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Purpose: This study aimed to assess the impact of segment-specific physical activity (PA) recommendations during the school day on the daily PA in both boys and girls. Methods: A total of 426 Czech and 219 Polish adolescents participated in this study. They were divided into two groups: one receiving segment-specific PA recommendations for the school day and the other receiving general daily PA recommendations. The Youth Activity Profile questionnaire, the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index, and the wearable Garmin vívofit were used in the research. Results: The application of segment-specific PA recommendations during the school day was significantly associated with higher PA on school days. It also increased the odds of meeting the recommendations of 6,000 steps/day after school (odds ratio = 1.63, confidence interval [1.19, 2.24], p = .003) and 11,000 steps/day (odds ratio = 1.59, confidence interval [1.16, 2.18], p = .004) on school days. Conclusions: Segment-specific PA recommendations during the school day are effective and should be integrated into physical education curricula, comprehensive school PA programs, and broader school educational strategies.

Background: University rankings often serve as benchmarks for excellence in academic evaluation. For example, ShanghaiRanking data from 2016 to 2023 for the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments reveal consistent dominance by Australia (23.1%), Canada (18.0%), and the United States (12.0%), collectively counting over half of the top 50 universities worldwide. Nevertheless, there is uncertainty about how the methodology behind these rankings shapes a reality as much as it reflects one. Purpose: Our intention is to discuss the complexity of university rankings, using ShanghaiRanking as an example, to highlight how these rankings reflect academic excellence within the field of sport science. Current Evidence: When ranking universities in sport science, several aspects of academic excellence could be considered in addition to research metrics currently considered in ShanghaiRanking (publication, citation, citations per publication, top 25% journal publications, and internationally collaborated publications). These aspects may include (1) teaching quality, (2) practical training, (3) industry links and employability, (4) support services, (5) facilities and equipment, (6) international network, (7) community engagement, (8) sustainability and ethical practices, and (9) interdisciplinary approach. Altogether, they could provide a more comprehensive view of the quality and effectiveness of a sport-science program. Conclusions: The ranking of sport-science institutions poses a complex challenge due to diverse factors influencing academic excellence. Engaging in a broader dialogue and refining internationally relevant evaluation methodologies are crucial. These steps enable comparability between countries and provide a holistic understanding of the multidimensional nature of academic excellence in sport science.

Through a systematic review of gender critical feminist rhetoric in the realm of sports, this article excavates a rhetorical strategy of what the author calls “trans tolerance,” a strategy that is at once trans-affirming and trans-exclusionary. The author argues that three themes run across three gender critical feminist organizations: (a) nonpartisanship, (b) biofeminism, and (c) trans tolerance. In a sports world that desperately needs transformation, scholars and activists alike must sharpen analyses of violent transphobic rhetoric in a way that moves beyond a “pro-trans versus anti-trans framework.”

Background: In high-performance sport, the support provided by sport scientists and other staff can be a valuable resource for coaches and athletes. Purpose: We propose and detail here the approach of “minimal, adequate, and accurate” sport-science support to ensure that programs of work and solutions are both economical and effective. Methods: Our support provision advocates for utilization of “minimal” resources (employing the least amount of time, tools, and funding) necessary to achieve the desired outcomes. We strive for “adequate” information that fulfills specific objectives without excess and with the requirement that methods and data used are “accurate” (valid and reliable). To illustrate the principles of this approach, we outline a real-world example of supporting 100-m track (athletics) sprinters preparing and competing in an international competition. The provision of performance support emphasizes an integrated approach, combining knowledge and insights from multiple sport-science disciplines. The key facets managed under this approach are (1) neuromuscular readiness, (2) wellness monitoring, (3) movement observation, (4) motivation, (5) biomechanics and performance analysis, and (6) qualitative feedback. These facets are based on the specific performance determinants and influencing factors of an event (100-m dash). Conclusions: Application of this quantitative and qualitative approach can enhance the ability to make informed decisions. Nevertheless, the approach must be planned, evaluated, and refined on a regular basis to enable effective decision making in sport-science support. The 3-element approach of “minimal, adequate, and accurate” should be codesigned and supported by the athletes, coaches, and staff to ensure successful implementation.

Background: The optimization of athlete training load is not a new concept; however in recent years, the concept of “load management” is one of the most widely studied and divisive topics in sports science and medicine. Purpose: Discuss the challenges faced by sports when utilizing training load monitoring and management, with a specific focus on the use of data to inform load management guidelines and policies/mandates, their consequences, and how we move this field forward. Challenges: While guidelines can theoretically help protect athletes, overzealous and overcautious guidelines may restrict an athlete’s preparedness, negatively influence performance, and increase injury risk. Poor methods, wrong interpretation of study findings, and faulty logic do not allow for systematic scientific evaluations to inform guidelines. Practical Solutions: Guidelines and mandates should be developed through a systematic research process with stronger research designs and clear research questions. Collaborating with statistical and epidemiological experts is essential. Implementing open science principles and sharing all sports training load data increase transparency and allow for more rapid and valid advancements in knowledge. Practitioners should incorporate multiple data streams and consider individual athlete responses, rather than applying broad guidelines based on average data. Conclusion: Many current training load guidelines and mandates in sports come from good intentions; however, they are arbitrary without sound knowledge of the underlying scientific principles or methods. Common sense guidelines are helpful when there is sparse literature, but they should be careful to avoid arbitrarily choosing findings from weak research. Without precise scientific inquiries, implementing training load interventions or guidelines can have negative implications.

Understanding health inequalities is essential for improving social justice. Intersectionality refers to a theoretical framework for studying the intersection of multiple social categorizations that create unique experiences and related social inequalities. Currently, the majority of the intersectional studies in the physical activity field have a qualitative design; thus, there is a need for quantitative intersectional studies. This commentary aims to explore primary obstacles impeding intersectional quantitative research and provide recommendations for overcoming these obstacles in physical activity research. In the commentary, we discuss that the lack of accessibility of large-scale and diverse data sets, and suboptimal social categorizations and intersectionality-related questions may contribute to the scarcity of intersectional quantitative research in the field. To facilitate intersectional quantitative analyses, we advocate for making large-scale data sets accessible for intersectional secondary analyses, diverse sampling, standardizing questions and categories related to intersectionality, promoting inclusive research designs and methods, and using the appropriate questions and social categorization that reflect the distinct experiences of each subgroup. By addressing these challenges, researchers may gain new insights into health disparities, making physical activity research more inclusive and contributing to more equitable health outcomes.

Background: To meet the World Health Organization goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030, a multisectoral system approach is urgently needed to promote physical activity (PA). We report the process of and findings from a codesigned systems mapping project to present determinants of PA in the context of urban New South Wales, Australia. Methods: A participatory conceptual mapping workshop was held in May 2023 with 19 participants working in education, transportation, urban planning, community, health, and sport and recreation. Initial maps were developed and refined using online feedback from the participants. Interviews were conducted with 10 additional policymakers from relevant sectors to further refine the maps. Results: Two systems maps were cocreated, identifying over 100 variables influencing PA and their interconnections. Five settings emerged from the adults’ map—social and community, policy, built environment and transportation, health care, and workplace—and 4 for the young people’s map—family, school, transportation, and community and environment. The maps share similarities, such as regarding potential drivers within the transportation, community, and built environment sectors; however, the young people’s map has a specific focus on the school setting and the adults’ map on workplace and health care settings. Interviews with policymakers provided further unique insights into understanding and intervening in the PA system. Conclusions: This codesigned participatory systems mapping process, supplemented by stakeholder interviews, provided a unique opportunity to bring together stakeholders across sectors to understand the complexity within the PA system and begin to identify leverage points for tackling physical inactivity in New South Wales.

Background: Efforts are needed to improve antidoping procedures. The widespread use of power meters among cyclists could help in this regard. However, controversy exists on whether performance monitoring through power-output data could be of help for antidoping purposes. Purpose: The objective of the present study was to provide insight into the feasibility and utility of implementing power-based performance monitoring in elite cycling. An expert panel of 15 applied sport scientists and professional cycling coaches were asked for their opinions and perspectives on incorporating power data into the antidoping risk-assessment process. Results: Two different viewpoints were identified from the responses provided by the experts. Some believed that power monitoring could be implemented as an antidoping tool, provided that several surmountable challenges are first addressed. These authors provided suggestions related to the potential practical implementation of such measures. Others, on the contrary, believed that power meters lack sufficient reliability and suggest that the professional cycling world presents conflicts of interest that make this intervention impossible to implement nowadays. Conclusions: The debate around the utility of power-meter data in the antidoping fight has been ongoing for more than a decade. According to the opinions provided by the experts’ panel, there is still no consensus on the real utility and practical implementation of this intervention.