Addressing physical literacy (PL) has become increasingly relevant to counteract sedentary behaviour in children and youth. We developed an assessment tool to measure and evaluate the promotion of individual PL and its four subdomains: motivation and confidence (the affective dimension), physical competence (physical dimension), knowledge and understanding (cognitive dimension), and participation in physical activity. Within this cross-sectional study, we tested 567 children aged 6–12 years from four primary schools that differed in socioeconomic status (SES). A subsequent exploratory factor analysis conducted to examine the conformity revealed a five-factor structure. The five factors explained 39.8% of the total cumulative variance. Children with a low SES yielded lower scores in all subdomains except participation in physical activity. This effect was most pronounced in motor skills (p < 0.001, r = 0.28). Among the children with a low SES, 16.9% were overweight and 17.4% were obese, compared to 11.5% and 5.4%, respectively, for those with a high SES (p < 0.001). In conclusion, although the assessment tool was largely in line with the postulated structure, further adjustments are necessary in terms of participation and motivation. Nevertheless, this holistic view of PL, taking SES into account, should enable the focused promotion of health and health literacy.

Exercise and physical therapy have been shown to be effective in the non-pharmacological symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Hippotherapy as an additive physical therapy intervention is applied in this study to promote balance and postural control, since the number of sufficiently high-quality randomized controlled trials indicating its effectiveness is limited. This study aims to provide more in-depth insights into the effectiveness of hippotherapy in MS in terms of balance and other patient-relevant outcomes, building on the results of a preliminary study (MS-HIPPO II, evidence level 1b). Based on a prospective, randomized, investigator-blinded, controlled multicenter study design, the primary endpoint of differences in balance will be investigated. Patients will be randomized to an intervention group (12 weeks of hippotherapy) or a control group (12 weeks of treatment as usual). Balance will be measured using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) plus a standardized balance task on a force plate (AccuGait-Optimized, Advanced Mechanical Technology, Inc., Massachusetts, US) and a balance perturbation task on an oscillating sensorimotor therapy device (Bioswing Posturomed®, Haider, Pullenreuth, Germany). During balance tasks, electrocortical activity will be investigated using electroencephalography (EEG) (LiveAmp 32, Brain Products GmbH, Gilching, Germany). Secondary endpoints include fatigue (FSS), quality of life (MSQoL-54), pain (VAS), spasticity (NRS) and participation (WHODAS 2.0). Therapy progress will be documented via an ICF-based hippotherapy assessment-tool (EQUITEDO®, Frechen, Germany). The results should contribute to improve the understanding of non-pharmaceutical treatment options in the field of exercise and movement therapy in MS. The trial was registered at March 05, 2024 in the German Clinical Trial Register under DRKS00033449.

Recently, neuroathletic training has been increasingly applied in competitive sports, in therapy, and in prevention. Scientific evidence on the effectiveness of this approach, however, has been poorly developed. Potentials of neuropathologic perceptual exercises to potentially improve balance control in the context of movement therapy in stroke rehabilitation appear promising. To investigate the possible effects of neuroathletic exercises on the balance ability of poststroke patients with ischemic infarcts and intracerebral hemorrhages, a controlled trial of a standardized protocol of daily neuroathletic exercises compared to traditional movement therapy during a four-week period of medical rehabilitation was conducted (n = 19). Patients were assessed with the Berg-Balance Scale (BBS), which represents the Gold standard for clinical measurement of balance. The results of the prepost BBS measurement showed significant balance improvements in the intervention and control groups, whereas the intervention group reached a higher total score by half the size of the standard deviation. A comparison of the results of both groups supported the general effectiveness of movement therapy for improving balance in stroke rehabilitation. However, neuroathletic training exercises did not lead to a stronger effect. Moreover, the intervention group did not score significantly lower than the control group. A negative influence can therefore not be assumed. For further investigations of neuroathletic training compared to treatment-as-usual training to improve balance in stroke rehabilitation, additional studies with larger sample sizes and longer treatment periods should be conducted.Trial registration United States National Library of Medicine, NCT06391801, date: 04.29.2024.

Purpose : The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of complementary training on metabolic load in para equestrian sports in 2 standardized training sessions at the beginning and end of the 2023 competition season under field conditions. Based on pretest diagnostic results, the individual performance was optimized through specific compensatory training using metabolic profiles. Methods : The study design was an exploratory pre–post study approach in which blood lactate, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion were measured during a standardized 40-minute training session with 5 measurement time points. A total of 11 athletes from the national youth squad and national talent pool were included in the analyses. Descriptive comparisons of mean values were carried out. For inferential statistical analyses, linear mixed models were calculated to assess the difference between training load in pretest and posttest. Results : Athletes were primarily in the aerobic range of energy provision within the 5 measurement time points (maximum values pretest, 4.14 mmol/L; posttest, 5.91 mmol/L). Heart rate increased as the number of ridden gaits increased. The results show that athletes who noticeably increased their compensatory training over the 2023 season showed significantly lower rating of perceived exertion in training when riding a standard competition task at the end of the season. Conclusions : Athletes’ potential for promoting a competitive sport career could be further exploited by an increase in complementary training (eg, endurance and strength training) to enhance sport-specific performance capability with regard to long-term performance development. The research was funded by the German Federal Institute for Sports Science (BISp).

Introduction: Generic motor skill diagnostics are widely applied in early talent identification alongside anthropometric and sport-specific performance measures. However, talent selection processes in youth sports are frequently influenced by relative age effects (RAEs), which are closely linked to diagnostic procedures and recruitment practices. Methods: This retrospective analysis examined associations between calendar age and motor performance in a large cohort of German fourth-grade schoolchildren ( N = 19,179; aged 9–10 years). All participants completed the German Motor Test 6–18 (GMT 6–18) between 2008 and 2022 as part of the diagnostic process for recommendations to North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) Sports Schools, a combined school and competitive sport system. Motor performance differences were analyzed using analyses of variance, reporting F- values, p- values, and effect sizes (η ² ). Furthermore, generalized linear models (GENLIN) were applied to examine associations while accounting for covariates and to support the robustness of the findings. Recommendation and admission rates were assessed using Pearson's chi-square tests, Cramer's V , corresponding p- values and a logistic regression analysis. Results: The results indicate that the magnitude of RAEs in this sport-unspecific, generic motor skill assessment was comparatively low within the 9–10-year-old age group. While statistically significant differences between age groups were observed, effect sizes were consistently small, suggesting limited practical relevance. Overall, the results indicate that raw values should be considered in addition to effect sizes for an appropriate interpretation of age-related differences. Discussion/Conclusion: The gained findings show few meaningful differences in motor performance between age groups, but a practically relevant RAE can be negated. Conclusively, suggestions are given as to how the RAE could be countered in diagnostics to further reduce potential RAEs in talent diagnostics, including refined analytical approaches and mathematical adjustments.