Background: We describe and analyze injury incidence, severity, cause of injury, anatomical location, damaged tissue, injury recurrence, and the time and place at which injuries occur over the course of a season. Methods: An observational, descriptive, prospective, nomothetic, and multidimensional study was conducted during the 2018–2019 season with 258 players of the top semiprofessional rugby league in Spain (División de Honor de Rugby). Data were reported by the clubs’ medical services. Reported time-loss injuries were collected. Results: Overall exposure was 4100 h (137 matches), over 35 weeks of competition. A total of 288 injuries were reported, with three of these leading to withdrawal from the sport. A total average of 35.63 days was lost to injury. Overall time-loss injury incidence was 3.41 injuries/1000 h of exposure. Backs suffered 119 injuries corresponding to 3.80 injuries/1000 h of exposure, whilst forwards suffered 169 injuries with 4.27 injuries/1000 h of exposure. Severe injuries were the most frequent injury type. Conclusions: Outcomes confirm that more injuries take place during competition, with these also being more severe in nature. Contact injuries were most frequently suffered, above all, due to tackling or being tackled.

Different rugby positions make different demands on players. It therefore follows that optimum body composition may vary according to the position played. Using anthropometry and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) to assess body composition, the present study aimed to compare the effect of sex and position on body composition variables using anthropometry and BIA methods. A total of 100 competitive rugby players (35 women and 65 men) competing in the First Spanish National League were recruited voluntarily and for convenience for this study. In the laboratory, body composition was assessed by anthropometry, following the recommendations established by the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK), and by direct segmental multi-frequency BIA, following the guidelines established by the Spanish Group of Kinanthropometry (GREC) of the Spanish Federation of Sports Medicine (FEMEDE). We found sex-related differences in height, weight, body mass index and body fat (%) by anthropometry and in body lean mass (%) by DSM-BIA, in 4 of the 6 skinfolds assessed (p < 0.05). We also observed position-related differences in all the variables assessed (p < 0.05) except for lean body mass, as measured by both methods of determining body composition, and front thigh skinfold. Body composition and ∑6skinfolds differs according to sex and playing position, backs (16.6 ± 3.8% and 92.3 ± 33.9 mm,) vs. forwards (20.0 ± 6.7 and 115.3 ± 37.6 mm), and the muscle-adipose (meso-endomorphic somatotype) development predominated in both sexes. Thus, forwards of both sexes are taller, heavier and fatter, possibly due to the specific demands of this position. In addition, body composition measurements vary according to the method used (DSM-BIA vs. anthropometry), indicating that anthropometry is probably the best body composition assessment method.

Background: Breast and prostate cancer represent a significant global public health burden. Among the adverse effects of oncological treatments, fatigue is one of the most prevalent, persistent, and disabling symptoms. Therapeutic exercise has been shown to be effective for its management, with supervision identified as a key factor that may enhance adherence, safety, and intensity control. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of supervised exercise programs versus usual care on cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast or prostate cancer. Methods: A systematic search (September–December 2024) was conducted in six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, PEDro, Scielo), selecting RCTs from the past 10 years in English or Spanish. Studies compared supervised exercise with unsupervised exercise or usual care in stage I–III breast or prostate cancer patients within five years post-treatment. Methodological quality was assessed with the PEDro scale and risk of bias with Cochrane’s RoB 2.0. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled effect sizes (ES, 95% CI), with heterogeneity (I²), sensitivity, subgroup, and publication bias analyses. Results: A total of 25 interventions from 19 randomized controlled trials involving over 2200 participants were included. Supervised exercise significantly reduced cancer-related fatigue compared to usual care (effect size = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.22–0.47; p < 0.001; I² = 56%). Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the findings. Subgroup analyses revealed greater effects in combined exercise programs, in men, and in patients with prostate cancer. No evidence of publication bias was observed. While 73.7% of studies were rated as having good methodological quality, the risk of bias was often unclear or high. Conclusions: Supervised therapeutic exercise programs are effective and safe for reducing fatigue in breast and prostate cancer survivors. These interventions should be incorporated into comprehensive care plans, with individualization based on patients’ clinical and demographic characteristics. Further research is needed to identify the most effective and sustainable strategies for different patient subgroups.

Background: In the realm of sports medicine, understanding the biomechanics of head impacts, particularly in contact sports such as rugby, is of utmost interest for injury prevention and player safety. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to consolidate existing knowledge on head impacts in rugby using wearable sensor technology, focusing on peak linear acceleration, peak rotational acceleration, and impact location. Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases [PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, Embase, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and CINAHL] was conducted in March 2024, including studies that assessed head impacts with wearable technology in rugby athletes. The search did not impose any restrictions on publication dates and included studies published in English and Spanish. A random-effects meta-analysis model was employed to combine comparable data from the included studies. Results: The literature search yielded 13 prospective cohort studies, collectively analyzing 895 participants and 44,036 head impacts. Most studies were conducted in Australasia and North America, with varying levels of play represented, from junior to semi/professional and from both rugby codes, rugby union (RU) and rugby league (RL). Wearable sensors, including instrumented mouthguards and skin patches, were utilized to measure head impact kinematics, with peak linear acceleration consistently reported across all studies. Results reveal significant heterogeneity in peak linear and rotational acceleration, highlighting the complexity of quantifying impact magnitudes in rugby. Impact location analysis indicated side impacts as most prevalent (44%), followed by frontal (29%) and back impacts (19%). Notably, concussive events yielded a pooled peak linear acceleration estimate of 63.01 g, with the RL cohort exhibiting higher acceleration than RU. Conclusion: This study contributes to the growing body of literature on head impacts in rugby; identifying available evidence on the magnitude and location of head impacts measured by sensors, and emphasizing the importance of wearable sensor technology in advancing player safety and informing injury management practices. Despite the valuable insights provided, limitations, including methodological inconsistencies and study heterogeneity, underscore the need for cautious interpretation. Further research is warranted to standardize protocols and enhance the understanding of effective injury prevention strategies in rugby. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023480779 (20 November 2023).

This study examines the injuries suffered by players (n=166) of the Spanish national men’s under-18 and under-20 rugby teams between 2015 and 2017, and identifies the actions involved in their occurrence. All injuries (total n=78) sustained during matches and training were recorded as recommended by World Rugby, and injury incidence rates per 1000 player-hours (ph) calculated for both types of activity. Injuries occurred more commonly during matches than during training (incidence 105.3 [95% CI: 78.7–131.9] per 1000 [ph] of match play, vs 1.16 [95% CI: 0.69–1.62] per 1000 ph of training), and most days absent per 1000 ph during matches with3 days rest). These results provide information that may be useful in the development of strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of injuries.

(1) Background: Due to the risk factors involved and the special characteristics of the game, rugby players are reported to have elevated levels of injury. The aim of this longitudinal prospective cohort study with a 2b level of evidence is to investigate the incidence of injury in the Spanish Men’s Senior National Rugby XV team, identify the most frequent injury types, and the game actions that cause them. (2) Methods: we studied a total of 72 players from the Spanish Men’s Senior National Rugby XV team while they played the Nation’s Cup for four consecutive seasons. We recorded all the injuries occurring both during games and training sessions, according to World Rugby consensus. (3) Results: Out of a total of 27 injuries, the higher incidence was during the matches as opposed to the training sessions (100.0 [95% CI: 62.0–132.9] per 1000 player hours (ph) and 1.17 [95% CI: 0–2.5] per 1000 ph during matches and training, respectively). The most common injuries were muscular injuries (41.6 [95% CI: 16.3–66.9] per 1000 ph) and concussion (29.1 [95% CI: 7.8–50.4] per 1000 ph). Tackling caused more injuries (50.0 [95% CI: 22.4–77.5] per 1000 ph). (4) Conclusions: Muscular injuries and concussion are the most common, 28% of concussion cases are diagnosed after the match, and tackling is the game action causing most of these injuries, with a higher incidence in players who play the whole match.