No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

SummaryThe identification of risk factors and the assessment of athlete's predisposition to suffer an injury and the way in which it will occur is hard to predict due to the multifactorial origin of the lesions. In recent years, the importance of the genetic component of each individual as a possible cause of injury predisposition is being evaluated.The objective of this work was to write a review of the genetic studies carried out to date on connective tissue injuries and propose future research lines that would allow the development of more personalized training programs and specify preventive therapies in order to reduce the injury risk.The multifactorial origin of injuries complicates the identification of risk factors (extrinsic and intrinsic factors). Together, these factors and their interaction predisposes an athlete to injuries. In recent years, the genetic component of each individual as a possible cause of injury predisposition has become of importance.The aim of this article was to propose a review of published genetic studies related to connective tissue repair or regeneration and to pave the way for future Sports Medicine Research. This information could be very useful in order to individualize the preventive strategies to avoid injuries and to optimize the therapeutic and rehabilitation process after injuries.Applied biology is already contributing new knowledge by providing new biomarkers that will give information and increase understanding regarding the susceptibility of individuals to suffer certain types of injury. Genetic analysis can offer us reliable and objective predictive parameter that combined with the current methods of analysis will help improve the performance and management of athletes.

Background: COVID-19 imposed challenges on professional sport, with restrictions leading to the delay in the completion of the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL). Creating a biologically safe environment (BSE) provided a solution enabling the 2019/2020 season to be completed. Objectives: Evaluating the impact that the BSE had on player wellness and what coping mechanisms were used in the BSE. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to PSL teams on the final weekend in the BSE. It consisted of three validated psychology questionnaires. An additional section focused on the impact and coping strategies during the PSL’s BSE. Results: A total of 37 completed questionnaires were analysed. General anxiety (4.7±4.2) and depression levels (4.8±3.9) were at an overall low. The health of the players, as well as separation from and concerns about family, were the greatest contributors to anxiety. Electronic communication with family and friends, social interactions with others in the BSE and time spent on self-reflection were important coping mechanisms for players. As time progressed, they adapted to the BSE. Conclusion: The BSE did not have a negative impact on the anxiety and depression levels of the respondents, with a variety of coping mechanisms key helping them adapt in the BSE.

Globalisation has resulted in increased migration for sports participation. Leaving home and moving to a new city or country requires adjustment and may increase levels of stress experienced by players. The impacts of the move may have consequences for the player both on and off the field. This study looked at ways in which moving to a new city or country impacted players and what mechanisms helped them cope and adjust to the new surroundings. The sample consisted of 41 football players (male N=20; female N=21) ages between 17 and 42 years old. Players came from eleven different countries across five continents all playing at the highest level of the game. The study found that the players had both football-related and non-football related consequences as a result of the move. Things like missing family and friends, adjusting to a new language, and adjusting to a new style of football were the most prominent difficulties experienced by the players. Keeping in touch with family and friends made the move easier, as did the support played within the team set-up. Most players who had made more than one move found the first move the toughest to adjust to, and lessons learnt during that move made subsequent moves easier.

EDITORIALFootball is the most popular sport in the world with more than 200 million people playing the sport worldwide [1] . The decision-making ability of a player impacts their performances taking into account the readeness after an injury in reducing the time lost. Decisions within a sports context are dynamic with players required to make correct decisions while under pressure, with limited time, during various intensities of exercise and sometimes with limited resources and information [2,3,4,5] . The sequences of these actions are not replicated throughout the match nor can they be precisely predicted. The decision-making process in football is a very complex one, requiring a high level of skill. Each player will approach a situation in their own individual ways and rely on a combination of intuition, experience and the rules of the game. In order to analyse the decision-making process, it is important to determine and evaluate the role of the various factors that may affect this skill [6,7,8] . Information processing includes many elements like perceptual skills, knowledge base, environmental influences, decision-making and motor skills. All of these elements have a strong influence on sport performance [9] . People have limited information processing capabilities and are required to reduce situational demands to only the important information [10] . Players are faced numerous stimuli at the same time. Most of the time the player must identify which are the relevant stimuli and respond accordingly. However, there are times when they need to inhibit response and despite the presence of the stimulus that might usually invoke an action, they are required not to act.The patterns of play change in football very quick, and players might need a transition from attack to defence in split seconds or the play might be shifted from the left to the right. The attention of a player is limited in time and thus players are required to be able to shift attention quickly. ABSTRACTThe decision-making ability of a player impacts their performances taking into account the readeness after an injury in reducing the time lost. The decision-making process in football is a very complex one, requiring a high level of skill. Information processing includes many elements like perceptual skills, knowledge base, environmental influences, decision-making and motor skills. All of these elements have a strong influence on sport performance. In football decisions are made quickly without time for conscious thought. Facing numerous stimuli, players subconsciously decide which stimuli are important and which deserve no attention. Top players might require less information and still be able to make good decisions thus saving them time and allowing for quicker actions. Cognitive skills enhance sport performance and can also help with injury prevention because it is linked with neuromuscular control and co-ordination Elite football players with a high level of cognition skills have the chance to reduce the recovery time after an injury