Physical activity analysis assessment has been a concern throughout human history. The intersection of technological growth with sports has given rise to a burgeoning field known as sports engineering. In the 19th century, the advent of chrono-photography and pioneering marked the inception of sports performance analysis. In recent years, the noticeable developments achieved in wearable low-power electronics with wireless high interconnection capability, as a part of modern technologies, have aided us in studying sports parameters such as motor behavior, biomechanics, equipment design, and materials science, playing an essential role in the understanding of sports dynamics. This study aims to review over 250 published articles since 2018, focusing on utilizing and validating these emergent technologies in sports and clinical aspects. It is predicted that one of the next steps in sports technology and engineering development will be using algorithms based on artificial intelligence to analyze the measurements obtained by multi-sensor systems (sensor fusion) to monitor biometric and physiological parameters in performance analysis and health assessments.

BACKGROUND: The upper extremity spasticity following stroke limited individuals’ activities of daily livings. Focal muscle vibration (FMV) is a device producing vibration signals affecting the central nervous system. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review

Kinematic and biomechanical analysis in monitoring human movement to assess athletes’ or patients’ motor control behaviors. Traditional motion capture systems provide high accuracy but are expensive and complex for the public. Recent advancements in markerless systems using videos captured with commercial RGB, depth, and infrared cameras, such as Microsoft Kinect, StereoLabs ZED Camera, and Intel RealSense, enable the acquisition of high-quality videos for 2D and 3D kinematic analyses. On the other hand, open-source frameworks like OpenPose, MediaPipe, AlphaPose, and DensePose are the new generation of 2D or 3D mesh-based markerless motion tools that utilize standard cameras in motion analysis through real-time and offline pose estimation models in sports, clinical, and gaming applications. The review examined studies that focused on the validity and reliability of these technologies compared to gold-standard systems, specifically in sports and exercise applications. Additionally, it discusses the optimal setup and perspectives for achieving accurate results in these studies. The findings suggest that 2D systems offer economic and straightforward solutions, but they still face limitations in capturing out-of-plane movements and environmental factors. Merging vision sensors with built-in artificial intelligence and machine learning software to create 2D-to-3D pose estimation is highlighted as a promising method to address these challenges, supporting the broader adoption of markerless motion analysis in future kinematic and biomechanical research.

Background: Upper extremity functional impairments are common consequences of stroke. Therefore, continuous investigation of effective interventions for upper extremity functions after stroke is a necessity. Segmental muscle vibration (SMV) is one of the interventions that incorporate sensory stimulation to improve motor cortical excitability. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of 5-minute SMV application along with supervised physical therapy (SPT) on improving activities of daily living and motor recovery on the hemiparetic upper extremity in patients with stroke. Methods: A sample of 37 patients poststroke (29 males) was randomly allocated to either SPT control group (n = 18) or SPT and SMV (SPT-SMV) experimental group (n = 19). All patients received 3 sessions per week of SPT for 8 weeks. The SPT-SMV experimental group received SMV at the end of each SPT session. Outcome measures used were Barthel index (BI), modified Ashworth scale, manual muscle testing, and goniometry for range of motion (ROM) assessment. Results: Thirty-four patients completed the study. Patients in both groups improved significantly after treatment in BI, elbow ROM, and elbow muscles strength. However, muscle tone in elbow joint of the hemiplegic upper extremity improved significantly after SMV only in the experimental group (SPT-SMV). Conclusion: The SPT intervention can improve functional outcomes of upper extremity in people after stroke. However, using SMV may have superior effect on improving muscle tone after stroke.

Background and Objectives: Ankle joint is the most common site of injury for basketball athletes. An effective warm-up (WU) is a period of preparatory exercise to improve training performance and reduce sports injuries. Continuous examination of effective WU routines in basketball players is a necessity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of general and combined warm up on ankle injury range of motion (ROM) and balance in young female basketball players. Materials and Methods: A sample of 28 young female basketball players were randomly allocated to either global warm up control group (GWU) (n = 11) or combined warm up experimental group (CWU) (n = 17). All participants performed 7-min of run. The CWU group performed a single leg stance barefoot with eyes closed, plank forearm position and triceps sural stretching. Participants in GWU performed walking ball handling and core stability using a Swiss ball. Both WU routines were conducted 3 times per week for 10 weeks. Outcome measurements were the Stabilometric platform and dorsiflexion lunge test. Results: Twenty-eight young female basketball players completed the study. Participants in the experimental group improved significantly in the range of motion (ROM) in right and left ankle and the center of pressure displacement (CoP). The control group did not show any changes in ankle dorsiflexion and a significant reduction in all body balance parameters. Conclusions: An 8-min combined warm-up routine for 10 weeks improves the ankle dorsiflexion ROM and CoP displacement that plays a key role in ankle injuries prevention in basketball players. Further studies are strongly needed to verify our findings.