Little is known about the changes in biomechanical risk factors for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury after participation in a pelvic and core strength training (PCST) program in female team players. This is a randomized controlled trial for which a total of 29 female soccer players were recruited from a soccer club and split into two groups, namely, experimental group (EG, N.=18; mean [SD] age, 17.8 [2.0 years], weight 64.0 [6.6] kg and height 1.7 [0.0] m) and control group (control, N.=11; mean [SD] age, 16.2 [1.2] years, weight 61.6 [7.3] kg and height 1.7 [0.0] m). The EG participated in an in-season 8-week PCST program (twice/week). Participants in the CG performed their normal training without additional pelvic and core strengthening. Pre- and postintervention knee frontal plane projection angle (FPPA), hip, knee and ankle peak flexion angles and jump height were collected during bilateral and unilateral drop jumps. PCST significantly reduced FPPA at dynamic landing, in both dominant (-7.1º) and non-dominant lower extremities (-8º). Further, this training significantly increased the peak hip (24.4º) and knee flexion angles (14.94º), but not the peak ankle dorsiflexion angle (P>0.05) which, significantly decreased in the CG (-3.5º). Following the intervention, EG significantly increased measures obtained for both bilateral (2.84 cm) and unilateral jumps (1.33 cm for the dominant leg and 1.22 cm for the non-dominant leg) (P<0.05), not so for CG (P<0.05). PCST resulted in improvements on ACL injury risk factors and vertical drop jump performance, suggesting that strengthening this body part warrants not only injury prevention, but increases jumping performance.

Background: Motivation could be considered as a critical factor for being and staying physically active in the spinal cord–injured population. Objectives: Our goals were (1) to describe motivation to exercise in people with paraplegia, comparing those who engage in regular physical exercise with those who do not and (2) to establish whether such motivation is related to the type of physical exercise practiced. Methods: This study was quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive research. One-hundred and six participants with chronic paraplegia completed the Spanish version of the Exercise Motivations Inventory (EMI-2). Participants were divided into the non-exerciser group (NEG) and the exerciser group (EG). EG was subclassified into sports players (SPs) and physical exercisers (PEs). Results: Participants in both EG and NEG presented a similar motivation toward physical exercise. The most important motive to practice or to adhere to exercise in participants with SCI was ill-health avoidance (mean, 8.45; SD, 1.33). Fitness was the second most important motive (ie, nimbleness, flexibility, strength, and endurance). Motives that distinguished EG from NEG included enjoyment and revitalization [t(41.9) = −2.54, p < .05, r = 0.36], competition [t(56.8) = 2.24, p < .05, r = 0.28], and health pressure [t(104) = 3.22, p < .01, r = 0.30]. Furthermore, we found that motivation was related to the type of physical exercise performed. SPs showed a statistically significantly higher score for competition and enjoyment and revitalization than PEs (p < .05). Conclusion: Ill-health avoidance and fitness are the key motivational factors to practice and adhere to physical exercise. Motivation is related to the type of physical exercise performed. Health providers need to understand these factors to promote and sustain long-term adherence to exercise in the SCI population.

To compare the muscle activation of the biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), gluteus maximus (GM), and contralateral erector spinae (ES) in four specific eccentric hamstring-oriented exercises using overground maximal sprints as an EMG normalization method. cross-sectional study. twenty-four healthy athletes participated in this study. The maximum EMG activation of all targeted muscles was measured during maximal sprints and four hamstring exercises: Nordic hamstring (NH), Russian belt (RB), glider (GL) and lying kick (LK). Maximum EMG activation during sprints were used to normalize EMG muscle activation. RB and GL showed lower hamstrings activation (from 15.71% to 39.23% and from 26.34% to 31.23%, respectively), so these exercises may be used as the first step of the retraining. The higher hamstring activation was reached in the NH (from 20.15% to 66.81%) and the LK (from 50.5% to 61.2%). Regarding muscles comparison, BF and ST were the most dependent on the exercise ranging from 26.67% to 62.22%, and from 26.34% to 66.81%, respectively. Muscle activation is dependent on the exercise procedure. RB and GL should be used as a first step because of their low activation. Instead, NH and LK should be used at the last phases of retraining process. Considering the synergistic activation of the PKC muscles during LK, and because of its unilateral and explosive characteristics, LK seems a suitable exercise for retraining PKC muscles in general.

Several devices (e.g., linear transducers) have been used for predicting resistance training intensity. However, subjective scales, such as rating of perceived exertion (RPE), are proposed as reliable and easier-to-use tools for monitoring intensity during resistance training. Accordingly, different perceptive scales have been presented in previous research for monitoring intensity during resistance training with elastic bands. The aim was to assess the accuracy and reliability of RPE for quantifying the potential maximal repetitions that could be performed at a given RPE (from 2 to 8 of 10) obtained in the first repetition. For this purpose, 13 recreationally active participants (age: 26.33 [6.52] years, body mass index: 24.97 [5.08] kg/m²) were involved in two familiarization and two experimental sessions. In each session, participants randomly performed one set at each intensity of the first repetition from 2/10 to 8/10 until volitional failure in three different exercises (fly, military press, and push–press). An individual grip width of the elastic band was chosen in each set. The number of repetitions and heart rate were assessed. Significance level was set at p < .05. Repetitions decreased when intensity increased (p < .01) and heart rate was higher in the global exercise (i.e., push–press; p < .05), but nonsignificant differences between intensities were reported. The level of experience influenced the number of repetitions performed (p < .05). Intersession reliability was set from good to excellent (range: 0.64–0.91). Therefore, the RPE of the first repetition is a relevant and reliable parameter related to the total number of repetitions performed for each RPE value in trained participants enrolled in elastic bands resistance training.

The aim of this study was to determine the long term effect of dynamic range of motion (DROM) stretching technique and static stretching (SS) on hip range of motion (ROM), hip isometric strength and vertical jump performance in female gymnasts. In a randomized controlled trial eighteen gymnasts (age 13 ± 2 years) were assigned to a DROM group (n= 9) or SS group (n=9 ). Participants were assessed at baseline and again at completion of the intervention on: hip extensión (HE), hip flexion (HF), 1RM isometric HF strength, squat jump (SJ) and split leap (SL). Results: DROM group improved statistically from pre- to post-test in right leg HE ROM (13.67 ± 4.7 vs. 21.22 ± 5.2), right leg HF ROM (129.9 ± 9.9 vs. 139.0 ± 10.4), hip isometric strength for the right leg (2.0 ± 1.1 vs. 4.7 ± 1.6) and the left leg (1.7 ± 0.7 vs. 4.1 ± 1.6). Jump performance was not affected by type of stretching. Significance was set at 0.05 (2-tailed) for all analyses. DROM was more effective in improving gymnastic performance variables than SS. Such information may assist in determining the applications of various stretching techniques in flexibility-trained female athletes.

This study examined the effects of cognitive fatigue on repeated sprint ability (RSA), neuromuscular performance, and vigilance in physically active young adults (N = 28, 16 males, 12 females; mean age = 20.6 ± 1.4 years). Participants were randomly assigned to a mental fatigue (MF) or control (CON) group and completed baseline and post-condition assessments following a cognitively demanding or neutral task. Repeated sprint performance significantly declined in the MF group, as shown by increased RSA mean time (Δ = 0.432 s, p < 0.001) and total time (Δ = 4.331 s, p < 0.001), with no statistically significant change observed in the CON group. Countermovement jump height remained unaffected; however, repeated jump ability showed impaired contact time (Δ = 0.084 s, p = 0.007) in the MF group. Psychomotor vigilance significantly deteriorated under mental fatigue, as evidenced by slower reaction times (Δ = 119.71 ms, p < 0.001) and increased lapses (Δ = 2.86, p < 0.001). Subjective ratings confirmed elevated perceived exertion (Δ = 0.79, p = 0.002) and mental fatigue (Δ = 8.00, p < 0.001) in the MF group, without changes in motivation. These findings may demonstrate that cognitive fatigue impairs both physical and cognitive performance, even in trained individuals.