Olympic Sports Science-Bibliometric Analysis of All Summer and Winter Olympic Sports Research

Race analysis in swimming: understanding the evolution of publications, citations and networks through a bibliometric review

The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping and bibliometric review of swimming articles related to race analysis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to identify relevant studies. Articles on race analysis in swimming published between 1984 and December 31, 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. 366 records were screened and a total of 74 articles were retained for analysis. Until 2012, there were some time intervals with no or few publications. From 2012, there was a clear upward trend in publications and citations. This theme was led by the United States of America, Australia, and Spain. Australia and Spain maintain their status as the countries with the most publications. The analysis of author collaborations revealed two clusters with Spanish authors, and the remaining clusters are composed of Portuguese, Swiss, and Australian authors. With this bibliometric review, it has been possible to understand the evolution of the articles published on race analysis in swimming, the countries and the authors that have contributed most to this topic over the years. The prediction model shows that the number of articles and citations on this topic will continue to increase over the next 10 years (until 2034).

Heart rate dynamics and asymmetry during sympathetic activity stimulation and post-stimulation recovery in ski mountaineers-a pilot exploratory study

There is a lack of studies on non-linear heart rate (HR) variability in athletes. We aimed to assess the usefulness of short-term HR dynamics and asymmetry parameters to evaluate the neural modulation of cardiac activity based on non-stationary RR interval series by studying their changes during sympathetic nervous system activity stimulation (isometric handgrip test) and post-stimulation recovery in professional ski mountaineers. The correlation between the changes in the parameters and the respiratory rate (RespRate) and also the duration of the career was analyzed. Short-term (5 min) and ultra-short-term (1 min) rates of patterns with no variations (0V), number of acceleration runs of length 1 (AR1), and short-term Porta's Index were greater, whereas Guzik's Index (GI) was smaller during sympathetic stimulation compared to rest. GI increased and the number of AR1 decreased during recovery. Greater increases in GI and RMSSD were associated with greater decreases in RespRate during recovery. Greater increases in RespRate from rest to short-term sympathetic stimulation were associated with greater increases in 0V (Max-min method) and AR1 but also with greater decreases in decelerations of short-term variance and accelerations and decelerations of long-term variance. Greater increases in 0V (Max-min method) and number of AR1 during sympathetic stimulation were associated with a shorter career duration. Greater decreases in these parameters during recovery were associated with a longer career duration. Changes in measures of HR dynamics and asymmetry, calculated based on short-term non-stationary RRi time series induced by sympathetic stimulation and post-stimulation recovery, reflected sympathovagal shift and were associated with condition-related alterations in RespRate and career duration in athletes who practice ski mountaineering.

The Physiological Requirements of and Nutritional Recommendations for Equestrian Riders

Equestrian sport is under-researched within the sport science literature, creating a possible knowledge vacuum for athletes and support personnel wishing to train and perform in an evidence-based manner. This review aims to synthesise available evidence from equitation, sport, and veterinary sciences to describe the pertinent rider physiology of equestrian disciplines. Estimates of energy expenditure and the contribution of underpinning energy systems to equestrian performance are used to provide nutrition and hydration recommendations for competition and training in equestrian disciplines. Relative energy deficiency and disordered eating are also considered. The practical challenges of the equestrian environment, including competitive, personal, and professional factors, injury and concussion, and female participation, are discussed to better highlight novelty within equestrian disciplines compared to more commonly studied sports. The evidence and recommendations are supported by example scenarios, and future research directions are outlined.

A Systematic Review on the Physical, Physiological, Perceptual, and Technical-Tactical Demands of Official 3 × 3 Basketball Games

PURPOSE

To systematically review the physical, physiological, perceptual, and technical-tactical demands of official 3 × 3 basketball games.

METHODS

The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched to identify studies assessing physical, physiological, perceptual, and technical-tactical demands of 3 × 3 games. Data were also coded according to player sex and tournament phase. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using a modified Downs and Black checklist.

RESULTS

Thirteen articles were finally included, with a mean quality of 8.6 (1.1) out of 11. Three-by-three basketball games have an intermittent profile (1:1 work-rest ratio), with a duration of ∼15 minutes, and are characterized by short (6-8 s) ball possessions and considerable physical (17-33 accelerations, 24-44 decelerations, 62-94 changes of directions, and 17-24 jumps per game) and physiological (lactate: ∼6.2 mmol·L-1) demands. Overall, the game performance profile is similar in males and females, with minor changes happening across tournament phases. Several key technical-tactical indicators were identified as discriminating winning and losing teams, such as better shooting and defensive efficiency, low number of turnovers, and implementing tactical actions involving more players, passing first, and ending possessions with shots from outside of the arch from the top of the key.

CONCLUSIONS

Three-by-three basketball is an intermittent, physically demanding sport characterized by quick plays and specific tactical constraints. This review provides information that should be considered by performance staff to improve training prescription, game tactical plans, and for player selection and talent identification.

Women's Footprint in Anti-Doping Sciences: A Bibliometric Approach to Research Impact

Bibliometrics, via the exploitation of large-scale publication data, is a facile approach to explore gender-related trends, especially gender equality in academic publishing and authorship. For the first time, this study aims to investigate the gender-related trends in anti-doping sciences to (1) explore the relational structure of gender aspects of authorial, topical, and methodological features, (2) give recognition to women's contribution to anti-doping research, and (3) identify unique “gendered” potentials for advancing anti-doping research. To deliver on these aims, we employed bibliometric tools to publication records in anti-doping. After constructing a database containing academic publications on any aspect of anti-doping with at least one woman among the authors, we applied state-of-the-art methods from bibliometric science mapping and network analysis. The Lotka distribution model showed that the anti-doping research is a closed community with only 70 authors appearing more than once. Male authors being the majority (66.2%), women are under-represented in this field. The most important authorship position in the academic articles is mainly occupied by men, publications with male corresponding authors were in 774 out of 991 anti-doping related papers. The close connection of the top twenty most influential authors, men and women, to the World Anti-Doping Agency in some professional capacity suggest that the Agency have an influence on the anti-doping research beyond directly providing funding. In terms of geographical regions, publications with female authors were dominated anti-doping research in Italy, Romania, and Spain. In research networks to date, women have outperformed male authors in information centrality, which means that women in anti-doping research have had higher level of control over the information flow in the field than their male counterparts. The results of this study confirm the potential of bibliometric approach in the identification of emerging research topics and quantifying gender differentiation in the field of anti-doping. Due to their higher information centrality, women are better positioned for problem-focused multidisciplinary research both within anti-doping community, and with researchers in cognate fields. Bibliometric analyses have proved to be a powerful tool for monitoring and advancing anti-doping research impact via identifying new avenues for multidisciplinary work, better gender representation, and diversity.

Peculiarities of the Psychological Component in the Archery Long-Term Training System in Different Countries (Review)

The objective is analysis and evaluation of the psychological training component in the long-term archery training system in different countries at the present sport development stage. Materials and methods. Theoretical review of scientific and educational sources, their systematization, comparison, and results generalization were done. Through the Internet search engines Web of Science, Google Scholar and Google, scientific and educational publications were searched for "archery" and "psychological training" in different languages: Ukrainian, English, Korean, Italian, Russian, German, French. 90 sources were found, of which 65 were relevant to the subject. Results. Only in archery psychological training is not allocated to a separate type of long-term training for complex coordination sports in Ukraine. In all countries that were winners of the last Olympic Games, psychological training has been systematically introduced into the sport training of archers. Ukraine, where psychological training has not been implemented, was the last to win in 2008. Archery is a sport that differs significantly from others in monotony, subtle, slow, and low motor activity, as well as contradictions in physiological reserves management, including energy, which must be mobilized without a significant increase in heart rate and sweating. Archers face specific psychological problems, namely, "target panic". The key psychological qualities that are in demand in archery involve "4C" complex – Control, Challenge, Commitment and Confidence, and mastery of coping strategies to overcome aversive states in sports. Also important is the development of various attention types. Psychological assistance to an archer should include proven methods of cognitive and emotional control skills training. Conclusions. The development of psychological training component can help to improve results of Ukrainian national archery teams, and it is important to include it in the sport’s training plan at all stages of athlete’s long-term training.