Background The prime focus of research on sports injury has been on physical factors. This is despite our understanding that when an athlete sustains an injury it has psychosocial as well as physical impacts. Psychosocial factors have been suggested as prognostic influences on the outcomes of rehabilitation. The aim of this work was to address the question: are psychosocial factors associated with sports injury rehabilitation outcomes in competitive athletes? Study design Mixed studies systematic review (PROSPERO reg.CRD42014008667). Method Electronic database and bibliographic searching was undertaken from the earliest entry until 1 June 2015. Studies that included injured competitive athletes, psychosocial factors and a sports injury rehabilitation outcome were reviewed by the authors. A quality appraisal of the studies was undertaken to establish the risk of reporting bias. Results 25 studies were evaluated that included 942 injured competitive athletes were appraised and synthesised. Twenty studies had not been included in previous reviews. The mean methodological quality of the studies was 59% (moderate risk of reporting bias). Convergent thematic analysis uncovered three core themes across the studies: (1) emotion associated with rehabilitation outcomes; (2) cognitions associated with rehabilitation outcomes; and (3) behaviours associated with rehabilitation outcomes. Injury and performance-related fears, anxiety and confidence were associated with rehabilitation outcomes. There is gender-related, age-related and injury-related bias in the reviewed literature. Conclusions Psychosocial factors were associated with a range of sports injury rehabilitation outcomes. Practitioners need to recognise that an injured athlete's thoughts, feelings and actions may influence the outcome of rehabilitation.

The aim of this mixed-studies systematic review was to ascertain the effectiveness of school-based interventions in increasing physical activity (PA) and/or reducing sedentary time (ST) in children aged 5-11 years, as well as to explore their effectiveness in relation to categories of the theory of expanded, extended, and enhanced opportunity (TEO). Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 5 databases were searched using predefined search terms. Following title and abstract screening of 1115 records, the removal of duplicates (n = 584) and articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria agreed to a priori (n = 419) resulted in 112 records that were full-text screened. Two independent reviewers subsequently used the mixed-methods appraisal tool to assess the methodological quality of 57 full-text studies that met the inclusion criteria after full-text screening. The interventions were summarised using the TIDierR checklist and TEO. The strength of evidence was determined using a 5-level rating system utilising a published decision tree. Overall evidence ratings for interventions implemented within school settings were: no evidence of effects on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and inconclusive evidence of effects on sedentary time. In relation to the TEO, expansion of PA appeared to be the most promising intervention type for MVPA, with moderate evidence of effect, whereas extension and enhancement of PA opportunity demonstrated no evidence of effect. A critical issue of possible compensatory behavior was identified by analysis of intervention effect in relation to PA measurement duration; when studies measured changes in PA during the actual intervention, there was moderate evidence of effect, whereas those that measured changes in PA during the school day presented inconclusive evidence of effect, and those that measured changes in PA over a whole day yielded no evidence of effect. Two meta-analyses of those studies using a whole-day accelerometer measure for MVPA or ST showed a significant but moderate effect for MVPA (effect size = 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02-0.99) and a large but nonsignificant effect for ST (effect size = 1.15; 95%CI: -1.03 to 3.33); both meta-analyses demonstrated low precision, considerable inconsistency, and high heterogeneity. The findings have important implications for future intervention research in terms of intervention design, implementation, and evaluation.

Purpose: To investigate the physiological responses and perceived exertion during international Taekwondo competition.Methods: Eight male Taekwondo black belts (mean ± SD, age 22 ± 4 y, body mass 69.4 ± 13.4 kg, height 1.82 ± 0.10 m, competition experience 9 ± 5 y) took part in an international-level Taekwondo competition. Each combat included three 2-min rounds with 30 s of recovery between each round. Heart rate (HR) was recorded at 5-s intervals during each combat. Capillary blood lactate samples were taken from the fingertip 1 min before competition, directly after each round and 1 min after competition. Competitors’ rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded for each round using Borg’s 6-to-20 scale.Results: HR (round 1: 175 ± 15 to round 3: 187 ± 8 beats·min⁻¹; P < .05), percentage of HR maximum (round 1: 89 ± 8 to round 3: 96 ± 5% HR_max; P < .05), blood lactate (round 1: 7.5 ± 1.6 to round 3: 11.9 ± 2.1 mmol·L-1; P < .05) and RPE (round 1: 11 ± 2 to round 3: 14 ± 2; P < .05; mean ± SD) increased significantly across rounds.Conclusions: International-level Taekwondo competition elicited near-maximal cardiovascular responses, high blood lactate concentrations, and increases in competitors' RPE across combat. Training should therefore include exercise bouts that sufficiently stimulate both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.

It is widely considered that biological maturity influences physical fitness test performance, children can be advantaged/disadvantaged in physical fitness tests by being more or less mature than counterparts of the same chronological age. The current study sought to investigate the effect sexual maturity had upon performance in physical fitness tests. A cross-sectional study involving 161 girls and 152 boys was carried out. Each subject was assessed for stature, mass, self-assessment of sexual maturity, vertical jump, hand grip strength and the 20 m shuttle run test, all procedures were standardized. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were developed to assess the relationship between maturity and physical fitness measures. ANCOVA inferential statistics were performed to investigate if performance in physical fitness tests differed between children of different sexual maturity stages irrespective of mass and stature. Significance was set at p < 0:05. Stage of sexual maturity was significantly correlated with all physical fitness measures (boys: r = 0.56 to 0.73; girls: r = 0.24 to 0.46). ANCOVA revealed that when stature and mass were taken into account significant differences were evident between sexual maturity stages in boys but not girls. This suggests that increases in mass and stature are primarily responsible for variation in girls' physical performance throughout maturation, whereas in boys there are some qualitative differences in performance due to other factors. It was concluded that sexual maturity has a large influence on physical fitness measures in boys but less effect in girls. Rating of physical fitness, particularly for boys should take into account biological maturity. Es wird allgemein angenommen, dass die biologische Reife die Leistung in Tests zur korperlichen Fitness beeinflusst. Kinder konnen dadurch, dass sie reifer bzw. weniger reif sind als Gleichaltrige bei korperlichen Fitness-Tests im Vorteil bzw. im Nachteil sein. In der vorliegenden Studie soll untersucht werden, welchen Einfluss die sexuelle Reife auf die Leistung in Tests zur korperlichen Fitness hat. Es wurde eine Querschnittsstudie an 161 Madchen und 152 Jungen durchgefuhrt. Mit standardisierten Methoden wurde bei jedem Individuum die Korperhohe und das Korpergewicht gemessen, es wurde eine Selbsteinschatzung der sexuellen Reife erfasst, sowie die Leistungen im Hochsprung, in der Greifkraft und im 20 m Pendellauf. Zur Bewertung der Beziehung zwischen sexueller Reife und den Massen zur korperlichen Fitness wurden Spearmans Rangkorrelationskoeffizienten berechnet. Ob die Leistungen in den Tests zur korperlichen Fitness unabhangig vom Korpergewicht und von der Korperhohe in Abhangigkeit von sexuellen Reifestadien variieren, wurde inferenzstatistisch mittels ANCOVA uberpruft, wobei ein Signifikanzniveau p < 0:05 zugrunde gelegt wurde. Das Stadium der sexuellen Reife war mit allen Massen zur korperlichen Fitness signifikant korreliert (Jungen: r = 0:56 bis 0.73; Madchen: r = 0:24 bis 0.46). Die Kovarianzanalyse zeigte, dass bei Berucksichtigung der Korperhohe und des Korpergewichts bei Jungen signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den Stadien der sexuellen Reife zu beobachten waren, nicht jedoch bei Madchen. Diese Ergebnisse lassen erkennen, dass bei Madchen wahrend der gesamten Phase der korperlichen Reife die Korperhohe und das Korpergewicht im wesentlichen fur Unterschiede in der korperlichen Leistung verantwortlich sind, wahrend es bei Jungen einige qualitative Unterschiede in der Leistung gibt, die durch andere Faktoren bedingt sind. Daraus wird geschlossen, dass die sexuelle Reife einen grossen Einfluss auf Masse zur korperlichen Fitness bei Jungen hat, der Effekt bei Madchen jedoch gering ist. Die biologische Reife sollte deshalb insbesondere bei Jungen bei der Bewertung der korperlichen Fitness berucksichtigt werden. Il est bien connu que la maturite biologique influence les performances des epreuves d'aptitude physique, de telle sorte que les enfants peuvent etre soit avantages soit desavantages par les epreuves selon que pour un meme age chronologique, ils sont plus ou moins murs. Dans le but d'explorer l'effet de la maturite sexuelle sur les epreuves d'aptitude physique, on a effectue une etude transversale sur 161 filles et 152 garcons. On a enregistre pour chaque sujet: la stature, la masse corporelle, une auto-declaration de maturite sexuelle, le saut en hauteur, la force dynamometrique et une epreuve de course en navette de 20m. Toutes les procedures ont ete standardisees et les coefficients de correlation de rang de Spearman calcules afin de representer la relation entre maturite physique mesures d'aptitude physique: Des statistiquesinferentielles ont ete realisees (ANCOVA) afin de rechercher si les performances au cours des epreuves d'aptitude physique differaient entre enfants de stades de maturation sexuelle differents, independamment de leur masse et de leur stature Le degre de signification a ete etabli a p < 0;05. Le stade de maturite sexuelle est significativement correle avec toutes les mesures d'aptitude physique (garcons: r = 0;56 a 0,73; filles: r = 0;24 a 0,46). L'analyse de covariance revele que lorsque la stature et la masse sont prisesen compte, des differences significatives apparaissent entre stades de maturite sexuelle chez les garcons mais non chez les filles. Ceci suggere que les accroissements de masse et de stature sont essentiellement responsables de la variation en performance physique chez les filles tout au long de la maturation sexuelle, alors que chez les garcons il existe quelques differences qualitatives des performances dues a d'autres facteurs. La conclusion est que la maturite sexuelle a une grande influence sur les mesures d'aptitude physique chez les garcons mais moins d'effet chez les filles. La maturite biologique devrait etre prise en consideration lorsqu'il s'agit d'evaluer le degre d'aptitude physique, particulierement pour les garcons.

The aim of this investigation was to provide evidence of the prevalence and consequences of recurrent low‐back pain in children from Northwest England. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted involving a standardized questionnaire with established reliability and validity. A cross‐sectional sample of 500 boys (n = 249) and girls (n = 251) aged between 10 and 16 years participated in the study. Average lifetime prevalence of low‐back pain was 40.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 38.7–41.6]. Most cases of low‐back pain were acute episodes that did not lead to disabling consequences. In contrast, 13.1% (95% CI = 12.5–13.7) experienced recurrent low‐back pain that led to disabling consequences; 23.1% visited a medical practitioner, 30.8% experienced loss of physical activity/sports and 26.2% had been absent from school because of low‐back pain. Recurrent low‐back pain was particularly evident during late adolescence where one in five children were cases. The health education implications of low‐back pain in children are discussed. It was concluded that low‐back pain is a common complaint during childhood, although most cases are acute episodes that represent little health consequence. In contrast, some children experience recurrent low‐back pain that can lead to disabling consequences. Future research should focus on recurrent low‐back pain cases since they often led to disabling consequences.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of caffeine ingestion on 8 km run performance using an ecologically valid test protocol. A randomized double-blind crossover study was conducted involving eight male distance runners. The participants ran an 8 km race 1 h after ingesting a placebo capsule, a caffeine capsule (3 mg · kg⁻¹ body mass) or no supplement. Heart rate was recorded at 5 s intervals throughout the race. Blood lactate concentration and ratings of perceived exertion were recorded after exercise. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified a significant treatment effect for 8 km performance time (P < 0.05); caffeine resulted in a mean improvement of 23.8 s (95% confidence interval [CI] = 13.1 to 34.5 s) in 8 km performance time (1.2% improvement, 95% CI = 0.7 to 1.8%). In addition, a two-way (time × condition) repeated-measures ANOVA identified a significantly higher blood lactate concentration 3 min after exercise during the caffeine trial (P < 0.05). We conclude that ingestion of 3 mg · kg⁻¹ body mass of caffeine can improve absolute 8 km run performance in an ecologically valid race setting.