Topic

Sports research

Everything we have read on sports. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations and the funding are in there too.

8 papers

• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · CohortIsokinetic Quadriceps and Hamstring Peak Torque in Athletes Aged 10-50+: Preoperative Uninvolved Limb Reference Values for ACL Reconstruction.In 321 athletes scheduled for ACL surgery, quadriceps and hamstring strength (adjusted for body weight) declined with age, but the hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio stayed stable. The widely used 3.0 Nm/kg strength target may not fit patients outside their 20s.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · ProtocolUtilization of the Functional Lower Extremity Evaluation (FLEE) in Return-to-Sport Rehabilitation Protocol Following Hip Arthroscopy in Collegiate Athletes: A Case Series.Four college athletes who had hip surgery returned to sport at about 5.75 months with no reinjury over four years. This is a descriptive case series with no comparison group — it cannot show the functional test or the rehab protocol caused the good outcome.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · OtherShoulder Internal and External Rotator Strength Reliability and Validity in Healthy Adolescent Athletes.Handheld dynamometry gives a usable number for shoulder internal rotator strength in teen athletes (prone or supine), but its external rotator readings are unreliable in every position tested. Do not use HHD external-rotator numbers to clear a young athlete back to throwing.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · Narrative ReviewReturn to Golf Rehabilitation Progression after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using an Evidence-Based Foundation.A proposed six-phase return-to-golf framework after ACL reconstruction, built from biomechanics and rehab literature. It is not validated — the authors call for a prospective pilot study before it can guide practice.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · Narrative ReviewAdductor-Related Athletic Groin Pain: A Clinical Commentary.Adductor groin pain in athletes: the Copenhagen adduction exercise is the best-evidenced prevention tool, rehabilitation must include lumbopelvic control beyond isolated strengthening, and return-to-sport clearance needs more than a single strength test.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · RCTAcute Effects of Contract-Relax PNF With and Without Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Hamstring Flexibility and Jump Performance in Adolescent Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Adding motor-level electrical stimulation to a PNF stretching routine gave adolescent soccer players no more flexibility than the same routine with a placebo tingle. Neither protocol changed jump height. The evidence here does not support adding NMES for an extra flexibility boost.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · QualitativePatients' Mental Barriers in Rehabilitation after ACL Reconstruction: A Qualitative Interview Study.Nine patients 5–9 months post-ACL surgery describe readiness as a shifting process, not a fixed milestone. Their physical therapist is the main psychological anchor, yet they don't recognise that support as psychological. Ask about fear and confidence, not just strength.
• Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liao · 2026 · Systematic ReviewFunctional rehabilitation strategies for enhancing neuromuscular control after ACL reconstruction: A systematic review.Nine small trials suggest jump training and aquatic exercises improve muscle coordination after ACL surgery, and blood flow restriction may protect early strength. Most findings rest on a single trial, so treat these as promising, not proven.