TOPIC

Sports research

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

1,148 PAPERS · PAGE 20 OF 23 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2026Association of sports and physical activity with mild traumatic brain injury and behavioral and neurocognitive function.Brain injurySoccer and climbing were linked with a higher chance of a history of mild brain injury in 9- to 10-year-olds, while yoga was linked with a lower chance. Sports participation was also linked with fewer behavioral and emotional problems and better thinking scores.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Sex Differences in Subacute Blood Biomarker Levels and Associations With Post-Concussion Symptom Severity in Adolescents With Concussion.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn adolescents with concussion, females had higher tau levels than males. Biomarkers linked to symptoms differently by sex: p-tau181 correlated with cognitive issues in both, but NFL and UCH-L1 predicted physical symptoms in males and emotional symptoms in females. These are associations, not diagnostic tools.
• PTSLPOther2025Higher Cardiovascular Risk Factor Burden Associated With Cumulative Concussion History and Age-Related Differences.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn former professional football players aged 50 or younger, a higher number of prior concussions was associated with greater odds of hypertension and high cholesterol. This association was not found in players older than 50.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Comparing trajectories of sport participation for autistic- and non-autistic-youth: A group-based multi-trajectory modelling approach.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic children were far less likely to join team sports, with gaps widening as they aged. However, their rates of individual sport participation matched non-autistic peers. This suggests individual sports may be a more accessible entry point for autistic youth.
• PTOTRCT2026Modified sports intervention for improving participation goals and activity competence in ambulant children with cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyFor ambulant children with cerebral palsy, an 8-week modified sports programme improved parent-set goals for attending and engaging in leisure physical activity more than usual physical therapy. Motor performance goals also improved. However, the programme did not change overall physical activity levels, body functions, or general participation.
• PTCohort2025Does Timing of Concussion in Season Affect Incidence and Recovery in Division I Collegiate Football Players? A CARE Consortium Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationConcussion incidence was highest during preseason, but recovery times were longest for early and late-season injuries. Preseason concussions resolved fastest, while early-season concussions took longer to return to play.
• PTOther2026Rehabilitation and return to activity after platelet-rich plasma injections in chronic tendinopathies: Consensus from international experts.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationExperts agreed to avoid NSAIDs for two weeks and start loading exercises within 5 to 10 days after PRP injections for tendinopathy. They found no consensus on using ice or immobilization immediately after the procedure.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Predictive associations between brain functional connectivity, motor abilities, and executive function development in early childhood: a longitudinal machine learning study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBrain connectivity patterns in healthy 3 to 6 year olds predicted their motor and cognitive development over 12 months. Sensorimotor network maturation was the strongest predictor for motor skills, while attention and default mode networks best predicted executive function.
• PTOther2025Physical and cognitive characteristics of a group exercise program for children treated for brain tumors.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn children treated for brain tumors, a group exercise program mixed games and sports. Most active time was cardiovascular, with medium or high cognitive demand; high cognitive-demand sports had less continuous movement.
• PTOTCohort2026Differences in female athlete triad risk factors between Japanese and American female runners: A comparative study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationJapanese female runners had a higher prevalence of stress fractures and energy deficiency risk factors than American runners, despite similar rates of diagnosed eating disorders and low bone mineral density. This suggests Japanese athletes in this cohort faced greater overall Triad risk.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Efficacy of botulinum toxin for poststroke lower limb: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationBotulinum toxin injections significantly reduced lower limb spasticity in stroke survivors but did not improve walking speed or balance. Tone reduction alone did not translate into functional gains, suggesting that injections must be paired with active rehabilitation to change how a patient moves.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026The effect of robot-assisted gait training on physical activity outcomes in people with spinal cord injury: A systematic review.Clinical rehabilitationPeople with spinal cord injury did more walking, took more steps, and increased their speed during robot-assisted training sessions as time went on. However, the evidence for this improvement is very low because most studies had no control group and were small.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Does transcranial direct current stimulation enhance sensorimotor recovery in chronic ankle instability? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding tDCS to rehab improved balance control and sensorimotor function, but did not change ankle movement patterns, brain excitability measures, or patient-reported scores. The benefit was small and the evidence quality was low.
• PTOTPilot2025Promoting continuous rehabilitation with AI-based motion capture and biomechanical analysis: objective feedback as a catalyst.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesObjective feedback on shoulder movement improved exercise motivation for one month in older adults with stroke, diabetes, or foot deformity. Motivation dropped off after four weeks. The effect was absent in participants with Parkinson's disease, who declined regardless of feedback.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Safety and Benefits of Moderate to High Intensity Aerobic Exercise During the Subacute Phase of Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationModerate to high intensity aerobic exercise after stroke did not improve peak oxygen capacity, self-selected walking speed or function. Walking distance and fast walking speed improved immediately after intervention, and severe cardiac or cerebral events did not differ.
• PTOTSLPOther2026AI-powered biomechanical modeling for ACL-reconstructed knees: predicting knee joint contact forces via computer vision and deep learning.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new AI model can estimate knee joint forces in ACL-reconstructed patients using just two smartphone cameras. It achieved high accuracy across walking, running, and stair descent, potentially allowing clinic-based monitoring without expensive lab equipment.
• PTPilot2026A novel design conception of foot orthoses promotes normal walking in patients with pronated feet.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFishbone orthoses changed foot alignment and pressure measures in men with pronated feet, but the study did not show which orthosis matches pronation severity and did not measure pain or function.
• PTOTCase Report2026Case Report: Application of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in medial epicondylitis with concomitant ulnar nerve instability: a case series with long-term follow-up.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwo of three patients reported large pain reductions and regained function after shockwave therapy for medial elbow tendinopathy with ulnar nerve instability. One patient saw no change. No complications occurred. These cases suggest potential benefit but do not prove efficacy.
• PTCohort2025Quadriceps femoris strength deficits early in rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction identify risk of future contralateral ACL injury following return to sport in young athletes: A Preliminary analysis.Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports MedicineYoung athletes who failed to reach 80% quadriceps strength symmetry about 14 weeks after ACL reconstruction had 4.4 times higher odds of injuring their opposite knee within 3 years of returning to sport. However, they had 90% lower odds of re-injuring the operated knee.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Effects of meeting exercise guidelines on depression and anxiety in multiple sclerosis - a systematic review and meta-analysis.Physiotherapy theory and practiceExercise meeting MS guidelines reduced depression scores by 4.46 points, exceeding the threshold for noticeable improvement. However, the effect on anxiety was not significant. The evidence is weak due to high risk of bias in most included trials.
• PTOther2026Assessment of Quadriceps Muscle Characteristics in Female Division I Athletes: A Validation Study of Wireless Probes Against Standard Ultrasound Units.Journal of sport rehabilitationWireless ultrasound muscle thickness matched standard panoramic cross-sectional area well in female athletes, so it is a valid field substitute for muscle size. Echo intensity agreement was moderate, meaning brightness scores may not transfer between devices.
• PTOther2026Cognitive-Motor Function and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk: Exploring Relationships Between Clinical and Lab-Based Assessments.Journal of sport rehabilitationClinical dual-task hop tests did not correlate with lab-based biomechanical risk factors for second ACL injury when measuring the change from single to dual task. However, single-task hop distance did correlate with some biomechanical measures, suggesting dual-task change scores are less useful than raw performance.
• PTOTCohort2026Predicting self-reported injury status among runners training for the New York City Marathon.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationFor runners already modifying training due to injury, models predicted next week's injury status well. For runners not yet modifying training, prediction was poor. Current pain and injury status were the strongest predictors. Training load metrics like ACWR showed weaker associations.
• PTOther2025Is Deceleration the Key Element in Vertical Jump Performance to Return to Sport After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Hamstring Graft? A Preliminary Study.International journal of sports physical therapyAt six months after ACL reconstruction, deceleration symmetry did not show a clear group difference, but jump force and power symmetry were lower than controls. The reconstructed limb also had lower force, power, and deceleration than the other limb.
• PTOther2025The International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy at the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025: Shaping a Global Commitment to Sustainable Athlete Health.International journal of sports physical therapyNo tested intervention or patient outcome is reported. This paper summarizes expert recommendations from a sports physiotherapy seminar about sustainable athlete health, so there is no finding to act on.
• PTCase Report2025Rehabilitation Following a Latarjet After a Failed Labral Repair in a Female Overhead Athlete: A Resident's Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyA Division 1 basketball player returned to full sport five months after a Latarjet procedure, following a 16-week rehabilitation protocol. She achieved limb symmetry scores above 90% and reported feeling 93% of her pre-injury baseline. This single case describes one possible pathway, not a proven standard.
• PTCase Report2025Development and Implementation of a Critical Care Transport Physical Ability Test: An Administrative Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapy69 of 71 critical care transport team members passed a newly developed physical ability test. Failures were linked to a known knee condition and a recent hand injury. This describes test development, not evidence it prevents injuries.
• PTOther2025Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test Reference Values for NCAA American Football.International journal of sports physical therapyNCAA football players averaged 27.3 touches on the CKCUEST. Two touches were needed to count as a measurable change. Linemen grouped together scored lower than all other players, 25.7 versus 28.1 touches.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Return to Competitive Sport After Anterior Shoulder Stabilization: A Scoping Review of Current Outcomes and Clearance Decision-Making Criteria.International journal of sports physical therapyCompetitive athletes returned to their prior sport level at a rate of 82.3% after shoulder stabilization, with 7% experiencing recurrent instability. Return to play criteria varied widely, with most studies relying on time and strength rather than standardized functional or psychological testing.
• PTSystematic Review2025Mapping Comorbidities in Patients With Low Back Pain-A Systematic Review.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyAcross nine studies, 49% to 92% of people with nonspecific low back pain had at least one comorbidity. Hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis, asthma, and depression were the most commonly documented comorbidities.
• PTOTRCT2026The impact of robot-assisted training on gait, balance, and endurance in patients with partial spinal cord injuries: insights from rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTwice-weekly robot-assisted gait training improved walking speed, endurance, and balance more than once-weekly training or conventional therapy in active patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries. Those with greater residual movement (AIS D) showed the largest gains.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026What Motor Skills Do Children Perceive as Important? A Child-Centred Exploration Using the Motor Coordination Questionnaire.Child: care, health and developmentChildren in Ghana and South Africa consistently rated self-care, writing neatly, and household chores as very important. However, boys valued kicking a ball and team sports more, while girls valued dancing more. Children with motor difficulties rated many activities as less important.
• PTSurvey2025An Exploratory, Retrospective Study on Injury Occurrence in Triathletes and Marathon Runners.International journal of sports physical therapyMore running and swimming hours linked to fewer injuries, but more cycling and cross-training hours linked to more. Self-reported data from 384 endurance athletes shows no single modality is universally protective.
• PTOTQualitative2026A Social Justice Approach to Assistive Technology and Well-Being of People With Visual Disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Qualitative Narrative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesParticipants valued assistive technology for autonomy but often avoided it due to safety fears and stigma. They desired devices that were discreet and aesthetically pleasing to avoid drawing unwanted attention in violent urban settings.
• PTOther2025Electromyographic examination of a new exercise therapy for the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles.Journal of physical therapy scienceHeel raises with band resistance did not activate foot muscles more than heel raise or short foot exercise in people with normal feet. In people with flat feet, they activated calf and shin muscles more than short foot exercise, but function was not tested.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Relationship between visual function and motor skills: validation through a vision training system and physical fitness test.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy adults, better spatial awareness on a vision test correlated with higher overall fitness scores and specifically with better repeated horizontal jump performance. Other visual skills, like eye-hand coordination or peripheral perception, showed no significant link to physical fitness.
• PTNarrative Review2025Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Evaluation of the Rectus Abdominis.International journal of sports physical therapyThis paper describes how to perform and interpret musculoskeletal ultrasound of the rectus abdominis. It does not report patient outcomes, diagnostic accuracy, or treatment effects, so it offers no evidence to guide clinical decisions.
• PTCohort2025Changes in Normalized Shoulder Strength and Self-Perceived Function in Healthy Division One Baseball Players Over the Course of a Competitive Season.International journal of sports physical therapyShoulder strength changed significantly over a competitive season in 49 healthy collegiate baseball players, but self-perceived function did not. Pitchers and non-pitchers showed similar patterns. Strength benchmarks from this study can guide clinical assessment during the season.
• PTPilot2026Feasibility of optimizing muscle activation of individuals with spinal cord injuries to reduce caregiver effort in assisted transfers.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOptimized stimulation reduced estimated caregiver work and some estimated joint loads in two people with spinal cord injury, but the ground-force difference was not clear.
• PTCohort2025Functional Movement Screening Profile of College Rodeo Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyRodeo athletes showed no difference in total movement scores across events, but specific patterns varied by discipline. Steer wrestlers and bull riders had lower shoulder mobility, while bronc riders scored higher on shoulder and trunk stability tasks.
• PTCohort2026Injury risk assessment using the functional movement screen in college physical education majors: a prospective cohort study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn college physical education majors, a Functional Movement Screen total score of 15 or below identified students at high risk of sports injury. Six of seven individual movement tests predicted injury, but the trunk stability push-up did not.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Disproportional ventilatory response to incremental exercise in individuals with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIndividuals with cerebral palsy breathe much faster during exercise than typically developing people, even at lower heart rates. This is likely due to an inability to take deeper breaths rather than metabolic stress. Therapists should monitor respiratory rate, not just heart rate, to gauge exertion.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Patients Who Do Not Achieve 90% of the Nonoperative Side on the Anterior Reach Y-Balance Test at 3 Months After ACL Reconstruction Are More Likely to Have Persistent Knee Extension Strength Asymmetry at 6 Months Postoperatively.International journal of sports physical therapyPatients with an anterior reach Y-Balance test symmetry index below 90% at three months after ACL reconstruction were significantly more likely to have knee extensor strength asymmetry at six months. However, a symmetry index above 90% at three months did not guarantee normal strength at six months.
• PTCohort2025Kinematic and Kinetic Risk Factors Exist Bilaterally During the First and Second Landing of the Drop Vertical Jump in Adolescent Patients following ACL Reconstruction.International journal of sports physical therapyAdolescents cleared to return to sport after ACL surgery showed risk factors on both landings of a drop jump. The second landing was stiffer and more game-like. The non-operated leg often moved more than the surgical leg, suggesting compensation rather than normal movement.
• PTOther2025Interpreting Quadriceps Strength Thresholds for Patients Following ACL-Reconstruction: A Clinical Commentary.International journal of sports physical therapy
• PTOther2025Challenges and Opportunities for Injury Reduction and Performance Development in Elite Youth Team Sport Schools: A Practice-Based Opinion.International journal of sports physical therapyThis paper is an expert opinion piece describing how one sports school manages training load and injury risk for young volleyball players. It shares practical strategies like bio-banding and low-cost monitoring but provides no evidence that these methods work better than alternatives.
• PTOther2025Sex-Specific Muscle Activity and Kinematics of the Posterior Kinetic Chain Targeting Hamstring Strengthening Exercises and Sprinting: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of sports physical therapyFemales showed greater hamstring muscle activity than males during sprint-like exercises, especially the Nordic Hamstring. The study measured muscle activity and joint angles, not injury outcomes or training benefit.
• PTOther2025Radial, Median and Ulnar Nerve Flossing as Essential Preparatory Treatment for Baseball Pitchers in the Prevention of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury: A Clinical Suggestion.International journal of sports physical therapyNo original research or outcomes are reported. The paper offers a theoretical proposal for nerve flossing in pitchers but provides no evidence that it prevents injury.
• PTOTCohort2026Screen Time, Fatigue, Obesity and Physical Inactivity: Health Correlates of Problematic Smartphone Use in Adolescents.Child: care, health and developmentProblematic smartphone use affected 15.7% of adolescents, clustering with high screen time, severe fatigue, obesity, and low physical activity. Each additional year of structured sports participation was associated with lower odds of problematic use, severe fatigue, and obesity, with a stronger protective effect in females.
• PTOther2025Test-retest Reliability of Biomechanical Measures and Clinical Pain Outcomes in Runners with Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS).International journal of sports physical therapyFor runners with shin splints, pain distance, pressure path, muscle size and strength were repeatable between sessions. Use the reported change thresholds before calling improvement real.