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Endurance athletes and coaches have long debated the most effective training intensities for maximizing performance. Recently, Zone 2 training has gained attention as a foundational component of endurance programs, yet definitions and implementation strategies vary. While many propose that Zone…
The transition into elite-level sport can expose young athletes to risk factors for mental ill-health, including increased performance expectations, stressors associated with becoming increasingly public figures, and changes in lifestyle demands, such as diet, training loads and sleep. Successful integration into elite-level sport requires athletes to quickly adapt to these newfound challenges and the norms […]
Drawing on the body of knowledge in this area, this article presents an evidence-based approach to developing psychological resilience for sustained success. To this end, the narrative is divided into three main sections. The first section describes the construct of psychological resilience and explains what it is. The second section outlines and discusses a mental […]
Contemporary aspects of research methods in sport and exercise psychology are discussed in this wide-ranging review. After an introduction centred on trends in sport and exercise psychology methods, the review is organized around the major themes of quantitative and qualitative research. Our aim is to highlight areas that may be problematic or controversial (e.g. stepwise […]
Our evolving understanding of how psychosocial and behavioral factors affect health and disease processes has been marked by investigation of specific relationships and mechanisms underlying them. Stress and other emotional responses are components of complex interactions of genetic, physiological, behavioral, and environmental factors that affect the body’s ability to remain or become healthy or to […]
In recent years, the conversation surrounding mental health in sports has primarily focused on athletes, with much less attention paid to the well-being of coaches. However, a growing body of research is beginning to highlight the significant stressors faced by coaches, particularly those in high-performance environments, and the detrimental effects these stressors can have on […]
Contrasting Approaches in Research: Sport scientists often design studies that compare different training methods or models (e.g., interval vs. continuous exercise, polarized vs. pyramidal intensity distribution). These studies tend to conclude that one method is superior, but leading practitioners view these methods as complementary tools rather than mutually exclusive.Complexity of Athlete Development: No single type […]
When deciding if an athlete is ready to return to sports after an injury, clinicians face a complex challenge. This process involves not only assessing the physical healing of the athlete but also considering their mental readiness and social factors. Understanding how decisions are made in these situations is crucial because the health and performance […]
In recent years, the mental health of high-performance athletes has garnered increased attention, challenging long-held beliefs about their psychological resilience. However, the lack of consensus on how to define and classify mental health conditions in this context has led to significant challenges in accurately assessing and treating these issues. This has been further complicated by […]
The current ‘state of play’ in supporting elite athlete mental health and wellbeing has centred mostly on building mental health literacy or awareness of the signs of mental ill-health amongst athletes. Such awareness is necessary, but not sufficient to address the varied mental health needs of elite athletes. We call for a new model of […]
Objectives To present an overview of the existing epidemiological evidence regarding the occurrence of mental health symptoms and disorders among current and former elite athletes. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Five electronic databases were searched from inception to November 2018: PubMed (MEDLINE), SportDiscus via EBSCO, PSycINFO via ProQuest, Scopus and Cochrane. Eligibility criteria […]
Mental health symptoms and disorders are common among elite athletes, may have sport related manifestations within this population and impair performance. Mental health cannot be separated from physical health, as evidenced by mental health symptoms and disorders increasing the risk of physical injury and delaying subsequent recovery. There are no evidence or consensus based guidelines […]
Background: The aim of the current study was to conduct a systematic review determining the effect of sport-specific mental health awareness programs to improve mental health knowledge and help-seeking among sports coaches, athletes and officials. The second aim was to review the study quality and to report on the validity of measures that were used […]
AbstractBackground: Adolescents and young adults experience a high level of mental disorders, yet tend not to seek help. Research indicates that there are many barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for young people in the general community. However there are limited data available for young elite athletes. This study aims to determine what young elite athletes perceive […]
The latest research on women’s football delves into readiness monitoring and the menstrual cycle’s impact on performance. It emphasizes the need for a balanced approach, combining objective metrics like heart rate with subjective measures such as athlete-reported outcome measures (AROM). Reliability checks are essential before implementing these measures. In settings with limited technology, AROM instruments […]
Examining the landscape of sleep variability among athletes, a systematic review was conducted to delve into how researchers have conceptualized and investigated these fluctuations in sleep patterns. This comprehensive analysis, spanning 16 studies, highlights the varied approaches and limitations in defining and measuring sleep variability among athletes. The review uncovers critical gaps and potential pathways […]
We sought to identify concepts that may facilitate National Collegiate Athletic Association efforts to assist member institutions in addressing the mental health needs of student-athletes of colour. A two-step process was followed to generate and refine concepts, guided by Delphi methodology. First, a scoping review was conducted, including original peer-reviewed research articles that quantified or […]
Background: The purpose was to: 1) perform a systematic review of studies examining the relation between physical activity, fitness, and health in school-aged children and youth, and 2) make recommendations based on the findings.Methods: The systematic review was limited to 7 health indicators: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, the metabolic syndrome, obesity, low bone […]
The first purpose of this study was to examine low-income parents’ and their children’s perceptions of the benefits associated with participation in youth sport. The second purpose was to examine parents’ perceptions of the challenges associated with providing their children sporting opportunities. Interpretive Description qualitative approach ( Thorne, 2008). Thirty-five individual interviews were conducted with […]
In recent years, individuals who do not conform to healthiest body shape and weight norms are the target of an increasingly fervent moral panic about “obesity” (Gard & Wright, 2005). As a subculture within the gay male community (Wright, 1997a), the “Bear” community offers a site for examining biopolitical resistance to the pervasive body ideals […]
Aim: The aim of the paper was to identify changes in the extent and patterns of anabolic steroid use in the United Kingdom to better understand the public health implications within the context of the current health-related evidence base. Methods: Using the two time points between 1995 (prior to legislation changes in the United Kingdom) […]
The main focus of this study is the analysis of the link between sport, leisure and the behavior, and phenomenon of religion. From the qualitative point of view of social anthropology, fieldwork has been carried out with different informers from different sporting environments. Rather than directly show the fieldwork itself, we have decided to present […]
This research note offers an original contribution to methodological discussion qua mental health, and associated emotionality, within the workplace of sport academia. Our1 focus is the poststroke mental health of a male sociology of sport professor, and discussions are divided into two sections. The first section, which reiterates the title: ‘you should see me on […]
This research explores the emotional labour of university students whilst volunteering on the Sport Universities North East England (SUNEE) sports-based outreach project. Using data from semi-structured interviews with students (n = 40) this paper draws on the work of Arlie Hochschild (1983, 2012) to explore the feeling, display and regulation of emotion by this cohort […]
Huge numbers of children participate in sports. However, kids and sports are rarely seen, much less systematically studied by sport sociologists. Our survey of the past decade of three major sport sociology journals illustrates a dearth of scholarly research on children and sport. While noting the few exceptions, we observe that sport studies scholars have […]
Context: Doping has been pervasive throughout the history of athletic competitions and has only recently been regulated by organizations such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). These regulatory bodies were created to preserve fair play and maintain the safety of the participants. Their updated […]
The present study examined the direct and indirect effect of coaches’ transformational leadership on athlete well-being. Participants were 184 floorball players who completed questionnaires about perceived transformational leadership from their coach, need satisfaction, and sport-related well-being. The analysis revealed positive relationships between perceived transformational leadership, need satisfaction, and well-being. The results also demonstrated that the […]
Background The physical impacts of elite sport participation have been well documented; however, there is comparatively less research on the mental health and psychological wellbeing of elite athletes. Objective This review appraises the evidence base regarding the mental health and wellbeing of elite-level athletes, including the incidence and/or nature of mental ill-health and substance use. […]
The conditions for high performance have changed considerably over the last few years. Athletes must spend more time training and competing, devote a lot of time to mental, physical and nutritional professionals and continue to respond to some constraints such as studying, spending time with their families, friends and quality of life. In this context […]
In this article, we present paradoxical findings from a formative evaluation research project that explores how preadolescent girls understand and feel about their bodies after participating in “Girls on the Run of Los Angeles County”(GOTR LA), a girl-serving positive youth development program. Findings from pre/post test data (n=138) show that girls’ body image improved after […]
Background: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has recently highlighted mental health concerns in student athletes, though the incidence of suicide among NCAA athletes is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of suicide among NCAA athletes. Hypothesis: The incidence of suicide in NCAA athletes differs by sex, race, sport, and […]
It is widely maintained that sport and physical activities contribute to the development of young people’s well-being. Others argue that sports’ contribution to good living is so strong that it is even thought to be a human right. Typically, however, the value of physical activity and sport to our well-being is conceptualized and researched within […]
This study aimed to quantify and compare the physiological, physical and technical demands of a sport-specific and non-sport-specific small-sided game (SSG) in young athletes. Ten male soccer players (mean ± SD: age, 13.0 ± 0.3 years, O2peak, 54.4 ± 4.9 ml · kg−1 · min−1) completed 3 vs. 3 and 6 vs. 6 soccer and […]
Ethnodrama combined with Goffman’s ‘presentation of self’ is used to explore three elite swimmers’ ‘presentation of self’ in relation to the dominant ideology of ‘slim to win’. The ‘presentation of self’ of three swimmers is presented and analyzed according to their front stage (e.g., posting of specific images; direct media quotes) and backstage (e.g., an […]
The present study examines the relationship between individual differences in evaluative self-organisation and mental toughness in sport, proposing that motivation and emotional resiliency (facets of mental toughness) stem from differences in core self. A cross-sectional assessment of 105 athletes competing at a range of performance levels took part in an online study including measures of […]
This paper argues that we might learn from the ways in which Eastern movement forms with a self-cultivation focus approach the development of spirituality through physicality. It also argues that these movement forms have potential to assist in the development of children’s spirituality in school and Physical Education (PE) settings. First, the paper highlights a […]
Background: Winning and losing have consistently been used as one criterion upon which to evaluate coaches. Since winning coaches have long been thought of as knowledgeable and effective at providing instruction, researchers have often studied coaches who have obtained a high winning percentage. While researchers know some about the behaviors and thought processes of winning […]
Disadvantaged rural youth may be especially at risk for obesity and poorer health due to physical inactivity. Research suggests that extracurricular school programs can increase physical activity for this population. This study sought to determine whether local differences existed in the availability of supportive environments for extracurricular physical activity in North Carolina middle schools. Multiple […]
Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and with guidance from a 15-member, cross-sector working group, this report offers a deep dive into the central idea behind Project Play. It builds on research showing that children with motor skills competence are more likely to stay physically active into adolescence and adulthood, identifies the populations in […]
Since the 1960s, there has been a change in the portrayal of older people. This change has resulted in the promotion of an active way of life that led, at the turn of the twenty-first century, to the development by international bodies of standard guidelines relating to active or healthy ageing. This article examines the […]
Through an examination of the experiences of young people in one disadvantaged area, this paper adds to an emerging body of knowledge focused on what place physical activity occupies in the lives of young people in areas of disadvantage. A total of 40 young people (21 males, 19 females) participated in focus group interviews. The […]
When I began my tenure as NCAA Chief Medical Officer in January 2013, my first task was to connect with NCAA stakeholders and constituents to understand their concerns. I have since met with hundreds of student-athletes and dozens of student-athlete groups to ask them their primary challenges from a health and safety standpoint. Almost to […]
Physically and mentally healthy student-athletes are in a good position to thrive academically, socially, and athletically. Unfortunately, many student-athletes fail to get the mental health help they need due to factors such as lack of knowledge and mental health stigma. The purpose of this research was to create and evaluate a multimedia, interactive website ( […]
This article examines the effects of globalization on the well-being of migrant professional athletes. Interviews with 20 touring professional golfers reveal that players experience many of the personal problems—such as loneliness, isolation, low decision latitude, low social support, and effort-reward imbalance—which have been identified as “strong predictors of mental ill-health” (Leka & Jain, 2010, p. […]
Faith-based organizations are a frequent partner in health promotion due to their large and expansive reach across multiple demographics of the United States. These faith-based organizations are led by clergy members who have a strong influence over their institutions and who shape the physical and social environments of their institutions for health-related matters. The purpose […]
The multicultural landscape of contemporary sport sets a challenge to rethink sport and exercise psychology research and practice through a culturally reflexive lens. This ISSP Position Stand provides a rigorous synthesis and engagement with existing scholarship to outline a roadmap for future work in the field. The shift to culturally competent sport and exercise psychology […]
Competitive sports are recognized as having unique health benefits and risks, and the effect of sports on lifespan health among elite athletes has received increasing attention. However, supporting scientific data are sparse and do not represent modern athletes. To assess holistic life-span health and health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) among current and former National Collegiate Athletic Association […]
Introduction. Most of the U.S. population is affiliated with faith-based organizations (FBOs) and regularly attends services. Health and wellness activities (HWA) delivered through FBOs have great potential for reach, but the number of FBOs offering health programs and the characteristics of these programs are currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to better understand […]
This article aims to develop one of the major themes from an ethnographic study of the culture of distance running – the desire for health and fitness. Research was undertaken over a 2-year period using a variety of flexible qualitative data sources, most notably observation and in-depth interviews. The body, especially the ‘running body’, is […]
We thank Glass et al. (2020) for their response to our book review of their work (Wilson & Gearity, 2020) and welcome this opportunity for greater dialogue. We find that our differences lay more in accordance with our varying purposes and interpretations rather than in fact. Our approach was not a laudatory book review that […]
Researchers have postulated that hope may be an important factor associated with burnout. Consistent with hope theory contentions, low-hope individuals may be susceptible to burnout because they are prone to experience goal blockage, frustration, and negative affect, all of which likely increase the risk of burnout. We examined the relationship between hope and athlete burnout […]
Context: Nutritional supplements advertised as ergogenic are commonly used by athletes at all levels. Health care professionals have an opportunity and responsibility to counsel athletes concerning the safety and efficacy of supplements on the market. Evidence Acquisition: An Internet search of common fitness and bodybuilding sites was performed to identify supplement promotions. A search of […]
Research shows numerous positive psychological benefits from mindful- ness-based interventions, including psychological flexibility, acute aware- ness, cognitive diffusion, and attentional control (Jekauc, Kittler, & Schlagheck, 2016). Mental skills consultants, coaches, and athletes face the dilemma of making sense of the plethora of mindfulness approaches. To provide some clarity on these approaches, this book review compares […]
The acknowledgement of risks for traumatic brain injury in American football players has prompted studies for sideline concussion diagnosis and testing for neurological deficits. While concussions are recognized etiological factors for a spectrum of neurological sequelae, the consequences of sub-concussive events are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD) and the accompanying […]
Background: Various research efforts have studied concussions in the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the National Hockey League. However, no study has investigated the incidence and return-to-play trends in the National Basketball Association (NBA), which this study aims to do. Hypothesis: Increased media scrutiny and public awareness, in addition to the institution of […]
About 75 % of African-Americans (AAs) ages 20 or older are overweight and nearly 50 % are obese, but community-based programs to reduce diabetes risk in AAs are rare. Our objective was to reduce weight and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and increase physical activity (PA) from baseline to week-12 and to month-12 among overweight AA […]
We were all initially thrilled to see the book review by Wilson and Gearity (2020) comparing our approaches (the Mindfulness-Acceptance- Commitment [MAC] approach – Gardner & Moore, 2007; Mindfulness Meditation Training in Sport [MMTS] – Baltzell & Summers, 2018; Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement [MSPE] – Kaufman et al., 2018). However, this worthwhile endeavor contained factual […]
Background We compared cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (CVRFs) of community-based participatory research (CBPR) participants with the community population to better understand how CBPR participants relate to the population as a whole. Methods Good News Participants in 20 African-American churches in Dallas, Texas were compared with age/sex-matched African-Americans in the Dallas Heart Study (DHS), a probability-based […]
This article develops a theory of branded fitness within the United States through a focus on two of its most visible examples: CrossFit and Bikram yoga. We argue that highly successful forms of branded fitness such as these give insight into the enormous power and permeation of branded sensibilities into everyday life – in this […]
Background: Body mass index (BMI) is widely accepted in determining obesity. Skinfold thickness measurements have been commonly used to determine percentage of body fat. Hypothesis: The authors hypothesize that because BMI does not measure fat directly but relies on body weight alone, a large percentage of athletic adolescents will be misclassified as obese by BMI. […]
The leading textbook in sport and exercise psychology is back in a revised seventh edition, and it again raises the bar with its engaging introduction to the field. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Seventh Edition With Web Study Guide, offers both students and new practitioners a comprehensive view of sport and exercise psychology, drawing […]
Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.
In 1734, Anton Wilhelm Amo, a West African student and former chamber slave of Duke Anton Ulrich of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, defended a philosophy dissertation at the University of Halle in Saxony, written in Latin and entitled “On the Impassivity of the Human Mind.” A dedicatory letter was appended from the rector of the University of Wittenberg, […]