Background Insufficient postmatch recovery in elite players may cause an increased risk of injuries, illnesses and non-functional over-reaching.Objective To evaluate postmatch recovery time courses of physical performance and biochemical markers in team ball sport players.Study design Systematic review.Data sources PubMed and Web of Science.Eligibility criteria for selecting studies This systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews andMeta-Analyses guidelines. The Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies was used to evaluate quality. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) Original research evaluated players’ physical recovery postmatch;(2) team/intermittent sports; and (3) at least two postmeasurements were compared with baseline values. Results Twenty-eight studies were eligible. Meanmethodological quality was 11.2±1.11. Most used performance tests and biochemical markers were the countermovement jump test, sprint tests and creatine kinase (CK), cortisol (C) and testosterone (T), respectively.Summary/conclusions The current evidence demonstrates that underlying mechanisms of muscle recovery are still in progress while performance recoveryis already reached. CK recovery time courses are up to ≥72 hours. Soccer and rugby players need more time to recover for sprint performance, CK and C in comparison to other team ball sports. There are more high-quality studies needed regarding recovery in various team sports and recovery strategies on an individual level should be evaluated. Clinical relevance Ongoing insufficient recovery can be prevented by the use of the presented recovery time courses as specific practical recovery guidelines.
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Although the benefits of current anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention programmes have been demonstrated in efficacy studies, they, unfortunately, have had limited public health impact to date. For example, the incidence of ACL injuries continues to rise in adolescent athletes. Raising awareness and educating coaches and athletes is not enough to facilitate the widespread, sustained use of these programmes in the real-world setting. Considering the profound burden of ACL injuries, it is necessary to continue to improve the current ACL injury prevention programmes through co-creation. First, the uptake of the programmes should be optimized by a better appreciation and understanding of the individual, socio-cultural and environmental context (i.e., community). Second, the content of the programmes should be optimized to better reflect the demands of the sport by creating more ownership and increasing motivation (incorporating challenging, sport-specific and fun elements) with the end-users. In addition, implicit motor learning, random practice and differential learning are concepts that should be integrated when practising to obtain the most optimal results when learning or finetuning skills.
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Athletes who wish to resume high-level activities after an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are often advised to undergo surgical reconstruction. Nevertheless, ACL reconstruction (ACLR) does not equate to normal function of the knee or reduced risk of subsequent injuries. In fact, recent evidence has shown that only around half of post-ACLR patients can expect to return to competitive level of sports. A rising concern is the high rate of second ACL injuries, particularly in young athletes, with up to 20% of those returning to sport in the first year from surgery experiencing a second ACL rupture. Aside from the increased risk of second injury, patients after ACLR have an increased risk of developing early onset of osteoarthritis. Given the recent findings, it is imperative that rehabilitation after ACLR is scrutinized so the second injury preventative strategies can be optimized. Unfortunately, current ACLR rehabilitation programs may not be optimally effective in addressing deficits related to the initial injury and the subsequent surgical intervention. Motor learning to (re-)acquire motor skills and neuroplastic capacities are not sufficiently incorporated during traditional rehabilitation, attesting to the high re-injury rates. The purpose of this article is to present novel clinically integrated motor learning principles to support neuroplasticity that can improve patient functional performance and reduce the risk of second ACL injury. The following key concepts to enhance rehabilitation and prepare the patient for re-integration to sports after an ACL injury that is as safe as possible are presented: (1) external focus of attention, (2) implicit learning, (3) differential learning, (4) self-controlled learning and contextual interference. The novel motor learning principles presented in this manuscript may optimize future rehabilitation programs to reduce second ACL injury risk and early development of osteoarthritis by targeting changes in neural networks.
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Ballet en moderne dans zijn een vorm van topsport. De druk op dansers is enorm. Lange en intensieve werkdagen, veel reizen en verschillende werkplekken maken het lastig om lichaam en geest goed te verzorgen. Hierdoor liggen blessures en mentale klachten op de loer. Nederlandse dansgezelschappen willen meer aandacht gaan besteden aan preventieve maatregelen om fysieke en mentale problemen bij hun dansers te voorkomen. Het ontbreekt hen echter aan kennis en kunde om dit innovatieve vraagstuk op te kunnen pakken. Het Nationale Ballet en het Scapino Ballet hebben het lectoraat Performing Arts Medicine van Codarts (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Rotterdam) benaderd om antwoord te krijgen op de vraag hoe dansers op de hoogste podia, op gezonde wijze, hun beste performance kunnen laten zien. Gezamenlijk is deze praktijkvraag omgevormd naar drie onderzoeksdoelstellingen: 1. Opstellen van meetinstrumenten om de fysieke en mentale gezondheid van dansers te screenen en te monitoren; 2. Ontwerpen van een web-based systeem dat automatisch en real-time informatie uit de ontwikkelde meetinstrumenten kan inlezen, analyseren en interpreteren; 3. Ontwikkelen van een Fit to Perform protocol dat aanbevelingen geeft ten aanzien van het verbeteren van de fysieke en mentale gesteldheid van de danser. Het consortium bestaat uit de volgende organisaties: - Praktijkgerichte onderzoeksinstellingen: Codarts Rotterdam en Hogeschool van Amsterdam; - Universiteiten: ErasmusMC, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven en Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; - Praktijkinstellingen: Het Nationale Ballet en het Scapino Ballet; - Overige instellingen: het Nederlands Paramedisch Instituut (NPi) en het Nationale Centrum Performing Arts (NCPA). Bij de samenstelling van het consortium is gekozen voor een goede mix tussen praktijkorganisaties, onderzoeksinstituten en onderwijsinstellingen. Daarnaast is er sprake van cross-sectorale samenwerking doordat kennis vanuit de podiumkunsten, sport, gezondheidszorg, onderwijs en technologie met elkaar verbonden wordt.
Despite the recognized benefits of running for promoting overall health, its widespread adoption faces a significant challenge due to high injury rates. In 2022, runners reported 660,000 injuries, constituting 13% of the total 5.1 million sports-related injuries in the Netherlands. This translates to a disturbing average of 5.5 injuries per 1,000 hours of running, significantly higher than other sports such as fitness (1.5 injuries per 1,000 hours). Moreover, running serves as the foundation of locomotion in various sports. This emphasizes the need for targeted injury prevention strategies and rehabilitation measures. Recognizing this social issue, wearable technologies have the potential to improve motor learning, reduce injury risks, and optimize overall running performance. However, unlocking their full potential requires a nuanced understanding of the information conveyed to runners. To address this, a collaborative project merges Movella’s motion capture technology with Saxion’s expertise in e-textiles and user-centered design. The result is the development of a smart garment with accurate motion capture technology and personalized haptic feedback. By integrating both sensor and actuator technology, feedback can be provided to communicate effective risks and intuitive directional information from a user-centered perspective, leaving visual and auditory cues available for other tasks. This exploratory project aims to prioritize wearability by focusing on robust sensor and actuator fixation, a suitable vibration intensity and responsiveness of the system. The developed prototype is used to identify appropriate body locations for vibrotactile stimulation, refine running styles and to design effective vibration patterns with the overarching objective to promote motor learning and reduce the risk of injuries. Ultimately, this collaboration aims to drive innovation in sports and health technology across different athletic disciplines and rehabilitation settings.
Sport injuries are a major reason for reduced participation and drop-out from sports and PE. Refraining from sport participation has negative bearing effects on mental and physical wellbeing, which tracks into adulthood. It is therefore important for youth to be facilitated into lifelong active participation in physical activity and sport, as the importance of physical activity for the health of youth is undisputed. Participation in physical education (PE) classes and membership of sports clubs and are essential for health enhancing physical activity. Despite the importance of sports injury prevention in youth, no broad scale approaches that work in real-life situations with significant positive effects exist. Main reasons for this are very poor uptake and maintenance of current sports injury prevention exercises. Sportscoaches and physical educators experience these exercises as not context specific, time consuming and not contributing to their training goals. Whereas youth perceives these exercises as not attractive, no fun and without any play or game component. These aspects cause lack of maintenance and thus no significant reduction of injuries. Recent scientific and practical insights promote more emphasis on motivation through autonomy and attractive exercise routines based on principles of motor learning which can be integrated in regular training sessions or physical education classes. Purpose: Therefore, the Move Healthy project develops ICT based support video material of routines for and with physical educators and sport coaches, which supports them to prevent sports injuries in youth. This material should be easy to integrate in regular training sessions or physical education classes.
