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The purposes of this study were to clarify the electromyography (EMG) of plantar flexors and to analyze the fascicle and tendon behaviors of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) during running in the carbon-fiber plate embedded in thicker midsole racing shoes, such as the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly (VF) and traditional racing shoes (TRAD). We compared the fascicle and series elastic element behavior of the GM and EMG of the lower limb muscles during running (14 km/h, 45 s) in athletes wearing VF or TRAD. GM EMGs in the push-off phase were approximately 50% lower in athletes wearing VF than in TRAD. Although the series elastic element behavior and/or mean fascicle-shortening velocity during the entire stance phase were not significantly different between VF and TRAD, a significant difference was found in both the mean EMG and integral EMG of the GM during the push-off phase. EMG of the gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) during the first half of the push-off phase was significantly different between VF and TRAD. Present results suggest that VF facilitates running propulsion, resulting in a decrease in GM and GL EMGs at a given running velocity during the push-off phase, leading to a reduction in metabolic cost.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities often face unique challenges in physical capabilities, making traditional training methods less effective for their specific needs. This study aimed to investigate the effect of combining balance, plyometric, and strength (CBPS) training with sprint training on physical performance in male athletes with intellectual disabilities. Twenty-seven participants were randomly assigned to either a CBPS group or a control group that only maintained their regular sprint training. Participants underwent pre- and posttraining tests, including measures of balance, jumping, agility, and sprinting ability. The results showed that the CBPS group demonstrated significant improvements (p < .05) in one-leg stance, crossover-hop jump, squat jump, countermovement jump, and 10- and 30-m sprint at posttraining compared with pretraining. CBPS training combined with sprinting significantly improves physical performance in male athletes with intellectual disabilities, suggesting implications for tailored training programs to enhance their physical fitness and overall health.

Bilateral gait symmetry is an essential requirement for normal walking since asymmetric gait patterns increase the risk of falls and injuries. While human gait control heavily relies on the contribution of sensory inputs, the role of sensory systems in producing symmetric gait has remained unclear. This study evaluated the influence of vision as a dominant sensory system on symmetric gait production. Ten healthy adults performed treadmill walking with and without vision. Twenty-two gait parameters including ground reaction forces, joint range of motion, and other spatial–temporal gait variables were evaluated to quantify gait symmetry and compared between both visual conditions. Visual block caused increased asymmetry in most parameters of ground reaction force, however mainly in the vertical direction. When vision was blocked, symmetry of the ankle and knee joint range of motion decreased, but this change did not occur in the hip joint. Stance and swing time symmetry decreased during no-vision walking while no significant difference was found for step length symmetry between the two conditions. This study provides a comprehensive analysis to reveal how the visual system influences bilateral gait symmetry and highlights the important role of vision in gait control. This approach could be applied to investigate how vision alters gait symmetry in patients with disorders to help better understand the role of vision in pathological gaits.

We review a body of literature related to the drawing and recognition of geometrical two-dimensional linear drawings including letters. Handwritten letters are viewed not as two-dimensional geometrical objects but as one-dimensional trajectories of the tip of the implement. Handwritten letters are viewed as composed of a small set of kinematic primitives. Recognition of objects is mediated by processes of their creation (actual or imagined)—the imitation principle, a particular example of action–perception coupling. The concept of spatial directional field guiding the trajectories is introduced and linked to neuronal population vectors. Further, we link the kinematic description to the theory of control with spatial referent coordinates. This framework allows interpreting a number of experimental observations and clinical cases of agnosia. It also allows formulating predictions for new experimental studies of writing.

Retirement from sport is widely accepted as an important period of change for athletes. Existing studies have focused on investigating the mental health and well-being of current players, while limited research has explored the impact of retirement on elite rugby players. The present study aimed to examine how athletic identity, psychological flexibility, and valued living impact subjective well-being and psychological distress in retired elite rugby players. A cross-sectional, between-subject, factorial design was adopted. Seventy-seven retired elite rugby players were recruited to the Tackling Next Steps project and completed an online survey between March 2021 and December 2021. Suboptimal levels of subjective well-being were reported by 64% of retired players, and 43% reported clinical levels of distress. Valued living and psychological flexibility were shown to significantly predict subjective well-being. The results show that promoting psychological flexibility and valued living may have positive effects on subjective well-being in retired rugby players.

Prevalence studies on depressive symptoms in collegiate athletes have yielded varied estimations, which may be due, in part, to survey administration privacy. However, the influence of survey administration privacy (i.e., anonymous and confidential) on depressive symptom disclosure remains unknown in sport. The purposes of the current study, therefore, were twofold: (a) compare depressive symptoms reported under high- and low-privacy conditions and (b) examine factors associated with underreporting (i.e., social desirability). College athletes (N = 123) were randomly assigned to high- and low-privacy conditions. Results indicated no significant difference, F(1, 120) = 0.59, p = .446, between the prevalence of depressive symptoms reported across conditions when controlling for sex, and no significant correlation between depressive symptoms and social desirability (r = −.01, p = .886). Taken together, results indicated that survey administration privacy did not impact depressive symptom disclosure in the current sample.

Talent transfer has enabled elite athletes to be successful in another sport, with great potential in para-sport. Previous research suggests that similarities between donor and recipient sports may facilitate talent transfer; however, this remains unclear in para-sport. This study investigated patterns between donor and recipient sports’ characteristics, identifying the impact on talent transfer in para-sport. An Australian case study utilizing secondary data of 38 Australian Paralympians who competed at the Paralympic Games from 2000 through 2020 was analyzed. Results demonstrated that similarities between sports were not significantly associated with successful talent transfers between Paralympic sports. Understanding patterns associated with successful Paralympic talent transfers offers a foundation of knowledge for designing and developing future talent-transfer pathways and research. Based on this study, it is recommended that sport administrators and practitioners explore greater opportunity for talent transfer in para-sport, rather than limiting talent-transfer opportunities based on athletes’ donor sports.