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This systematic review synthesizes evidence on biomarker responses to physiological loads in professional male team sport athletes, providing insights into induced fatigue states. Structured searches across major databases yielded 28 studies examining various biomarkers in elite team sport players. Studies evaluated muscle damage markers, anabolic/catabolic hormones reflecting metabolic strain, inflammatory markers indicating immune activity and tissue damage, immunological markers tied to infection risk, and oxidative stress markers showing redox imbalances from excessive physiological load. Responses were examined in official matches and training across competitive seasons. The evidence shows that professional team sports induce significant alterations in all studied biomarkers, reflecting measurable physiological strain, muscle damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunosuppression during intensive exercise. These effects tend to be larger and more prolonged after official matches compared to training. Reported recovery time courses range from 24-h to several days post-exercise. Monitoring biomarkers enables quantifying cumulative fatigue and physiological adaptations to training/competition loads, helping to optimize performance while mitigating injury and overtraining. Key biomarkers include creatine kinase, testosterone, cortisol, testosterone/cortisol ratio, salivary immunoglobulin-A, and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Further research should extend biomarker monitoring to cover psychological stress and affective states alongside physiological metrics for deeper insight into athlete wellness and readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aimed to summarise and analyse the evidence on the reliability and validity of linear tranducers (LTs) in exercises of different nature and different modes of execution. This systematic review was carried out under PRISMA guidelines, and was carried out using three databases (PubMed, Web of Sciences, and Scopus). Of the 351 initially found, 21 were included in the qualitative synthesis. The results reflected that linear position transducers (LPTs) were valid and reliable in monitoring movement velocity in non-plyometric exercises. However, precision and reliability were lower in execution protocols without isometric phase and in the execution of exercises in multiple planes of movement, with greater measurement errors at higher sampling frequencies. On the other hand, linear velocity transducers (LVTs) proved to be valid and reliable in measuring velocity during plyometric and non-plyometric exercises performed on the Smith machine, with less variation in measurement in the latter. Finally, the use of peak values is recommended, since they are less dependent on the technological errors of LTs. Therefore, the performance of non-plyometric exercises, carried out in the Smith machine and with an isometric phase in the execution of the movement, will help to minimise the technological error of the LTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of women’s soccer has triggered scientific curiosity to gain a deeper understanding of its game dynamics. To organize scientific findings related to the physical demands of women’s soccer during official competitions, contextual factors such as game positions, match periods, type of competition, and match outcomes have been considered. This aims to provide a comprehensive and current overview of physical exertion profiles. This systematic review included PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Science Direct, ERIC, and Scielo electronic databases. A total of 1,859 studies were found, of which, after meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 articles were selected. The study found high variability in racing thresholds for high speeds, with central midfielders covering more total distance and wingers covering more distance at high intensities. Forwards register more sprints, and physical efforts decrease in the second period of the game. International matches demand more effort, and physical demands in women’s soccer are influenced by contextual factors. To design effective training programs, specific profiles for each game position and the type of competition should be considered, and standardization of high intensity and acceleration thresholds is necessary for accurate conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and the level of agreement of the ADR encoder to measure the mean propulsive velocity (MPV) of the bar in the bench press (BP) exercise on the Smith machine. Eleven males (21.6 ± 1.5 years; body mass 76.05 ± 9.73 kg) performed the protocol with isometric phase prior to concentric muscle action (PP) and the protocol in the absence of isometric phase (N-PP) for BP exercise on Smith machine. ADR encoder reported reliability values with almost perfect correlations in all training zones and protocols (PP: ICC = 0.940–0.999, r = 0.899–0.997, CV = 1.56%–4.05%, SEM = 0.0022–0.0153,and MDC = 0.006–0.031 m/s; N-PP: ICC = 0.963–0.999, r = 0.946–0.998, CV = 0.70%–3.01%, SEM = 0.0012–0.0099, and MDC = 0.003–0.027 m/s). Although the levels of agreement were high in both protocols (PP: SEM = 0.0024–0.0204 m/s, MDC = 0.007–0.057 m/s; N-PP: SEM = 0.0034–0.0288 m/s, MDC = 0.009–0.080 m/s), ADR encoder considerably underestimated the MPV values in both protocols (PP: t = −2.239 to −9.486, p < 0.001–0.01; N-PP: t = −6.901 to −17.871, p < 0.001) with respect to the gold standard (T-Force). In conclusion, ADR encoder offers high reliability for the measurement of MPV in bench press exercise performed on Smith machine regardless of their execution mode, in the entire range of intensities. However, this device is not interchangeable with T-Force since it considerably underestimates the MPV values, especially at low loads (0%–40%). Furthermore, the use of too wide load ranges suggests that the data be interpreted with caution, pending further research to corroborate the findings presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific physical qualities such as sprint running, change-of-direction or jump height are determinants of sports performance. Photocell systems are practical and easy to use systems to assess the time from point A to point B. In addition, these photoelectric systems are also used to obtain the time of vertically displaced movements. Knowing the accuracy and precision of photocell timing can be a determinant of ensuring a higher quality interpretation of results and of selecting the most appropriate devices for specific objectives. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarize studies that have examined the validity and reliability of photocells in sport sciences. A systematic review of PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. From the 164 studies initially identified, 16 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures were extracted and analyzed. Photocells appear to have a strong agreement with force plates (gold standard), but are not interchangeable to measure the vertical jump. For monitoring horizontal displacement, double beam systems, compared to single beam systems, are more valid and reliable when it comes to avoiding false triggers caused by swinging arms or legs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy lifestyle from early childhood is a crucial factor that influences bone-related factors in adulthood. In this context, physical education or psychomotricity from early childhood is an important opportunity to face this problem. The present article aims to systematically summarize school-based interventions, evaluated through randomized controlled trial design, that influence the bones of children from early childhood. A systematic review of relevant articles was carried out using four main databases (PubMed, ProQuest Central (including 26 databases), Scopus, and Web of Sciences) until 12 November 2023. From a total of 42 studies initially found, 12 were included in the qualitative synthesis. In brief terms, from early childhood and during puberty, children's bones are particularly responsive to exercise, making this an ideal time for interventions to maximize bone health. Therefore, incorporating physical activity into school curriculums is a strategic approach for enhancing bone health in children. Mainly, plyometric exercises can significantly enhance bone density and geometry. Nevertheless, collaboration among educators, healthcare professionals, and parents is key for designing and implementing these effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The range values of different training and match intensity measures obtained to define benchmarks in female soccer players are needed. Usually, cohort studies analyse only one team with a relatively small sample size, which brings forth the need for a systematic review to generalise training and match intensity evidence. Objectives: This review aimed to identify and summarise studies that have examined external and internal training or match intensity monitoring to provide range values for the main measures in female soccer players. Methods: A systematic review of EBSCO, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: From the 2853 studies searched, 44 were analysed in which the following range intervals were found for training: rated perceived exertion (RPE, 1–7 AU), session-RPE (s-RPE, 51–721 AU), total distance (2347–6646 m) and distance >19.4 km·h−1 (9–543 m). For matches, the range values were s-RPE (240–893 AU), total distance (5480–10581 m), distance ≥14 km·h−1 (543–2520 m), ≥ 18 km·h−1 (96–1680 m), number of accelerations (49–240) and deceleration (21–85) and player load (848–1096 AU). Conclusions: This study provides range values of s-RPE, RPE, TRIMP, total distance and distance >19.4 km·h−1 regarding training; range intervals of s-RPE, heart rate average and maximum, total distance, distance ≥ 14 km·h−1, ≥ 18 km·h−1, ACC and DEC (> 2 ms−2) regarding matches for professional female players that can be used by coaches, practitioners or researchers to achieve similar training and competitive levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy lifestyle from early childhood is a crucial factor that influences bone-related factors in adulthood. In this context, physical education or psychomotricity from early childhood is an important opportunity to face this problem. The present article aims to systematically summarize school-based interventions, evaluated through randomized controlled trial design, that influence the bones of children from early childhood. A systematic review of relevant articles was carried out using four main databases (PubMed, ProQuest Central (including 26 databases), Scopus, and Web of Sciences) until 12 November 2023. From a total of 42 studies initially found, 12 were included in the qualitative synthesis. In brief terms, from early childhood and during puberty, children's bones are particularly responsive to exercise, making this an ideal time for interventions to maximize bone health. Therefore, incorporating physical activity into school curriculums is a strategic approach for enhancing bone health in children. Mainly, plyometric exercises can significantly enhance bone density and geometry. Nevertheless, collaboration among educators, healthcare professionals, and parents is key for designing and implementing these effective interventions.