According to the neural efficiency hypothesis (NEH), professionals have more effective cortical functions in cognitive tasks. This study is focusing on providing a systematic review of sport-related NEH studies with functional neuroimaging or brain stimulation while performing a sport-specific task, with the aim to answer the question: How does long-term specialized training change an athlete's brain and improve efficiency? A total of 28 studies (N = 829, Experimental Group n = 430) from 2001 to 2020 (Median = 2014, SD = 5.43) were analyzed and results were organized into four different sections: expert-novice samples, perceptual-cognitive tasks and neuroimaging technologies, efficiency paradox, and the cluster analysis. Researchers examined a wide range of sport-specific videos and multiple object tracking (MOT) specific to 18 different sports and utilized blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and electroencephalogram (EEG). Expert-novice comparisons were often adopted into investigations about the variations in general about optimal-controlled performance, neurophysiology, and behavioral brain research. Experts tended to perform at faster speeds, more accurate motor behavior, and with greater efficiency than novices. Experts report lower activity levels in the sensory and motor cortex with less energy expenditure, experts will possibly be more productive. These findings generally supported the NEH across the studies reviewed. However, an efficiency paradox and proficient brain functioning were revealed as the complementary hypothesis of the NEH. The discussion concentrates on strengths and key limitations. The conclusion highlights additional concerns and recommendations for prospective researchers aiming to investigate a broader range of populations and sports.

Physical activity (PA) and sports are efficient ways to promote the young generation’s physical and mental health and development. This study expected to demonstrate the complexity of correlates associated with children’s and adolescents’ non-organized PA participation. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA), a systematic review and meta-analysis were applied. Seven electronic databases were systematically searched to identify eligible articles based on a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The internal validity of the systematic reviews thus identified was evaluated using a validated quality instrument. Calculations were produced in SPSS 27.0 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.3. Thirty-nine eligible studies (N = 324,953) with moderate to high quality were included. No potential publication bias was detected using statistical analyses. The meta-analysis revealed that the overall ecological factors correlated positively with children and adolescents’ PA; the meta-analytic average of the correlations was (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Results from subgroup analysis indicated that theory-based influence factors achieved moderate effect with boys (′r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and girls (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001) in PA participation. Interestingly, higher correlations were found between ecological factors and twins’ PA participation (′r = 0.61, p = 0.001). Further, individual (′r = 0.32, p < 0.001), macro-, and chronosystems factors (′r = 0.50, p < 0.001) appeared slightly more influential than microsystems factors (′r = 0.28, p < 0.001) on children and adolescents’ PA participation. Although findings from the included studies covered were to some extent heterogeneous, it is possible to identify consistent correlates of PA in children and adolescents. The results supported that PA is a complex and multi-dimensional behavior, which is determined by numerous biological, psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors. Future studies that focus on the integration effect of macrosystem and chronosystem environmental factors, and apply longitudinal designs and objective measurements are encouraged to further unfold the complexity of the ecological system and its implications in promoting children and adolescents’ PA participation.

Sport plays a crucial role in the health and wellbeing of young people. While positive outcomes from sports participation are often assumed, studies show that these depend significantly on coaches’ attitudes and behaviors, which shape the sporting environment and influence participants’ experiences and outcomes. This study provides a systematic review with meta-analysis of various coach education program interventions (CEPIs), aiming to answer the question: How do CEPIs impact coaching effectiveness compared to standard coaching practices without such programs? Analyzing a total of 45 studies ( N = 180,658), this systematic review is divided into a narrative section followed by a meta-analysis. Positive effects of CEPIs were observed in 78% of the studies, seen in coaches’ knowledge gain, attitude shifts, and behavioral changes, as well as in athletes’ physical and psychological outcomes, both within and outside of sport. Overall, a significant moderate to large effect of CEPIs on coaching effectiveness ( g = 0.47, k = 264, 95% CI [0.36, 0.59]) was noted. Specifically, a large overall effect on coach outcomes ( g = 0.73, k = 71, 95% CI [0.47, 1.00]) and a moderate to large overall effect on athlete outcomes ( g = 0.38, k = 193, 95% CI [0.28, 0.47]) were observed. These findings generally support the positive impact of CEPIs on coaching effectiveness across the reviewed studies. However, the effects varied in magnitude, scalability, and sustainability for coaches and athletes. The discussion focuses on insights derived from CEPIs and future improvement strategies.

Investigating the neural mechanisms underlying sport performance has been a research focus in the field of sport science. The current review aims to identify distinct characteristics between athletes and non-athletes at behavioral and neural levels. Further analysis was conducted as to potential reasons that contributed to the differences. Literature was searched through PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, EBSCO, and Web of Science for EEG studies that compared athletes with non-athletes or novices in behavioral performance and brain function. The process of literature search and selection identified 16 studies that satisfied the predetermined inclusion criteria. Theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands were employed as the primary EEG measures of cortical activities in the included studies. Athletes indicated significant advantages over controls in behavioral performance, $Hedge{s}^{\prime }g=0.42,p=0.02$, and brain function, $Hedge{s}^{\prime }g=0.49,p=0.03$. Moderator analysis on behavioral performance indicated a large effect size in sport-related performance, $Hedge{s}^{\prime }g=0.90,p=0.01$, but a small, non-significant effect size in general tasks, $Hedge{s}^{\prime }g=0.14,p=0.44$. Superior performance in sport-related tasks mostly contributed to athletes’ significant advantage in behavioral performance. Additionally, favorable profiles of brain function associated with athletes included neural efficiency, increased cortical asymmetry, greater cognitive flexibility, and precise timing of cortical activation. Applying EEG technique to sport has shown promising directions in performance improvement and talent identification for young athletes.

Objectives To co-construct a sports medicine and exercise science research and translational agenda with Team USA elite female athletes serving as the experts on their health, performance and well-being. Methods 40 Team USA female athletes across sports disciplines participated in an online, anonymous, modified Delphi survey by ranking topics on a Likert scale (1=‘strongly disagree’ and 5=‘strongly agree’) and providing qualitative justification regarding whether they believed having more information and research on each topic would support their athletic performance, health and well-being. After each Delphi round, quantitative rankings of topics and qualitative justifications were analysed, informing revisions to the list of topics for review in the subsequent round. Researchers provided athletes with a detailed report of findings and revisions following each round. Results The final list contained 14 ranked topics. The top five were menstrual cycle symptoms (4.58±0.74), recovery (4.58±0.59), birth control (4.55±0.89), mental health (4.50±0.55) and fueling and the menstrual cycle (4.43±0.74). New topics originating from athletes included recovery, menstrual cycle symptoms, fueling and the menstrual cycle, mental health and sports performance, team dynamics, and institutionalised sexism. Conclusion This is the first study to co-construct a research and translational agenda with Team USA elite female athletes. The list of sports science research topics developed by focusing on elite female athletes’ voices lays the foundation for future research and provides valuable insight into the specific needs of female athletes.

In the youth sports domain, few coaches are women, masculine ideologies permeate the culture, and coaching practices do not always align with behaviors supportive of positive youth sports experience. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in men’s and women’s coaching behaviors associated with creating positive youth sports experience, including behaviors that create a safe and fun participation environment, a mastery motivational climate, and autonomy-supportive coaching. A total of 219 youth and high school coaches across different sports in one county in a western state responded to the survey—29% of them women. Along with the overall dearth of women in coaching, we found differences between men and women in the types of coaching positions they hold and the behaviors they bring to their coaching. Female coaches were more likely to be paid, primarily part-time, and they were also less likely to have children. Using a multivariate analysis of variance, significant mean vectors were found between female and male coaches in the four coaching behaviors measured. Women’s ratings were significantly higher on individual measures for autonomy and safety. As the coaching field comes to better understand the approaches that lead to positive youth sports experience, these findings raise important questions about why women and mothers are not a larger proportion of the coaching landscape and how that might change.