoretical underpinnings and empirical findings from the dualistic model of passion (Vallerand, 2015), it is unclear if the highest levels of sport engagement are associated with high levels of passion, or with specific combinations of high/low levels of harmonious and obsessive passion. We examined this issue in samples of athletes (N = 403) and coaches (N = 208). Participants completed online questionnaires assessing dimensions of sport passion (i.e., harmonious and obsessive passion) and engagement (i.e., confidence, vigor, dedication, enthusiasm). In both samples, we found that the highest levels of engagement were associated with high harmonious passion. This means that those who are passionate toward sport are not necessarily engaged in sport; engagement is found when passion involves high harmonious passion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Elite sport is a potentially pathogenic environment due to stressors like dual-career, high training demands, and performance pressure. Recent evidence suggests that athletes are at high risk of mental health issues. Even though the FIFA is increasingly paying attention, efforts directed towards young talented footballers are scarce. Few studies have even been conducted on young talented footballers in Africa. The majority of epidemiological studies on athletes also suffer from an analytical approach that does not highlight athletes' mental health profiles. This study aims to describe the mental health profile and their prevalence of young talented footballers in three African representative countries., Methods: The study applied an observational-based cross-sectional research design with aspiring footballers from three sub-regions of Africa and aged between 10 and 23. The data was collected face-to-face from March to November 2022. Three screening tools were used to measure three mental health outcomes: Satisfaction With Life Scale (subjective well-being), Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (depression), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (anxiety). The mental health outcomes were rates and scores of well-being, depression, and anxiety, used in latent profile analysis., Findings: 507 male young talented footballers (263[51∙9%] Cameroonians, 73[14∙4%] Moroccans, and 171[33∙7%] Ivorians) were included in the analysis with a mean age of 15∙1 (SD 2∙37) years. Screening of mental health states revealed that 367(72∙3%) and 412(81∙8%) of these players experienced anxiety and depressive symptoms respectively and 155(30∙7%) experienced low well-being. Differences in mental health outcomes were noted between countries, age groups and competition levels. Three profiles of mental health condition were also identified, namely moderate mental health (Profile 1), languishing (Profile 2) and flourishing (Profile 3)., Interpretation: The youth of football academies in the three African countries studied have a specific mental health profile, revealing a high prevalence of common mental disorders in the African context. These findings underline the need to enhance the awareness of mental health issues in young African players and provide tailored support., Funding: FIFA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student-athletes. Participants: Participants (n = 238) were Division III student-athletes (18-24yrs) enrolled at a Pennsylvania State University campus during the Fall 2020 semester. Methods: Student-athletes were emailed a link of a 43-question survey which was deployed using Qualtrics®. The survey asked questions about collegiate experience, health, well-being, sport related training, and physical fitness before and during the pandemic. Results: Approximately 94% of student-athletes reported that COVID-19 worsened their college experience. About 52 and 59% of student-athletes believed that COVID-19 had a negative impact on their health and well-being, respectively. Nearly 79% of student-athletes reported that their sport-related training decreased during the pandemic. Over half of participants believed that their physical fitness, endurance, and strength decreased during the pandemic. Conclusion: The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on Division III collegiate student-athletes include a worsened college experience as well as worsened health and well-being.

Objective: The current study tested whether proposed sport-related risk factors for disordered eating behaviors were associated with increases in disordered eating over first-year college athletes' first four months of collegiate sport participation., Participants: Participants included a sample of first-year college athletes ( N  = 59, 45% female) from a Division I National Collegiate Athletics Association (DI) university., Method: This follow-up study tested whether 1) wearing a uniform that emphasizes body concerns, 2) participating in a lean sport, and 3) perceived pressure for thinness from coaches and teammates would lead to increases in weight/shape concerns and disordered eating behaviors over the first four months of collegiate sport participation., Results: Wearing a uniform that emphasizes body concerns and perceived coach pressure for thinness predicted increases in weight/shape concern. Both teammate and coach pressure for thinness predicted increases in restrained eating behaviors., Conclusion: Findings suggest that there are identifiable, athlete-specific risk factors for the development of disordered eating behaviors among first-year college athletes.

Objective: Determine how a) masculinity, b) optimism bias, and c) perceived pressure from stakeholders predict concussion reporting intentions and behavior. Participants: Collegiate student-athletes ( n  = 369). Methods: Student-athletes completed surveys of Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46 (nine sections), optimism bias (optimist, neutral, pessimist), perceived pressure from stakeholders (six stakeholder sections), reporting intentions (symptom and concussion), and behavior (symptom and concussion). Four separate stepwise multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Results: A one-point increase in playboy, heterosexual self-preservation, being neutral or optimist compared to a pessimist symptom reporting intention decreased. A one-point increase in sport primacy, perceived pressure from athletic administration, being neutral or optimist compared to pessimist concussion reporting intentions increased 0.05, and decreased 0.23, 0.35, and 0.32, respectively. A one-point increase in violence and playboy increased the odds of being a "non-reporter" by 30% and 40%. Conclusions: Pessimistic views regarding concussion risks may result in greater concussion reporting intentions, however these findings did not influence behavior.

We investigated the associations between Finnish top tier footballers' self-assessed leadership roles (task, motivational, social, external) and player-assessed head coach leadership behavior (supportiveness/emotional composure, negative activation) and leadership role in both practices and games. We also explored the player age- and gender-related differences. Online survey data were anonymously collected from 53 male and 91 female footballers. One player did not identify as male or female, and one chose not to answer the question. Spearman rank-order correlations revealed that players' self-assessed leadership roles correlated positively with their evaluation of their head coach's supportiveness/emotional composure and negatively with negative activation during practices and games. Independent samples T-tests showed that male footballers rated their head coaches lower on negative activation during games and practices and themselves higher on external leadership than female players. The youngest age group, aged 17-20, rated themselves also lower on external leadership than the three older groups.