Background: Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state induced by a prolonged duration of demanding cognitive tasks. The effects of mental fatigue on physical performance have been well investigated in the literature. However, the effect of mental fatigue on skilled performance in sports remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to report a comprehensive systematic review investigating the carryover effects of mental fatigue on skilled performance among athletes. Methods: A thorough search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost (CENTRAL, SPORTDicus), and Scopus to select relevant literature, as well as on Google Scholar and sources of reference for grey literature. The selected literatures are centred on a mental fatigue protocol in which cognitive tasks are performed prior to athletic tasks. Only studies that used an experimental design to test two conditions, namely mental fatigue and non-mental fatigue, were selected. Results: Eleven articles were chosen based on the selection criteria. Mental fatigue affects skilled performance in three sports: soccer, basketball, and table tennis. A decline in skilled performance (decreased accuracy, increased performing time etc) is relevant to impaired executive functions. Seven studies focus on offensive skills, whereas only two studies are associated with defensive skills. Conclusion: Mental fatigue has a negative effect on various sports skills of high-level athletes, including their technical and decision-making skills; however, the impact is greater on offensive skills than that of defensive skills in terms of the role of athletes. Impaired executive functions may be responsible for the negative effects of mental fatigue on skilled performance.

Background:This study aims to present a critical review of the existing literature on the effect of core training on athletes’ skill performance, and to provide recommendations and suggest future research directions for both coaches and researchers.Methods:The data in this study were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. We collected studies in the literature using prominent academic and scientific databases such as Ebscohost, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Only 16 of the 119 studies met all of the inclusion criteria, and were thus included in the systematic review. Each study’s quality was determined using the PEDro scale. The scoring of 16 studies ranges from 2 to 5.Results:Core training could potentially improve skill performance among football, handball, basketball, swimming, dancing, Karate, Muay Thai, gymnasts, volleyball, badminton, and golf players.Conclusion:Compared with the traditional training methods, core training is a new strength training method. Strong core muscles function as hubs in the biological motor chain, which create a fulcrum for the four limbs’ strength and establish a channel for the cohesion, transmission, and integration of the upper and lower limbs. In other words, core training optimizes the transfer and overall control of motion and force to the terminal segment within athletic actions. Meanwhile, core training could increase stability and stiffness in the spine to reduce unrequired “energy leaks” and torso movement during the exertion of external loads. This mechanism could help athletes achieve better skill performance. Therefore, this review suggests that core training should be considered integrated into athletes’ daily training routines.Systematic Review Registration: [https://inplasy.com/], identifier [INPLASY2021100013].

Mental fatigue (MF) is a psycho-biological state that impairs sports-related performances. Recently, it has been proved that MF can affect basketball performance. However, a systematic overview detailing the influences of MF on basketball performance is still lacking. This study aims to investigate the effects of MF on the physical, technical, tactical, and cognitive performance of basketball. We used the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Scopes, and CKNI for articles published up to 31 May 2021. The articles included in this study were projected to test whether MF influences basketball athlete performance. Only experimental design studies were selected, and the control condition was without MF. Finally, seven articles fit the inclusion criteria. The results imply that MF impairs the technical aspects of basketball (free throws, three-point shots, and total turnover) and the players' cognitive [take-the-first (TTF) heuristics and decision-making] performance, which results in athletes not using their techniques skillfully and being unable to make practical decisions during critical points in the game. In addition to that, the influences of MF on physical and tactical performance have not been studied. Further studies should look into comprehensive research on the influences of MF on basketball performance, especially on a player's physical and tactical performance.Systematic Review Registration: [https://inplasy.com/] [INPLASY2021100017].

There is evidence that functional training is beneficial for the overall physical fitness of athletes. However, there is a lack of a systematic review focused on the effects of functional training on athletes' physical fitness. Thus, the aimed of the present review is to clarify the effects of functional training on physical fitness among athletes. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA)Statementguidelines, the systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus), and CINAHL Plus databases was undertaken onthe 2nd November2020 to identify the reported studies, using a combination of keywords related to functional training, physical fitness,andathletes.From the 145 studies, only nine articles met all eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. The assessment was performed on the Pedro scale, and the quality of the study included in the nine studies was fair (ranging from 3 to 4). The results showed that speed (n= 6) was theaspect of physical fitnessstudied in functional training interventions, followed by muscular strength (n= 5), power (n= 4), balance (n= 3), body composition (n= 3), agility (n= 3), flexibility (n = 1) and muscular endurance (n= 1). Existing evidence concludes that functional training significantly impacts speed, muscular strength, power, balance, and agility.Furthermore, there are still limit numbers of evidence showing effect offunctional training on flexibility and muscular endurance. In contrast, no significant improvement was found in body composition where functional training was conducted.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: CRD4202123092.

Objective: This review study aimed to assess the impact of neuromuscular training (NT) on athletes’ physical fitness in sports.Methods: Three independent reviewers conducted a literature search in various databases: EBSCOHOST, PubMed, WOS, Mendeley, Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, additional references, and Google Scholar. The methodological quality was examined using Lubans’ predetermined methods, and data that included trials were excluded.Results: This review included 18 well-conducted systematic studies from 144 relevant publications. These studies were reviewed and have been given a score of 6. Medium-risk studies were scored 3 or 4, while low-risk studies were scored 5 or 6. None of the studies had a high-risk bias. The NT intervention revealed that balance (n = 10) was the main characteristic of physical fitness that was evaluated, followed by agility (n = 6), muscular strength (n = 4), speed (n = 5), endurance and muscular power (n = 2). Subsequently, most studies used an intervention such as plyometric and strength training exercises to improve agility, balance, and muscular strength among athletes.Conclusion: This review implicated that (NT) focuses on exercises that enhance motor skills which aid athletes in moving their bodies according to their situational needs. The athletes’ slower and faster directions influence their agility, muscular strength, and balance, essential for player performance. It is recommended for future research to investigate the effects of neuromuscular training (length of 12-weeks, frequency of 3 days per week and 90-min duration) on physical fitness components (coordination, reaction-time, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition) that are essential for all ages of male and female athletes in all sports.

Objective: This study aims to meta-analyze the impact of high-intensity functional training on athletes’ physical fitness and sport-specific performance. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in five well-known academic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and the Cochrane Library) up to July 1, 2023. The literature screening criteria included: (1) studies involving healthy athletes, (2) a HIFT program, (3) an assessment of outcomes related to athletes’ physical fitness or sport-specific performance, and (4) the inclusion of randomized controlled trials. The Physical Therapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale was used to evaluate the quality of studies included in the meta-analysis. Results: 13 medium- and high-quality studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, involving 478 athletes aged between 10 and 24.5 years. The training showed a small to large effect size (ES = 0.414–3.351; all p < 0.05) in improving upper and lower body muscle strength, power, flexibility, and sport-specific performance. Conclusion: High-intensity functional training effectively improves athletes’ muscle strength, power, flexibility, and sport-specific performance but has no significant impact on endurance and agility. Future research is needed to explore the impact of high-intensity functional training on athletes’ speed, balance, and technical and tactical performance parameters.