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Purpose: Although women's futsal has experienced great growth recently, few studies have analyzed the physical profiles of female futsal players. The objectives of this study were to determine the physical and anthropometric characteristics in elite women's futsal using laboratory and field tests and to analyze the differences between the different playing positions., Methods: Forty-one female futsal players from the second division of the Spanish league (age 22.69 [4.76] y; body height 161.28 [6.03] cm; body mass 62.20 [10.34] kg) were evaluated for body composition with dual-energy X-ray absortiometry anthropometrically, lower-body power using a force platform (countermovement jump, squat jump, and drop jump), linear speed (5, 10, 15, and 25 m), changes of direction (505 modified, V-Cut, and L-Run), and repeated-sprint ability measured through photoelectric cells., Results: The results reveal that there are no significant differences between the physical profiles of players depending on playing position. Despite this, wingers seem to have the best physical profiles, and goalkeepers have the highest body mass index (26.9 [4.48] vs 23.3 [2.82]; P = .069) and fat percentage (31.9 [7.81] vs 29.96 [6.08]; P = .101), but they present very similar values to the other positions in all other tests performed, except for repeated-sprint ability (4.64 [0.45]; P = .009)., Conclusion: Relevant descriptive data were presented to provide useful information for coaches to optimize their training programs, reporting that playing position does not identify different physical profiles in elite female futsal players.

A growing number of companies are developing or using wearable sensor technologies that can monitor, analyse and transmit data from humans in real time that can be used by the sporting, biomedical and media industries. To explore this phenomenon, we describe and review two high-profile sporting events where innovations in wearable technologies were trialled: the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020, Japan) and the 2022 adidas Road to Records (Germany). These two major sporting events were the first time academic and industry partners came together to implement real-time wearable solutions during major competition, to protect the health of athletes competing in hot and humid environments, as well as to better understand how these metrics can be used moving forwards. Despite the undoubted benefits of such wearables, there are well-founded concerns regarding their use including: (1) limited evidence quantifying the potential beneficial effects of analysing specific parameters, (2) the quality of hardware and provided data, (3) information overload, (4) data security and (5) exaggerated marketing claims. Employment and sporting rules and regulations also need to evolve to facilitate the use of wearable devices. There is also the potential to obtain real-time data that will oblige medical personnel to make crucial decisions around whether their athletes should continue competing or withdraw for health reasons. To protect athletes, the urgent need is to overcome these ethical/data protection concerns and develop wearable technologies that are backed by quality science. The fields of sport and exercise science and medicine provide an excellent platform to understand the impact of wearable sensors on performance, wellness, health, and disease., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Scientific and public interest in the potential ergogenic effects of sodium alginate added to a carbohydrate (CHO) beverage has increased in the last ~ 5 years. Despite an extensive use of this technology by elite athletes and recent research into the potential effects, there has been no meta-analysis to objectively elucidate the effects of adding sodium alginate to a CHO beverage on parameters relevant to exercise performance and to highlight gaps in the literature., Methods: Three literature databases were systematically searched for studies investigating the effects of sodium alginate added to CHO beverage during prolonged, endurance exercise in healthy athletes. For the systematic review, the PROSPERO guidelines were followed, and risk assessment was made using the Cochrane collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias. Additionally, a random-effects meta-analysis model was used to determine the standardised mean difference between a CHO beverage containing sodium alginate and an isocaloric control for performance, whole-body CHO oxidation and blood glucose concentration., Results: Ten studies were reviewed systematically, of which seven were included within the meta-analysis. For each variable, there was homogeneity between studies for performance (n = 5 studies; I 2  = 0%), CHO oxidation (n = 7 studies; I 2  = 0%) and blood glucose concentration (n = 7 studies; I 2  = 0%). When compared with an isocaloric control, the meta-analysis demonstrated that there is no difference in performance (Z = 0.54, p = 0.59), CHO oxidation (Z = 0.34, p = 0.71) and blood glucose concentration (Z = 0.44, p = 0.66) when ingesting a CHO beverage containing sodium alginate. The systematic review revealed that several of the included studies did not use sufficient exercise intensity to elicit significant gastrointestinal disturbances or demonstrate any ergogenic benefit of CHO ingestion. Risk of bias was generally low across the included studies., Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that the current literature indicates no benefit of adding sodium alginate to a CHO beverage during exercise. Further research is required, however, before firm conclusions are drawn considering the range of exercise intensities, feeding rates and the apparent lack of benefit of CHO reported in the current literature investigating sodium alginate., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Muniz-Pardos, B, Gomez-Bruton, A, Matute-Llorente, A, Gonzalez-Aguero, A, Gomez-Cabello, A, Gonzalo-Skok, O, Casajus, JA, and Vicente-Rodriguez, G. Nonspecific resistance training and swimming performance: Strength or power? A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 1162-1170, 2022-The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the type of nonspecific resistance intervention that is more effective to enhance swimming performance and to determine the nonspecific strength- or power-related variable that better predicts swimming performance. A search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Plus, and SportDiscus up to June 2018. Studies were distributed into 4 categories: dry-land strength (DLS), dry-land power (DLP), combination of training methods, and strength and power in start performance. From 1,844 citations, 33 met the inclusion criteria. Cross-sectional DLS studies showed positive associations between swimming performance and DLS development (especially through upper-body isometric assessments), although the efficacy of DLS training interventions remains unclear. Dry-land power training (principally through plyometrics) was a proficient, nonspecific method to enhance swimming block start performance (SBS; the start phase off the block and during the first 5-15 m), and jump assessment was the best predictor of SBS. Some pioneering nonspecific practices such as the acute exposure to high altitude or the maintenance of a high core temperature during the transition phase before competition seem to improve performance, although more research is required to confirm their efficacy. Further high-quality intervention studies are required to clarify the effect of DLP training on sprint swimming performance., (Copyright © 2020 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

The introduction of carbon fiber plate shoes has triggered a plethora of world records in running, which has encouraged shoe industries to produce novel shoe designs to enhance running performance, including shoes containing conductor elements or "grounding shoes" (GS), which could potentially reduce the energy cost of running. The aim of this study was to examine the physiological and perceptual responses of athletes subjected to grounding shoes during running. Ten elite runners were recruited. Firstly, the athletes performed an incremental running test for VO 2 max and anaerobic threshold (AT) determination, and were familiarized with the two shoe conditions (traditional training shoe (TTS) and GS, the latter containing a conductor element under the insole). One week apart, athletes performed running economy tests (20 min run at 80% of the AT) on a 400 m dirt track, with shoe conditions randomized. VO 2 , heart rate, lactate, and perceived fatigue were registered throughout the experiment. No differences in any of the physiological or perceptual variables were identified between shoe conditions, with an equal running economy in both TTS and GS (51.1 ± 4.2 vs. 50.9 ± 5.1 mL kg -1 min -1 , respectively). Our results suggest that a grounding stimulus does not improve the energy cost of running, or the physiological/perceptual responses of elite athletes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to quantify the effect of adding sodium alginate and pectin to a carbohydrate (CHO) beverage on exogenous glucose (ExGluc) oxidation rate compared with an isocaloric CHO beverage., Methods: Following familiarization, eight well-trained endurance athletes performed four bouts of prolonged running (105 min; 71 ± 4% of VO 2 max) while ingesting 175 mL of one of the experimental beverages every 15 min. In randomized order, participants consumed either 70 g . h -1 of maltodextrin and fructose (10% CHO; NORM), 70 g . h -1 of maltodextrin, fructose, sodium alginate, and pectin (10% CHO; ENCAP), 180 g . h -1 of maltodextrin, fructose, sodium alginate, and pectin (26% CHO; HiENCAP), or water (WAT). All CHO beverages had a maltodextrin:fructose ratio of 1:0.7 and contained 1.5 g . L -1 of sodium chloride. Total substrate oxidation, ExGluc oxidation rate, blood glucose, blood lactate, serum non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration, and RPE were measured for every 15 min. Every 30 min participants provided information regarding their gastrointestinal discomfort (GID)., Results: There was no significant difference in peak ExGluc oxidation between NORM and ENCAP (0.63 ± 0.07 and 0.64 ± 0.11 g . min -1 , respectively; p > 0.5), both of which were significantly lower than HiENCAP (1.13 ± 0.13 g . min -1 , p < 0.01). Both NORM and HiENCAP demonstrated higher total CHO oxidation than WAT from 60 and 75 min, respectively, until the end of exercise, with no differences between CHO trials. During the first 60 min, blood glucose was significantly lower in WAT compared with NORM and HiENCAP, but no differences were found between CHO beverages. Both ENCAP and HiENCAP demonstrated a higher blood glucose concentration from 60-105 min than WAT, and ENCAP was significantly higher than HiENCAP. There were no significant differences in reported GID symptoms between the trials., Conclusions: At moderate ingestion rates (i.e., 70 g . h -1 ), the addition of sodium alginate and pectin did not influence the ExGluc oxidation rate compared with an isocaloric CHO beverage. At very high ingestion rates (i.e., 180 g . h -1 ), high rates of ExGluc oxidation were achieved in line with the literature., Competing Interests: YP is the founding member of the Sub2 project (www.sub2hrs.com); the Sub2 project is affiliated to a non-trading company (Athlome Limited, UK) that is minor (<1.1%) shareholder of Maurten AB. SS is a Ph.D. student funded partly by the Sub2 project and Maurten AB. SS and SG have received one travel grant each. This research is funded partly from a research grant from the Sub2 project and Maurten AB. None of the authors are paid consultants or have ownership of any patents linked to the present research. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sutehall, Muniz-Pardos, Bosch, Galloway and Pitsiladis.)

Millions of consumer sport and fitness wearables (CSFWs) are used worldwide, and millions of datapoints are generated by each device. Moreover, these numbers are rapidly growing, and they contain a heterogeneity of devices, data types, and contexts for data collection. Companies and consumers would benefit from guiding standards on device quality and data formats. To address this growing need, we convened a virtual panel of industry and academic stakeholders, and this manuscript summarizes the outcomes of the discussion. Our objectives were to identify (1) key facilitators of and barriers to participation by CSFW manufacturers in guiding standards and (2) stakeholder priorities. The venues were the Yale Center for Biomedical Data Science Digital Health Monthly Seminar Series (62 participants) and the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting (59 participants). In the discussion, stakeholders outlined both facilitators of (e.g., commercial return on investment in device quality, lucrative research partnerships, and transparent and multilevel evaluation of device quality) and barriers (e.g., competitive advantage conflict, lack of flexibility in previously developed devices) to participation in guiding standards. There was general agreement to adopt Keadle et al.'s standard pathway for testing devices (i.e., benchtop, laboratory, field-based, implementation) without consensus on the prioritization of these steps. Overall, there was enthusiasm not to add prescriptive or regulatory steps, but instead create a networking hub that connects companies to consumers and researchers for flexible guidance navigating the heterogeneity, multi-tiered development, dynamicity, and nebulousness of the CSFW field., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Rapid advances in wearable technologies and real-time monitoring have resulted in major inroads in the world of recreational and elite sport. One such innovation is the application of real-time monitoring, which comprises a smartwatch application and ecosystem, designed to collect, process and transmit a wide range of physiological, biomechanical, bioenergetic and environmental data using cloud-based services. We plan to assess the impact of this wireless technology during Tokyo 2020, where this technology could help characterize the physiological and thermal strain experienced by an athlete, as well as determine future management of athletes during a medical emergency as a result of a more timely and accurate diagnosis. Here we describe some of the innovative technologies developed for numerous sports at Tokyo 2020 ranging from race walking (20 km and 50 km events), marathon, triathlon, road cycling (including the time trial event), mountain biking, to potentially team sports played outdoors. A more symbiotic relationship between sport, health and technology needs to be encouraged that harnesses the unique demands of elite sport (e.g., the need for unobtrusive devices that provide real-time feedback) and serves as medical and preventive support for the athlete's care. The implementation of such applications would be particularly welcome in the field of medicine (i.e., telemedicine applications) and the workplace (with particular relevance to emergency services, the military and generally workers under extreme environmental conditions). Laboratory and field-based studies are required in simulated scenarios to validate such emerging technologies, with the field of sport serving as an excellent model to understand and impact disease.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had an unprecedent impact on the world of sport and society at large. Many of the challenges with respect to integrity previously facing competitive sport have been accentuated further during the pandemic. Threats to the integrity of sporting competition include traditional doping, issues of technological fairness, and integration of transgender and intersex athletes in elite sport. The enforced lull in competitive sport provides an unprecedented opportunity for stakeholders in sport to focus on unresolved integrity issues and develop and implement long-lasting solutions. There needs to be a concerted effort to focus on the many technological innovations accelerated by and perfected during COVID-19 that have enabled us to work from home, such as teaching students on-line, applications for medical advice, prescriptions and referrals, and treating patients in hospitals/care homes via video links and use these developments and innovations to enhance sport integrity and anti-doping procedures. Positive sports integrity actions will require a considered application of all such technology, as well as the inclusion of "omics" technology, big data, bioinformatics and machine learning/artificial intelligence approaches to modernize sport. Applications include protecting the health of athletes, considered non-discriminative integration of athletes into elite sport, intelligent remote testing to improve the frequency of anti-doping tests, detection windows, and the potential combination with omics technology to improve the tests' sensitivity and specificity in order to protect clean athletes and deter doping practices.

Sport is historically designated by the binary categorization of male and female that conflicts with modern society. Sport's governing bodies should consider reviewing rules determining the eligibility of athletes in the female category as there may be lasting advantages of previously high testosterone concentrations for transwomen athletes and currently high testosterone concentrations in differences in sex development (DSD) athletes. The use of serum testosterone concentrations to regulate the inclusion of such athletes into the elite female category is currently the objective biomarker that is supported by most available scientific literature, but it has limitations due to the lack of sports performance data before, during or after testosterone suppression. Innovative research studies are needed to identify other biomarkers of testosterone sensitivity/responsiveness, including molecular tools to determine the functional status of androgen receptors. The scientific community also needs to conduct longitudinal studies with specific control groups to generate the biological and sports performance data for individual sports to inform the fair inclusion or exclusion of these athletes. Eligibility of each athlete to a sport-specific policy needs to be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence made available to policymakers from all scientific communities. However, even the most evidence-based regulations are unlikely to eliminate all differences in performance between cisgender women with and without DSD and transwomen athletes. Any remaining advantage held by transwomen or DSD women could be considered as part of the athlete's unique makeup.

The traditional method to measure 13 CO 2 enrichment in breath involves isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), which has several limitations such as cost, extensive training, and large space requirements. Here, we present the validity and reliability data of an isotope ratio infrared spectrometer (IRIS)-based method developed to combat these limitations. Eight healthy male runners performed 105 min of continuous running on a motorized treadmill while ingesting various carbohydrate beverages enriched with 13 C and expired breath samples were obtained every 15 min in triplicates. A total of 213 breath samples were analyzed using both methods, whereas 212 samples were repeated using IRIS to determine test-retest reliability. Bland-Altman analysis was performed to determine systematic and proportional bias, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV) to assess level of agreement and magnitude of error. The IRIS method demonstrated a small but significant systematic bias to overestimate δ 13 CO 2 (0.18‰; P < 0.05) compared with IRMS, without any proportional bias or heteroscedasticity and a small CV (0.5%). There was a small systematic bias during the test-retest of the IRIS method (-0.07‰; P < 0.05), no proportional bias, an excellent ICC (1.00), and small CV (0.4%). The use of the Delta Ray IRIS to determine 13 C enrichment in expired breath samples captured during exercise has excellent validity and reliability when compared with the gold standard IRMS. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The use of IRIS to determine 13 C enrichment in expired breath samples captured during exercise to determine exogenous glucose oxidation during exercise has excellent validity and reliability when compared with the gold standard IRMS.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is expected to be among the hottest Games in modern history, increasing the chances for exertional heat stroke (EHS) incidence, especially in non-acclimatised athletes/workers/spectators. The urgent need to recognise EHS symptoms to protect all attendees' health has considerably accelerated research examining the most effective cooling strategies and the development of wearable cooling technology and real-time temperature monitoring. While these technological advances will aid the early identification of EHS cases, there are several potential ethical considerations for governing bodies and sports organisers. For example, the impact of recently developed cooling wearables on health and performance is unknown. Concerning improving athletic performance in a hot environment, there is uncertainty about this technology's availability to all athletes. Furthermore, the real potential to obtain real-time core temperature data will oblige medical teams to make crucial decisions around their athletes continuing their competitions or withdraw. Therefore, the aim of this review is (1) to summarise the practical applications of the most novel cooling strategies/technologies for both safety (of athletes, spectators and workers) and performance purposes, and (2) to inform of the opportunities offered by recent technological developments for the early recognition and diagnosis of EHS. These opportunities are presented alongside several ethical dilemmas that require sports governing bodies to react by regulating the validity of recent technologies and their availability to all., Competing Interests: Competing interests: GIA is supported by a fellowship from the Office of Academic Affiliations at the US Veterans Health Administration., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In an effort to reduce transmission and number of infections of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) virus, governments and official bodies around the world have produced guidelines on the use of face masks and face coverings. While there is a growing body of recommendations for healthcare professionals and the wider population to use facial protection in "enclosed spaces" where minimal distancing from other individuals is not possible, there is a dearth of clear guidelines for individuals undertaking exercise and sporting activity. The present viewpoint aims to propose recommendations for face coverings while exercising during the COVID-19 pandemic that consider physical distancing, the environment, the density of active cases associated with the specific sports activity, and the practical use of face coverings in order to reduce potential viral transmission. Recommendations are provided on the basis of very limited available evidence in conjunction with the extensive collective clinical experience of the authors and acknowledging the need to consider the likelihood of the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 in the general population. We recommend that face coverings should be used in any environment considered to be of a high or moderate transmission risk, where tolerated and after individual risk assessment. In addition, as national caseloads fluctuate, individual sporting bodies should consider up to date guidance on the use of face coverings during sport and exercise, alongside other preventative measures.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Every women's and men's world records from 5 km to the marathon has been broken since the introduction of carbon fibre plate (CFP) shoes in 2016. This step-wise increase in performance coincides with recent advancements in shoe technology that increase the elastic properties of the shoe thereby reducing the energy cost of running. The latest CFP shoes are acknowledged to increase running economy by more than 4%, corresponding to a greater than 2% improvement in performance/run time. The recently modified rules governing competition shoes for elite athletes, announced by World Athletics, that includes sole thickness must not exceed 40 mm and must not contain more than one rigid embedded plate, appear contrary to the true essence and credibility of sport as access to this performance-defining technology becomes the primary differentiator of sporting performance in elite athletes. This is a particular problem in sports such as athletics where the primary sponsor of the athlete is very often a footwear manufacturing company. The postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics provides a unique opportunity for reflection by the world of sport and time to commission an independent review to evaluate the impact of technology on the integrity of sporting competition. A potential solution to solve this issue can involve the reduction of the stack height of a shoe to 20 mm. This simple and practical solution would prevent shoe technology from having too large an impact on the energy cost of running and, therefore, determining the performance outcome.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of resistance training (RT) and protein supplementation (PS), compared to RT alone or combined with a placebo (plS), in the improvement of muscle strength and physical performance. The search strategy in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Sciences databases found a total of 294 studies. Once inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, 16 studies were included for the qualitative analysis. A total of 657 healthy elderly (>60 years) participants were analysed. Finally, 15 articles were included in the quantitative analysis with one being excluded due to issues with data availability. Upper-limb, lower-limb, and handgrip strength were the primary outcomes of the meta-analysis. The secondary outcomes, related to physical performance, were Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), gait speed, and the five-chair-rise test (5CRT). The main results of the meta-analysis show no statistical differences for upper-limb (SMD: 0.56, 95% CI: -0.09, 1.21, p = 0.09, I2 = 68%), lower-limb (SMD: 0.00, 95% CI: -0.18, 0.18, p = 1.0, I2 = 11%), and handgrip strength (SMD: 0.03, 95% CI: -0.26, 0.32, p = 0.84, I2 = 0%) between the RT + PS and the RT alone (or combined with plS). Moreover, no statistical differences were found relating to physical performance. In view of these results, protein supplementation combined with RT does not provide additional benefits compared to RT alone or with plS in healthy elderly adults.

In this viewpoint we make specific recommendations that can assist and make the return to sport/exercise as safe as possible for all those impacted - from the recreational athlete to the elite athlete. We acknowledge that there are varying rules and regulations around the world, not to mention the varying philosophies and numerous schools of thought as it relates to return to sport/exercise and we have been cognisant of this in our recommendations. Despite the varying rules and circumstances around the world, we believe it is essential to provide some helpful and consistent guidance for return to training and sport for sport and exercise physicians around the world at this most difficult time. The present viewpoint provides practical and medical recommendations on the resumption to sport process., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To examine the effects of a 6-month whole-body vibration (WBV) training on lower-body strength (LBS), lower-body power (LBP), and swimming performance in adolescent trained swimmers., Methods: Thirty-seven swimmers (23 males and 14 females; 14.8 [1.3] y) were randomly assigned to the WBV (n = 20) or the control group (n = 17). Isometric LBS (knee extension and half squat) and LBP (vertical and horizontal jumps and 30-m sprint) tests were performed before and after the intervention period. Swimming performance times in 100 m were collected from official competitions. As time × sex interaction was not found for any variable (P > .05), males and females were analyzed as a whole., Results: Within-group analyses showed a most likely beneficial moderate effect of WBV on isometric knee extension (effect size [ES] = 0.63), 30-m sprint test (ES = 0.62), and 100-m performance (ES = 0.25), although these were corresponded with comparable small to moderate effects in the control group (ES = 0.73, 0.71, and 0.20, respectively). The control group obtained a small possibly beneficial effect of swimming-only training on vertical jump performance, whereas no effect was observed in the WBV group. Unclear effects were observed for the rest of the variables assessed. Between-group analyses revealed unclear effects of WBV training when compared with the control condition in all studied variables., Conclusions: There is no current evidence to support the use of WBV training, and therefore, coaches and sports specialists should select other methods of training when the aim is to increase LBS, LBP, or swimming performance.

During the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Doha and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, minimum daily temperatures are expected to be in excess of 30°C. Due to the metabolic demands of the sporting events and the high environmental temperatures, the risk of exertional heat stroke (EHS) is high. Careful planning by event organizers are needed to ensure that athletes are protected from irreversible long-term health damage, or even death during sporting competitions in the heat. Efforts typically have included standard medical plans, equipment, protocols, and expert medical teams. In addition, the importance of responding quickly to a hyperthermic athlete cannot be understated, as minimizing treatment time will greatly improve the chances of full recovery. Treatment time can be minimized by notifying medical personnel about the health status of the athlete and the extent of any pre-competition heat acclimatization. Technology that allows the live transmission of physiological, biomechanical, and performance data to alert medical personnel of potential indicators of EHS should be considered. Real time monitoring ecosystems need to be developed that integrate information from numerous sensors such as core temperature-monitoring "pills" to relay information on how an athlete is coping with competing in intense heat. Medical/support staff would be alerted if an athlete's responses were indicating signs of heat stress or EHS signs and the athlete could be withdrawn under exceptional circumstances. This technology can also help provide more rapid, accurate and dignified temperature assessment at the road/track side in medical emergencies., (Copyright © 2019 Muniz-Pardos, Sutehall, Angeloudis, Shurlock and Pitsiladis.)

Muniz-Pardos, B, Gomez-Bruton, A, Matute-Llorente, A, Gonzalez-Aguero, A, Gomez-Cabello, A, Gonzalo-Skok, O, Casajus, JA, and Vicente-Rodriguez, G. Swim-specific resistance training: A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2875-2881, 2019-The purpose of this systematic review was to determine which type of swim-specific training is most beneficial to enhance swimming performance and to determine which specific strength- or power-related tests better predict swimming performance. A search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Plus, and SPORTDiscus up to June 2018. Studies were distributed into 2 main categories: swim-specific dry land resistance training (SDLRT) and specific in-water swimming power training (SSWPT). From 1,844 citations, 25 met the inclusion criteria. It was determined that SSWPT was the most appropriate method to improve swimming performance, with tethered swimming protocols being the most studied and effective. In addition, SDLRT was a competent method to enhance swimming performance, and specifically, the inclusion of inertial training might evoke greater improvements in both strength/power capacities and swimming performance, than traditional resistance training. In conclusion, tether forces showed the greatest associations with swimming performance, although the efficacy of tethered swimming as an SSWPT method is yet to be confirmed. Further research should focus on the effects of SDLRT to verify the greater transfer of dry land resistance practices to swimming performance, with inertial training being potentially more beneficial than traditional resistance training.

The benefit of training at altitude to enhance exercise performance remains equivocal although the most widely accepted approach is one where the athletes live and perform lower-intensity running at approximately 2300 m with high-intensity training at approximately 1250 m. The idea is that this method maintains maximal augmentations in total hemoglobin mass while reducing the performance impairment of high-intensity sessions performed at moderate altitude and thus preventing any detraining that can occur when athletes live and train at moderate altitude. This training regimen, however, is not universally accepted and some argue that the performance enhancement is due to placebo and training camp effects. Altitude training may affect an athlete's hematological parameters in ways similar to those observed following blood doping. Current methods of detection appear insufficient to differentiate between altitude training and blood doping making the interpretation of an athlete's biological passport difficult. Further research is required to determine the optimal method for altitude training and to enhance current detection methods to be able to differentiate better blood doping and altitude exposure.

Running economy, known as the steady-state oxygen consumption at a given submaximal intensity, has been proposed as one of the key factors differentiating East African runners from other running communities around the world. Kenyan runners have dominated middle- and long-distance running events and this phenomenon has been attributed, in part at least, to their exceptional running economy. Despite such speculation, there are no data on running mechanics during real-life situations such as during training or competition. The use of innovative wearable devices together with real-time analysis of data will represent a paradigm shift in the study of running biomechanics and could potentially help explain the outstanding performances of certain athletes. For example, the integration of foot worn inertial sensors into the training and racing of athletes will enable coaches and researchers to investigate foot mechanics (e.g., an accurate set of variables such as pitch and eversion angles, cadence, symmetry, contact and flight times or swing times) during real-life activities and facilitate feedback in real-time. The same technological approach also can be used to help the athlete, coach, sports physician, and sport scientist make better informed decisions in terms of performance and efficacy of interventions, treatments or injury prevention; a kind of "telesport" equivalent to "telemedicine." There also is the opportunity to use this real-time technology to advance broadcasting of sporting events with the transmission of real-time performance metrics and in doing so enhance the level of entertainment, interest, and engagement of enthusiasts in the broadcast and the sport. Such technological advances that are able to unobtrusively augment personal experience and interaction, represent an unprecedented opportunity to transform the world of sport for participants, spectators, and all relevant stakeholders.