Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments, sensory processing issues, repetitive behavior patterns, motor abnormalities, and executive function impairments.Objective: To systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of various exercise modalities on flexibility and cognitive control, social skills, behavioral problems, motor skills, and coordination in children with ASD, providing scientific evidence for clinical practice to guide effective exercise interventions for children with ASD.Methods: Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science databases, covering the period from database inception to February 15, 2024. Inclusion criteria included studies involving children with ASD, any form of exercise intervention, reporting at least one ASD-related outcome, and designed as randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental studies. Exclusion criteria included reviews, conference abstracts, commentary articles, and studies lacking sufficient statistical data for meta-analysis. Study quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. Effect sizes were calculated using standardized mean differences (SMD). Heterogeneity was assessed with the I² statistic. Multiple subgroup analyses were conducted, and publication bias was evaluated using Begg's Test and Egger's Test.Results: 23 RCTs were included in this study, showing positive effects of exercise interventions in various domains.Upper grade students showed significant improvement in flexibility and cognitive control (SMD = −0.282, p = 0.161). Lower grade children showed the most significant improvement in motor skills and coordination (SMD = 0.475, p = 0.043). Preschool children showed significant enhancement in social skills (SMD = 0.312, p = 0.041). Behavioral problems improved significantly across all age groups (SMD = −0.674, p < 0.001). Martial arts and ball games were particularly effective in enhancing these domains, and appropriate periodic exercise interventions effectively improved various abilities in children with ASD. Results varied across different ages and intervention types.Conclusion: Exercise interventions significantly improve flexibility, cognitive control, motor skills, coordination, social skills, and behavioral problems in children with ASD. This study supports exercise interventions as an effective method to enhance multiple abilities in children with ASD and emphasizes the importance of designing personalized intervention programs tailored to different ages and needs. Future research should focus on larger sample sizes and long-term follow-ups to confirm the sustainability and generalizability of intervention effects.

Background: Exercise is an effective treatment in chronic low back pain (CLBP), but there are few studies on CLBP in the elderly, and the intervention effect is controversial. We aimed to compare the efficacy of different exercises therapy on CLBP, dysfunction, quality of life, and mobility in the elderly. Methods: We searched Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, EMBASE, and PubMed from the database inception till December 31, 2022. The publication languages were Chinese and English. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise intervention in the elderly (≥ 60 years) with CLBP were included. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and evaluated them using the Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Trials 2 (RoB2). The pooled effect sizes on different aspects of outcome measures were calculated. Results: Sixteen articles (18 RCTs) were included, comprising a total of 989 participants. The quality of included studies was relatively high. Meta-analysis results indicated that exercise therapy could improve visual analog scale (VAS) (WMD = − 1.75, 95% CI − 2.59, − 0.92, p < 0.05), Oswestry disability index (ODI) (WMD = − 9.42, 95% CI − 15.04, − 3.79, p < 0,005), short-form 36-item health survey physical composite summary (SF-36PCS) (WMD = 7.07, 95% CI 1.01, 13.14, p < 0.05), short-form 36-item health survey mental composite summary (SF-36MCS) (WMD = 7.88, 95% CI 0.09, 15.67, p < 0.05), and timed up and go test (TUG) (WMD = − 0.92, 95% CI − 2.22, 0.38, p < 0.005). Conclusion: Exercise therapy effectively improved VAS, ODI, and SF-36 indexes in the elderly. Based on the subgroup, when designing the exercise therapy regimen, aerobics, strength, and mind–body exercise (≥ 12 weeks, ≥ 3 times/week, ≥ 60 min) should be considered carefully, to ensure the safety and effectiveness for the rehabilitation of CLBP patients. More high-quality trials are needed in future to confirm the effect of exercise on SF-36 and TUG indexes.

Objective: This study aims to explore how rural public sports facilities and their instructors influence the participation of rural residents in sports activities under the background of China’s rural revitalization strategy. The goal is to provide strategies for the effective use and management of rural sports facilities, thereby encouraging rural residents to actively participate in sports activities, improve their quality of life, and support comprehensive rural revitalization.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, employing a stratified sampling method to distribute questionnaires to 5,000 residents in the eastern, central, western, and southern regions of China. Data analysis was conducted using R4.1.3 software. The main research indicators included the funding sources of sports facilities and the composition of social sports instructors, while residents’ basic characteristics were considered secondary indicators for correlation, regression, and cross-analysis.Results: Analysis of 3,956 valid questionnaires revealed that increasing age led to a decrease in the frequency of sports activities (−0.098), while higher education levels increased activity frequency (0.097). Facilities provided by county sports bureaus significantly promoted participation in sports activities (B = 0.320, p &lt; 0.001). Facilities donated by villagers or township enterprises and the sports lottery fund also effectively increased participation (B = 0.219, p &lt; 0.001; B = 0.159, p = 0.011). Sports facility instructors, particularly urban residents and retirees, significantly positively impacted activity time, while the absence of instructors reduced residents’ participation in sports activities (B = −0.445, p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: Age and education level are negatively correlated with sports activity participation, while the source of public sports facilities, especially those provided by county sports bureaus, the sports lottery fund, and village committees, significantly enhance participation. The presence of social sports instructors significantly increases the time and frequency of residents’ sports activities. Policymakers need to focus on the construction and management of public sports facilities, develop and utilize diversified funding sources, and enhance the role of sports facility instructors. By providing professional guidance and organizing diverse sports activities, rural residents’ enthusiasm for participation can be effectively stimulated.

Objective: This study investigates the association between sedentary behavior and sleep quality among postmenopausal women residing in China’s plateau regions. Particular attention is given to moderating effects of age, body mass index (BMI), and sleep environment. This study aims to identify modifiable risk factors influencing sleep quality in this high-altitude population.Methods: This cross-sectional study focused on postmenopausal women (aged ≥50 years, ≥12 months post-menopause) across four primary plateau regions in China: Qinghai-Tibet, Yunnan-Guizhou, Inner Mongolia, and the Loess Plateau. Sedentary behavior was evaluated with the Older Adults Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire, and sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Data analysis encompassed descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, and subgroup analyses.Results: Among the 151 participants (mean age 58.5 years), sedentary behavior was positively correlated with poorer sleep quality (r = 0.36, p < 0.001). Improvements in the sleep environment were similarly associated with better sleep quality (r = 0.29, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression identified sedentary behavior and sleep environment as significant predictors of sleep quality, while other variables showed no significant associations. Subgroup analysis revealed age-specific effects: sedentary behavior had a strong influence on sleep quality in women under 60 years (r = 0.36, p < 0.01) but demonstrated a weaker, non-significant association in those aged 60 years or older (p = 0.062).Conclusion: Prolonged sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor for reduced sleep quality among postmenopausal women residing in high-altitude regions, while improvements in the sleep environment are positively associated with better sleep quality. The influence of sedentary behavior on sleep quality varies by age groups. These findings highlight the importance of tailored interventions and health policies to improving sleep quality in postmenopausal women living at high altitudes.

Background: Combat sports involve repeated high-intensity, intermittent actions under direct competition. During competition, athletes must produce high power output repeatedly, with rapid energy-system transitions and substantial oxidative stress responses. Objective: This cross-sectional study examined associations between antioxidant-related indicators and special strength performance in combat athletes. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, recruiting 25 high-level combat athletes in training. We measured one energy-related marker [plasma adenosine triphosphate (ATP)], three antioxidant defense markers [total antioxidant capacity [T-AOC], superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPX]], and one oxidative damage marker [malondialdehyde (MDA)] and six special strength indicators [standing long jump, vertical jump, medicine ball throw, one-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press, one-repetition maximum (1-RM) squat, 30 m sprint] were measured. Gender, height, weight, body fat percentage, and resting heart rate were included as covariates. Shapiro Wilk tests, Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests, Spearman correlations, multiple linear regression, and Bayesian regression were applied. Results: Body fat percentage and SOD activity differed across sports ( p < 0.05), with higher body fat percentage in taekwondo and higher SOD activity in boxing. In gender comparisons, females had lower T-AOC than males ( p = 0.011), with no significant differences for the other indicators. ATP was positively correlated with standing long jump (r = 0.449) and vertical jump ( r = 0.502), while body fat percentage showed a negative correlation with vertical jump (r = −0.529, p < 0.05). None of the multiple linear regression models reached statistical significance. Bayesian regression yielded similar patterns, with positive posterior means for ATP in explosive and strength outcomes and negative estimates for MDA in some models. Conclusion: Special strength outcomes were associated with markers related to energy availability and oxidative status. ATP and body fat percentage were the variables most consistently associated with explosive performance in this sample: ATP was positively associated with standing long jump and vertical jump, whereas body fat percentage was negatively associated with vertical jump performance. Differences in antioxidant indicators across sports and between sexes suggest that antioxidant status may vary with individual characteristics and sport-specific demands. These findings are hypothesis-generating and may inform future work on training, nutritional strategies, and pre-competition preparation, which should be tested in longitudinal or randomized controlled studies.