athletes

 Landing after a jump is a high-risk mechanism that can lead to numerous lower limb injuries, particularly in the knee. Most lower limb injuries occur when an individual is unprepared to cope with landing forces. This study was designed to comparison of the knee frontal plane projection angle (KFPPA) in various landing tasks on healthy female athletes.

In this cross-sectional study, 22 recreational female athletes with a mean age of 26.05 ± 2.05 years were selected through non-random sampling. KFPPA was measured during different landing tasks. The study involved four common landing tasks: double leg jump (DLJ), double leg drop (DLD), single leg jump (SLJ), and single leg drop (SLD).

KFPPA values for DLD and DLJ were similar (P = 0.18). Additionally, KFPPA during the SLD task was significantly higher than during SLJ, DLJ, and DLD tasks (P < 0.001 for all comparisons).

The findings highlight the importance of rehabilitation programs focusing on enhancing knee stability, especially for athletes engaged in single-leg landing tasks like SLD, to reduce the risk of common landing-related injuries.

Nowadays, the utilization of exogenous testosterone has progressively gained popularity in diverse sports domains, thereby giving rise to apprehensions regarding its associated risks and potential advantages.

In this study, conducted to investigate the impact of testosterone supplementation on urinary tract stone formation and urine compounds, a total of 1,080 athletes were examined in a two-year cross-sectional study. Among them, 495 athletes received testosterone supplementation, while 585 athletes were investigated as non-consumers. Blood and urine samples were collected, and a computed tomography scan was performed to assess the presence of stones.

The findings of this study revealed a noteworthy rise in crystalluria among testosterone users in comparison to non-users (38.2% vs. 2.7%). Moreover, imaging results exhibited a greater occurrence of abnormal findings in testosterone users (25.2% vs. 4.3%), as evidenced by calcification in kidney tissue, pelvic and caliceal stones, ureteral stones, and bladder stones.

While further metabolomic studies are required to establish a conclusive cause-and-effect relationship between testosterone intake and stone formation, this study emphasizes the potential hazards linked to the utilization of exogenous testosterone and underscores the necessity for evidence-based guidelines in the realm of exercise and athletic performance.

Athletes are seeking ways to enhance sports performance and protect themselves from the long-term effects of exercise. One potentially effective solution is the administration of colostrum supplements. Evidence suggests that it can support immune system function by maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of colostrum supplementation on athletes' immune system performance.

This systematic review searched English and Farsi databases including Medline, Scopus, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scientific Information Database, Islamic World Science Citation, Cochrane, and Google Scholar website without a time limit until November 2023. Eighteen randomized clinical trials, following the Cochrane protocol, were analyzed to assess the effects of colostrum supplementation on athletes' immune systems. The studies measured various factors, such as the amount of cytokines, concentration of serum immunoglobulins, salivary immunoglobulin, white blood cell count, neutrophil oxidative reactions, and the rate of respiratory system-related diseases in athletes during the consumption of colostrum supplements or its derivatives. The potential risks of bias in the studies were evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool for randomized controlled trials.

The findings of these studies indicate that daily consumption of 3.2 grams of colostrum for 24 weeks can decrease the production of inflammatory cytokines caused by exercise and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, a daily intake of 20 grams of colostrum supplement can protect against the reduction of neutrophil function and immune responses resulting from long-term exercise. The group receiving colostrum experienced fewer upper respiratory tract diseases compared to the placebo group in studies that investigated this indicator. No significant effects on leukocyte count were observed with any dosage of supplementation, and the results of studies on other immune indicators were inconsistent.

Bovine colostrum can improve athletes' immune system performance by regulating immune parameters and mitigating the negative effects of intense exercise. However, the contradictory results of existing studies call for further research that examines different doses of colostrum in various sports.

Today, sports are considered as an international foundation all over the world, on the one hand, the abuse of drugs and supplements in sports, on the other hand, the abuse of drugs and supplements in sports is one of the problems that today's societies are facing.

The present research aimed to design and develop cognitive-based educational strategies to combat illicit drug use in bodybuilding clubs of the country.  

This study is a descriptive-correlational research based on structural equation modeling and is also considered an applied research in terms of objectives. The statistical population of the study included all instructors of the country's bodybuilding and fitness federation and sports science professors knowledgeable about the research topic, and the sample size was determined to be 402 using G*Power version 1.3. Accordingly, 450 questionnaires were distributed, and 408 respondents correctly completed the research questionnaire. The researcher-made questionnaire was used as the research tool, consisting of 26 items and 7 components with a 5-point Likert scale (completely agree to completely disagree). After confirming the validity of the questionnaires with the help of 8 experts and specialists, their reliability was also confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and they were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the collected data. In the descriptive statistics section, frequency tables and charts, relative frequency, and population characteristics of the research participants were used, and mean and standard deviation were calculated. In the inferential statistics section, structural equation modeling using SmartPLS version 4 software was used to investigate the research model.

The results of the data analysis showed that cognitive-based educational content, cognitive leadership style, information acquisition, dissemination of information, information deletion, cognitive-based teaching methods, and human resources in cognitive-based education are educational strategies to combat illicit drug use in bodybuilding clubs of the country.

By developing the cognitive knowledge of the athletes in this field, he convinced them to stay away and avoid the consumption of these supplements, and therefore, for the development of cognitive knowledge, a comprehensive planning regarding the design of cognitive knowledge content, the training of expert human resources in this field, and attention to knowledge and informed the trainers and officials of this field.

Athletes with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)  have deficits in executive functions, and it is very important to find new non-pharmacological methods to help them. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of motor and cognitive exercises on working memory and selective attention in athletes with ADHD.

A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and follow-up was employed, including a control group. A total of 120 athletes(males and females) with ADHD, aged 9 to 11, from Lorestan province, were initially considered. Among them, 75 athletes were randomly assigned to three groups: control, motor exercises, and cognitive exercises, with each group consisting of 25 participants.The first experimental group received motor exercises, while the second experimental group received cognitive exercises (Captain’s Log), both delivered in 10 sessions of 20 minutes each. The control group did not receive any interventions. Post-tests were conducted immediately one day after the intervention period, followed by a two-week follow-up test. Working memory and selective attention were assessed using the N-back and Stroop tests. Data analysis included mixed ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Benferroni's post hoc test performed using SPSS version 22 statistical software.

The results demonstrated a significant difference between the group of motor exercises (P= 0/0001) and cognitive exercises (P= 0/0001) with the control group. However, no significant difference was found between the two experimental groups(P= 0/536).

The mentioned exercises can be used as an effective treatment in improving working memory and selective attention in athletes with hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder.

In addition to physical fitness, the achievement of sports success for athletes depends on other items such as favorable mental and emotional conditions; hence the purpose of this research was to test the causal model of sports success based on brain-behavioral systems with the mediation of dimensions of the nature and character of the athletes of Ahvaz City.

The present study was a descriptive study using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this research included all the athletes of Ahvaz City in 2023, out of which 254 people were purposefully selected as a sample group from among the athletes present in the sports clubs of Ahvaz City. The measurement tools of the present study were the Sports Success Scale (Mousavi and Vaezmousavi, 2015), the Brain/Behavioral Systems Questionnaire (Carver and White, 1994), and the Nature and Character Questionnaire (Cloninger et al., 1994). The data was analyzed using structural equation analysis method.

The results showed that the final model fits the data. The relationship between the behavioral activation system and personality dimensions with sports success was positive (p<0.05) and the relationship between the behavioral inhibition system and sports success was negative and significant (p<0.05). Also, the indirect relationship between the behavioral inhibition system and sports success with the mediation of temperament dimensions was not significant (p>0.05). On the other hand, the indirect relationship between behavioral activation system and sports success with the mediation of personality dimension was significant (p<0.05).

Behavioral activator and inhibitory system and dimensions of character and personality can be effective in sports growth and success of athletes, and sports psychologists can pay attention to this.

Appropriate behavior of athletes in sports competitions is an important issue in any society. Considering that religious identity has an effect on people's behavior, the present study aimed to investigate the role of religious identity in predicting the components of the sports behavior of teenage basketball players.

The present study was a descriptive correlational study. The research population included teenagers 13 to 18 years old from Guilan province who participated in basketball tournament in the summer of 2022. Two hundred people were randomly selected. Data were collected with Sports Behavior Questionnaire by Volerand and Religious Identity Questionnaire by Khoshawi and were analyzed by methods of correlation coefficient and concurrent multiple regression model on SPSS-26 software. In this research, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors of the article did not report any conflict of interest.

The results showed that religious beliefs and emotions had a positive and significant relationship with the components of respect for social relations, opponents, laws, officials and commitment to sports. Also, the two components of religious belief and behavior showed a positive and significant relationship with the absence of a negative approach in sports performance. Other findings showed that religious identity could predict 81% of the variance in respect for social relations, 79% of the variance in respect for laws and officials and commitment to sports, 77% of the variance in respect for opponents and 80% of the variance in lack of negative approach in sports performance in basketball playing boys.

According to the findings of the present study, the hypotheses based on the existence of a significant relationship between religious identity and the components of sports behavior of basketball boys are confirmed. Considering the positive role of religious belief and religious behaviors and emotions in the mental health of young athletes, giving importance to them through parents, coaches and sports officials can help improve the moral and spiritual health in sports fields and events.

The current research aimed to determine the changes in beta-endorphin levels, electroencephalography (EEG) signals, the time to reach drowsiness after a period of short-term caffeine consumption, and a session of stimulant-inducing exercise.

This study was a semi-experimental type, the statistical population of which included female student-athletes of the Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan, Iran with the age range of 18-24 years, of which 20 were selected purposefully and voluntarily. They were randomly divided into two groups of 10 people, including the athlete group and the placebo group. Both groups participated in the exercise activity and were given capsules—containing either 6 mg/kg of body weight of caffeine or starch—without knowing the contents, one hour before starting the exercise protocol. In both groups, Bruce's training protocol was performed to the point of exhaustion, with the treadmill's incline and speed adjusted in six to seven three-minute stages. Measurements of beta-endorphins, saliva glucose, and EEG activity were taken at three points: half an hour before caffeine consumption, one hour after caffeine consumption, and after completing the exercise test.

The results of this study showed that a session of restorative exercise along with short-term caffeine supplementation in athletes causes significant intra-group changes in the number of delta waves in the prefrontal area of the right hemisphere and the number of beta waves in the frontal area of the left hemisphere. In addition, short-term caffeine supplementation leads to an increase in beta-endorphin levels following a session of residual exercise activity.

Short-term caffeine supplementation by participating in a session of physical activity can improve EEG signals and responses of beta-endorphin values in athletes.

The ankle joint is one of the most vulnerable joints in the body. It has been shown that changes in attention and sensory taping can affect the balance. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate attention changes along with sensory taping on the balance of athletes with ankle sprains.

Twenty-two subjects (11 males, 11 females) with chronic ankle sprains were included and 22 healthy individuals were matched with the control group. To measure balance, the subjects stood on one leg on the force plate (injured leg) for eight stages with 3-minute rest intervals between them. The stages included: Standing with eyes open and closed along with easy and difficult cognitive tasks with and without taping. ANOVA four-way was used in the form of 2 × 2 × 2 × 2.

The results showed that the mean displacement of the center of pressure in the X axis and the standard deviation of the displacement of the center of pressure in the X and Y axes in two conditions of easy and difficult cognitive tasks before and after the tape had a significant difference (P<0.05). There is a significant difference between the two groups in the mean displacement of the center of pressure in the X axis, in the eyes open position on one leg with easy and difficult cognitive tasks (P<0.05). There is a significant difference between the two groups in the mean displacement of the center of pressure in the Y axis, in the eyes closed and open position on one leg with a hard cognitive task (P<0.05). However, in others, this difference was not significant (P>0.05)

In general, the results showed an improvement in the balance of people with chronic ankle sprains after taping and cognitive tasks; however, in some test modes, no significant improvement was observed.

This research was conducted with the aim of identifying prevention strategies for shin-splint injury in volleyball.

The research method was a mixed qualitative-quantitative type. The participants in the qualitative part were 12 sports pathology specialists and physiotherapists who were selected purposefully. Theoretical saturation was achieved in the 10th interview, but two more interviews were also conducted and coded according to the data-based method in three stages of open, central and selective coding. The samples of the quantitative part were specialists in the field of sports pathology, physiotherapists, male and female volleyball players, and volleyball coaches. The items of the questionnaire were prepared according to the model and its validity was confirmed by 5 members of the sports science faculty.

in three categories of structural factors (preventive or preventive actions, knowledge and ability, main causes of disease, lack of time, structural, coordination, semi-structural factors and management and planning), behavioral factors (physical characteristics, Personality characteristics, attitude changes, intra-personal factors and extra-personal factors) and environmental factors (physical and environmental factors, physical and cultural characteristics, communication system and media performance) were divided. The results of factor analysis showed that environmental, structural and behavioral factors respectively have the highest factor load among the prevention strategies for shin splints in volleyball players.

Some environmental factors can be controlled, and by controlling them, shin-splint damage can be prevented, such as using suitable shoes and changing them on time,  and training on surfaces that absorb the impacts of the activity well.

When athlete is in a competitive situation, he suffers a high psychological pressure and can act aggressively. Considering that religious identity has an effect on people's behavior and emotions, the present study aimed to predict the components of aggression based on the religious identity of teenage basketball players in Guilan province. The present study was a descriptive correlational study. The research population was teenagers aged 13 to 18 in Guilan province in the academic year of 2021-2022. The sample size was 200 people who were selected by cluster sampling method. Data were collected with aggression questionnaire (Bass and Perry, 1992) and religious identity questionnaire (Khoshawi, 2013) and were analyzed by methods of correlation coefficient and multiple regression with enter model in SPSS-26 software. The findings showed that the components of religious identity (religious beliefs and emotions) had a negative and significant relationship with all components of aggression, including physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. Other findings showed that religious identity could significantly predict 76% of the amount of physical aggression, 74% of the amount of verbal aggression, 78% of the amount of anger and 74% of the amount of hostility in basketball teenagers.

Ankle instability is one of the most prevalent injuries among athletes. Biomechanical changes, sensory-motor impairments, and neuromuscular disorders have been reported in individuals with chronic ankle instability. The present study was conducted to compare the electrical activity of selected leg and thigh muscles during performing functional movements in female athletes with and without chronic ankle instability.

This case-control research was conducted on 40 female athletes in the age range of 18-30 years in two groups, including the case (with ankle instability, n=20) and healthy control (without ankle instability, n=20) groups. The electrical activity of selected leg and thigh muscles was recorded during three functional patterns, i.e., the overhead squat, overhead squat with heel lift, and single-legged squat, by electromyography apparatus. The investigated muscles consisted of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle, the gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) muscle, the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle, the fibularis longus (FL) muscle, the soleus (SO) muscle, the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle, the vastus mediali (VM) muscle, and the biceps femoris (BF) muscle.

The activity of the VM, VL, BF, and TA muscles in the single-legged squat and the activity of the VM, VL, BF, SO, and TA muscles in the overhead squat showed a statistically significant increase in the case group compared to the control group (P<0.05). The highest difference in the muscle activity of the two groups was observed in the overhead squat with heel lift movement, which in this movement, except for the GL muscle, there was a statistically significant increase among all other muscles (P<0.05).

Functional movements culminate in increasing the electrical activity level of leg and thigh muscles in female athletes with ankle instability.