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 9 OF 23 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2022Movement System Dysfunction Applied to Youth and Young Adult Throwing Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyThis paper proposes a screening framework for baseball pitchers but reports no results. It lists tests for shoulder, hip, and core function without demonstrating that using them prevents injury. There is no evidence here to change clinical practice.
• PTSurvey2022Determining a preventive strategy for ankle sprain injury through a questionnaire survey of coaches of junior high school basketball teams.Journal of physical therapy scienceMost junior high basketball coaches in Japan do not use the official injury prevention program, even if they know about it. None reported collaborating with medical staff. Coaches cite lack of time and tactical priorities as barriers to implementing simple ankle sprain prevention training.
• PTSystematic Review2022Effective Interventions for Improving Functional Movement Screen Scores Among "High-Risk" Athletes: A Systematic Review.International journal of sports physical therapySix-week to eight-week exercise programs improved Functional Movement Screen scores by an average of 3.28 points. Supervised training worked while video-only did not. Foot strengthening showed mixed results depending on the exercise. Most studies lacked control groups, so natural improvement cannot be ruled out.
• PTOther2022Concurrent Validity and Reliability of Two-dimensional Frontal Plane Knee Measurements during Multi-directional Cutting Maneuvers.International journal of sports physical therapyA cheap phone-camera test for knee collapse during sharp turns matched gold-standard motion capture well for 90-degree cuts, but not for 30-degree cuts. It was highly reliable when repeated. Use it to screen athletes for high-angle cutting risk, not shallow turns.
• PTOther2022Utility of 2D Video Analysis for Assessing Frontal Plane Trunk and Pelvis Motion during Stepping, Landing, and Change in Direction Tasks: A Validity Study.International journal of sports physical therapy2D video analysis correlates strongly with 3D motion capture for trunk and pelvis angles during dynamic tasks. While useful for clinical screening, wide limits of agreement mean 2D measures lack the precision required for high-accuracy assessment, especially during change-of-direction movements.
• PTCohort2022Performance on a Motor Control Test in an Asymptomatic Adolescent Population.International journal of sports physical therapyAdolescents performed worse on the supine double leg lowering test than adults, with females scoring lower than males. Sport participation did not affect scores. This suggests adult normative values are not appropriate for assessing motor control in healthy adolescents.
• PTCohort2022Limb Dominance Does Not Affect Y-Balance Test Performance in Non-Athlete Adolescents.International journal of sports physical therapyIn 26 non-athlete adolescents, the Y-Balance Test showed no significant difference between dominant and non-dominant limbs. However, anterior reach reliability was poor, and many participants failed the task. Clinicians should not assume limb symmetry in this group and should avoid using anterior reach for injury prediction.
• PTOTOther2022Patellofemoral Joint Loading During the Performance of the Forward and Side Lunge with Step Height Variations.International journal of sports physical therapySide lunges generated higher knee joint forces than forward lunges at deeper angles, while forward lunges generated higher forces at shallow angles. Lunging at ground level produced greater stress than lunging onto a 10cm platform at moderate knee bends. This helps therapists select lunge variations to control knee loading.
• PTOTNarrative Review2021Physiological Considerations to Support Podium Performance in Para-Athletes.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPara-athlete physiology varies by impairment, so able-bodied sports protocols may not transfer. Practitioners should individualize monitoring, cooling, breathing support, and energy availability rather than assume standard training works.
• PTOther2022Comparison of Concurrent and Same-Day Balance Measurement Approaches in a Large Sample of Uninjured Collegiate Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyIn uninjured collegiate athletes, balance scores varied widely between people, and same-day measurements with an iPad sensor and force plate did not agree closely. Do not assume a baseline balance score is interchangeable across devices.
• PTCohort2022Normalized Isometric Shoulder Strength as a Predictor of Ball Velocity in Youth Baseball Players.International journal of sports physical therapyNormalizing shoulder strength by ulnar length is the most reliable method for tracking changes in youth baseball players. This method, along with height normalization, shows that dominant shoulder strength predicts ball velocity, with scaption and external rotation at 0 degrees being the strongest predictors.
• PTCohort2022Analysis of Calcaneal Bone Mineral Density (cBMD) in Healthy College Students.International journal of sports physical therapyHealthy college women had lower heel bone density than female athletes, but activity levels did not predict density. Earlier menstruation linked to higher density, while amenorrhea linked to stress fractures. Men showed no density difference between athletes and non-athletes.
• PTOTSurvey2022Prevalence of Risk Factors of the Female Athlete Triad among Young Elite Athletes of Pakistan.International journal of sports physical therapyHalf of 60 elite female athletes in Pakistan showed risk for eating disorders, and 83.3% reported disordered eating behaviors. Menstrual irregularity was less common. No athlete met criteria for all three female athlete triad components, so the full syndrome was rare in this sample.
• PTCohort2022Musculoskeletal Imaging for Low Back Pain in Direct Access Physical Therapy Compared to Primary Care: An Observational Study.International journal of sports physical therapyDirect-access physical therapists ordered imaging within 28 days of low back pain diagnosis in 3.3% of visits, compared to 18.0% in primary care. They waited significantly longer before imaging but showed no difference in clinically significant findings or specialist referrals.
• PTOther2022Test-Retest Reliability of the Isometric Soleus Strength Test in Elite Male Academy Footballers.International journal of sports physical therapyThe isometric soleus strength test gave repeatable force scores in 30 elite male footballers when repeated 72 hours apart, so physical therapists can use it to track soleus strength. It does not show the test prevents injury.
• PTOTOther2022Injury and Injury Prevention in United States Para Swimming: A Mixed-Methods Approach.International journal of sports physical therapyHalf of surveyed U.S. Para swimmers reported career injuries altering training, mostly shoulder pain. Few used formal prevention programs. Swimmers described unique biomechanical risks and fear that stopping swimming harms daily function more than other athletes.
• PTCase Report2022Exploring Inertial-Based Wearable Technologies for Objective Monitoring in Sports-Related Concussion: A Single-Participant Report.Physical therapyA wearable sensor on the lower back tracked gait and sleep in one rugby player recovering from concussion. The device was tolerated and detected step variability changes that the standard paper-based assessment missed. This is a feasibility report, not evidence that the technology improves care.
• PTCase-Control2022Knee dynamics during take-off and landing in spike jumps performed by volleyball players with patellar tendinopathy.Journal of physical therapy scienceVolleyball players with medial patellar tendinopathy showed no difference in knee angles during jumps. However, their injured knee displayed opposite rotational forces and ground reaction vectors passing laterally, unlike the healthy controls.
• PTOther2022Considerations for the Medical Management of the Circus Performance Artist and Acrobat.International journal of sports physical therapyThis commentary describes the complex physical, cultural, and psychological demands on circus performers. It suggests that managing their health requires collaboration between medical staff, coaches, and technicians. No patient outcomes or treatment effects are reported.
• PTPilot2021Shoulder Tendon Adaptations Following a Graded Exercise Test to Exhaustion in Highly Trained Wheelchair Rugby Athletes With Different Impairments.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAfter a maximal exercise test, biceps tendon echogenicity dropped significantly, suggesting fluid shift or reactive change. Athletes with spinal cord injuries had thicker supraspinatus tendons than those with other impairments. However, most tendon measures did not change, and pain was only linked to one post-exercise ultrasound finding.
• PTCase-Control2022Foot arch height, toe flexor strength, and dynamic balance ability in collegiate female dancers and non-dancers.Journal of physical therapy scienceCollegiate female dancers showed higher foot arches, much stronger toe flexors, and better dynamic balance than non-dancers. These differences likely reflect years of barefoot training, suggesting these measures could help screen for injury risk in this population.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Effectiveness of Self-Monitoring Approach Using Fitness Trackers to Improve Walking Ability in Rehabilitation Settings: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAdding fitness trackers to usual rehabilitation showed little to no improvement in walking ability across most conditions. Stable COPD patients saw a small increase in walking distance that was still below the threshold for clinical importance. Trackers alone are not a fix for gait deficits.
• PTOther2022The effect of stretching exercises on the fibre angle of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis oblique: an ultrasound study.Journal of physical therapy scienceA seven-week stretching program significantly reduced muscle fibre angles in both the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis. Because both muscles changed by a similar amount, stretching may reduce overall quadriceps tone without correcting an existing imbalance between them.
• PTOther2022A Multi-Systems Approach to Human Movement after ACL Reconstruction: The Musculoskeletal System.International journal of sports physical therapyThis paper is a clinical commentary reviewing musculoskeletal adaptations and rehabilitation strategies after ACL reconstruction. It describes assessment methods and general principles but reports no original patient outcomes or comparative results to change practice.
• PTSystematic Review2021Lower Limb Exercise-Based Injury Prevention Programs Are Effective in Improving Sprint Speed, Jumping, Agility and Balance: an Umbrella Review.International journal of sports physical therapyMulticomponent lower-limb injury prevention programs showed improvements in sprint speed, balance, agility and some jumping tasks in athletes. Strength results were variable. These programs may help performance as well as injury prevention.
• PTOther2021Using a Co-design Approach to Create Tools to Facilitate Physical Activity in Children With Physical Disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStakeholders shaped themes for supporting physical activity in children with disabilities: self-efficacy, autonomy, possibilities, individual needs, collaboration, environment and meaningful goals. Eleven prototypes were created, but their effect was not tested.
• PTSystematic Review2021Objective Measurement of Ball-Handling Proficiency in Wheelchair Sports: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMaximal throwing distance tests were reliable and differed between groups in almost all studies, but accuracy and dribbling tests were less consistent. Catching was tested in only one study, so ball-handling measures for wheelchair sport classification are incomplete.
• PTCohort2022Balance performance analysis after the COVID-19 quarantine in children aged between 8 and 12 years old: Longitudinal study.Gait & postureBalance worsened in 150 children after COVID-19 quarantine, measured as larger sway area. Sport type and foot type did not explain the change. Children with intensive or moderate activity before quarantine showed worse balance afterwards.
• PTCohort2022Machine Learning Does Not Improve Humeral Torsion Prediction Compared to Regression in Baseball Pitchers.International journal of sports physical therapyAdvanced computer algorithms failed to predict shoulder bone twist in baseball pitchers more accurately than a basic clinical formula. For patient care, stick to the standard equation. It is simpler, easier to explain, and just as reliable for checking injury risk.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Systematic Review of Biopsychosocial Prognostic Factors for Return to Work After Acute Orthopedic Trauma: A 2020 Update.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesInjury severity was the clearest early factor and a late barrier to return to work after acute orthopedic trauma. In the late phase, older age, high pain, low self-efficacy, lower education, blue-collar work, and compensation status were linked to delayed return.
• PTSurvey2022Training Habits and Injury Rate in Masters Female Runners.International journal of sports physical therapyAmong 68 masters female runners, those running over 30 miles per week reported significantly more injuries. Strength training and age were not associated with injury rates, and nearly all participants cross-trained regardless of injury history.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Feasibility and Reliability of a Novel Game-Based Test of Neurological Function in Youth: The Equilibrium Test Battery.International journal of sports physical therapyAdolescents completed this game-based neurological test independently, but scores varied widely between days. Reliability was poor to moderate, meaning single scores are not stable enough for clinical decisions. Practice effects were prominent early on.
• PTOther2022Sex-related Anthropometrics in a Lower-Body Mobility Assessment Among Professional Soccer Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyFemale professional soccer athletes scored higher on FMS deep squat, in-line lunge, and straight leg raise than male athletes, but sex differences vanished on the Y-balance after adjusting for limb length. Height, lean mass, and pelvic width tracked with scores.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Participatory co-creation of an adapted physical activity program for adults with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAdults with moderate-to-severe TBI valued a 9-month community gym program for its structure, peer support, and clear visual aids. They reported feeling more capable and autonomous, with barriers like fatigue and social comparison easing over time.
• PTOther2022Reliability and Differences Between Sexes in Landing Mechanics when Performing the Lateral Bound Test.International journal of sports physical therapyIn 30 healthy non-athletes, repeated lateral bounds measured landing knee angles mostly stayed consistent when the same rater reviewed videos, but week-to-week measurements varied, especially initial knee bend. Males showed more inward knee collapse than females.
• PTPilot2022Intra-rater Reliability of a Qualitative Landing Scale for the Single-Hop Test: A Pilot Study.International journal of sports physical therapyA single physiotherapist scored landing errors on a single-hop test twice, two weeks apart, for 17 healthy athletes. Overall scores were consistent. But individual error items were unreliable, and scoring one limb took 30 minutes of video analysis.
• PTOther2022Reliability of the Expanded Cutting Alignment Scoring Tool (E-CAST) to Assess Trunk and Limb Alignment During a 45-Degree Side-Step Cut.International journal of sports physical therapyThe E-CAST tool is reliable when a single physical therapist scores the same video twice. However, agreement between two different therapists was only moderate. The added sagittal plane checks lowered this agreement, suggesting frontal plane views alone may be more consistent for screening ACL risk.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Injury and Illness in Elite Athletics: A Prospective Cohort Study Over Three Seasons.International journal of sports physical therapyOveruse injuries caused half of all time loss in elite track and field athletes, with hamstring strains being the most frequent diagnosis. Illness accounted for 12% of time loss, and respiratory issues were the most common medical presentation.
• PTCase-Control2022Running gait biomechanics in female runners with sacroiliac joint pain.Journal of physical therapy scienceFemale runners with sacroiliac joint pain landed with stiffer mechanics, showing less knee flexion and greater overstride. They also dropped their pelvis more on the opposite side when standing on the painful leg. This identifies specific gait flaws that might guide retraining.
• PTOther2022Effects of truncal taping on center of gravity sway: comparison of different trunk muscle masses.Journal of physical therapy scienceTaping the trunk did not reduce sway distance in healthy men with either low or high trunk muscle mass. In the low muscle mass group only, elastic tape produced a smaller sway area than non-elastic tape.
• PTOther2022Characterizing the Thermal Demands and Mobility Performance During International Wheelchair Rugby Competition.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesDuring international wheelchair rugby, core temperature rose by 1.2°C on average, driven by time spent moving rather than injury classification. Athletes spent most time at low speeds, and perceived heat did not match actual core temperature, meaning self-reported comfort is unreliable for monitoring heat strain.
• PTOther2022Learning of Wheelchair Racing Propulsion Skills Over Three Weeks of Wheeling Practice on an Instrumented Ergometer in Able-Bodied Novices.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThree weeks of practising wheelchair racing propulsion without coaching improved novices' efficiency and lowered effort, but they remained less efficient than an experienced athlete. It was lab practice in able-bodied people, not patient training.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Immediate effects of stretching on trunk functions using a stretch pole half-cut.Journal of physical therapy scienceLying on a half-cut stretch pole placed under the middle back for four minutes significantly improved inspiratory muscle strength and altered spinal alignment in healthy men. No control group was used, so the immediate effect cannot be separated from time or expectation.
• PTCohort2022Return to play in elite rugby players after severe knee injuries.The South African journal of physiotherapyAfter severe knee injuries, elite rugby players were slower over 10 m and in reactive agility decision-making than before injury. No clear differences were found versus matched uninjured players at return to play, while controls improved.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022The Effectiveness of Proprioceptive Training for Improving Motor Performance and Motor Dysfunction: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesProprioceptive training improved proprioception in 71% of studies and motor performance in 81%. Clinical populations, especially those with neurological or orthopedic conditions, showed larger and more consistent gains than healthy adults. Active movement and balance training were the most common effective interventions.
• PTOther2022Do sensorimotor control properties mediate sway in people with chronic balance complaints following mTBI?Gait & postureIn people with chronic balance complaints after mild traumatic brain injury, corrective motor output and response delay were linked to reported impairment and sway. Sensory cue weighting was not. This points to motor timing but does not prove balance training helps.
• PTOther2022Feasibility and reliability of the Functional Movement Screen battery in adults with intellectual disability.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAdults with intellectual disability could complete the Functional Movement Screen, and trained-assessor ratings stayed similar over two weeks, but total scores were low and did not identify sport-injury risk.
• PTCohort2022Can the Scapular Dyskinesis Test be Associated with Throwing Related Injuries During the Course of Collegiate Baseball Seasons?International journal of sports physical therapyScapular dyskinesis did not significantly predict throwing-related shoulder injuries in collegiate baseball pitchers. Only five such injuries occurred over four seasons, leaving the study too small to confirm or rule out a link.
• PTCohort2022Research Dominance Definitions May Not Identify Higher Risk Limb for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in NCAA D3 Student-Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyThe leg an athlete chooses to kick a ball with does not predict the leg they prefer to land on. In 45 NCAA Division III athletes, kicking and landing limb preferences showed almost no relationship, so using kicking dominance to assess ACL risk may miss the higher-risk limb.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Community Conversations: Stakeholder-Identified Research Priorities to Foster Community Participation for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disability.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStakeholders with intellectual and developmental disabilities prioritized measuring social belonging and safety over clinical metrics. They identified transportation, information access, and staff training as key community barriers, calling for research that tracks real-world inclusion rather than just medical outcomes.