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Las competencias y habilidades de un buen gestor deportivo siempre han sido un tema polémico que difiere según el país y el contexto en el que se analice. Por ello, el presente estudio tiene por meta mostrar cuáles son las competencias más valoradas por los gerentes deportivos de varios países europeos, teniendo en cuenta las diferencias entre sexos. Participaron en el estudio 209 directivos deportivos de equipos femeninos semiprofesionales, los cuales respondieron a un cuestionario en el que se abordaban varios aspectos para evaluar la importancia de las distintas competencias de un gestor deportivo. Los resultados mostraron que se daba más importancia a las competencias relacionadas con la gestión de las instalaciones deportivas y menos a la gestión de los recursos humanos. Las diferencias por razón de sexo fueron escasas: tan solo se hallaron diferencias significativas en la competencia Gestión de la planificación estratégica. En conclusión, es difícil ponerse de acuerdo sobre la importancia de las competencias de un buen gestor deportivo, al tiempo que se coincide en la necesidad de realizar análisis en las áreas de finanzas, gestión de eventos, planificación y gestión de instalaciones deportivas.

The classical kinematic variables in swimming are based on the calculation of mean values. Stroke steadiness determines the relationship between the duration of all consecutive strokes throughout a test. The aims of the current investigation were to examine differences in stroke-to-stroke steadiness according to swimmers’ performance level on both body sides (breathing and non-breathing) and to analyse the interrelationship with kinematics during a 100 m front-crawl test. Thirty-two young, experienced swimmers voluntarily participated in the present study and were divided into two groups, national level (n = 15) and local level (n = 17), according to their competitive status within the national age-rankings. All participants performed a 100 m maximal test in a 50 m pool where they were laterally recorded. Kinematic variables such as mean velocity, stroke rate, stroke length, and stroke index, as well as long-term steadiness and short-term steadiness, were calculated. The two 50 m sections were analysed independently. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in the classical kinematic variables and in stroke steadiness (p < 0.05). In addition, stroke steadiness showed moderately high correlations with velocity (r = [−0.61–(−0.749)]) and stroke index (r = [−0.356–(−0.582)]). Maintaining a more stable inter-stroke period appears to be a determinant of performance in young, high-level national swimmers.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that causes widespread pain throughout the body, as well as fatigue and a variety of other accompanying symptoms. Physical activity is one of the most useful non-pharmacological treatments for pain and symptom reduction. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to analyse the objective levels of sedentary lifestyle and physical activity, as well as the study of heart rate variability as a predictor of health. A total of 21 women previously diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) and 10 healthy women of the same age range participated in the study. Accelerometry was used for the determination of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle as well as the study of heart rate variability (HRV) at rest for the assessment of cardiovascular health. The results show that participants with fibromyalgia have higher levels of sedentary lifestyles and worse cardiovascular health outcomes compared to healthy participants not diagnosed with fibromyalgia. In conclusion, it is observed that the analysis of heart rate variability is a good predictor for the determination of cardiovascular health in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. A debate is open to whether sedentary lifestyles and being overweight accentuate the fibromyalgia disease or whether it is the disease itself that favors increased physical inactivity, reflected in inferior cardiovascular health. Future research is needed to deepen this analysis in order to improve the quality of life of these patients.

This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of estimating the respiratory compensation point (RCP) in trained endurance athletes by analyzing intercostal muscles’ NIRS-derived tissue oxygenation dynamics. Seventeen experienced trail runners underwent an incremental treadmill protocol on two separate occasions, with a 7-day gap between assessments. Gas exchange and muscle oxygenation data were collected, and the oxygen saturation breakpoint (SmO2BP) measured in the intercostal muscles was compared to the RCP, which was identified by the increase in the VE/V.CO2 slope and the point at which the PetCO2 started to decrease. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two methods for any of the variables analyzed. Bland–Altman analysis showed significant agreement between the NIRS and gas analyzer methods for speed (r = 0.96, p < 0.05), HR (r = 0.98, p < 0.05), V.O2 relative to body mass (r = 0.99, p < 0.05), and %SmO2 (r = 0.98, p < 0.05). The interclass correlation coefficient values showed moderate to good reliability (0.60 to 0.86), and test–retest analysis revealed mean differences within the confidence intervals for all variables. These findings suggest that the SmO2BP measured using a portable NIRS device in the intercostal muscles is a reliable and valid tool for estimating the RCP for experienced trail runners and might be useful for coaches and athletes to monitor endurance training.