INTRODUCTION & AIMS: Approximately 3.8% of Australians identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, with about 91.7% of those identifying specifically (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2021). This project aimed to use a community of practice (CoP) model to workshop ways in which students’ practical cultural capability could be enhanced throughout their courses, ensuring graduates are prepared to deliver culturally safe, evidence-informed interventions. A CoP was established (comprising academic staff, Aboriginal teaching and learning advisors, and clinical placement coordinators) to collaboratively embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into practical learning activities across the clinical exercise physiology and strength and conditioning programs at a Western Australian university. METHODS: A weekly, 2-hour virtual CoP session was convened to reflect on the week prior’s learning and self-paced activities as part of the university’s microcredential. Key strategies included discussing ways to develop and co-design placement opportunities, case-based scenarios, and culturally informed assessment tools, alongside workshops focused on reflective practice and applied cultural safety. RESULTS: The CoP approach led to the integration of culturally informed practical activities across multiple placement contexts in an attempt to improve students’ confidence in applying cultural safety principles in real-world settings. Academic staff reported via feedback a perceived improved sense of preparedness. Additionally, the CoP fostered the opportunity for sustained collaboration by way of establishing networks among staff and advisors, supporting the ongoing refinement of practice-focused learning resources. CONCLUSION: A community of practice approach can meaningfully bridge the gap between theoretical curriculum content and practical course requirements with an emphasis on strengthening cultural capability in Exercise and Sports Science, Exercise Physiology, and Strength & Conditioning graduates. Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the practicum fosters culturally safe practice in future graduates, contributing to improved workforce readiness.

BACKGROUND:Quadriceps weakness is common following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Voluntary activation (VA) deficits may contribute to persistent weakness, but their recovery trajectory remains unclear. This systematic review examined temporal changes in quadriceps strength and VA following ACLR. METHODS:Six databases and 2 clinical trial registries were searched to March 2025. Studies reporting quadriceps strength and VA following ACLR were included. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regression examined temporal trends. Risk of bias was assessed using JBI tools and certainty of evidence using GRADE. RESULTS:Fifty studies (1772 participants; 91 effect sizes) were included. Three-level meta-regression demonstrated that VA showed no significant improvement over time (0.03% per month, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): -0.25% to 0.29%; mean = 86.8%, 95%CI: 83.9-89.8%, p = 0.876). Quadriceps strength improved nonlinearly (Q = 31.53, p < 0.001), reaching 2.63 Nm/kg (95%CI: 2.00-3.27) by 69 months. Participant age (p = 0.60), sex (p = 0.50), assessment position (p = 0.44), graft type (p = 0.32) or primary vs. secondary reconstruction (p = 0.56) did not moderate VA. Studies that measured VA with the central activation ratio overestimated VA compared to the interpolated twitch technique by 6.5% (95%CI: 2.4-10.6%, p = 0.002). Evidence certainty was rated as very low. CONCLUSION:Following typical rehabilitation, quadriceps strength improved over time, whereas VA showed no detectable recovery. Strength recovery may therefore occur despite ongoing impairments in neural activation, suggesting strength symmetry alone may overestimate neuromuscular recovery. Given the very low certainty of evidence, these findings should be interpreted cautiously.

INTRODUCTION & AIMS: Gender bias arising from the underrepresentation of women in health research continues to influence clinical decision-making in sport and healthcare for women athletes. While biomechanical, hormonal or neuromuscular sex differences in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are traditionally reported, how sociocultural factors shape ACL-risk perception remains underexplored. Consequently, gender-based assumptions may emerge when practitioners assess ACL-risk. This study investigated whether gender bias influences practitioners’ subjective assessments of ACL injury risk. METHODS: This preregistered repeated-measures observational study evaluated how accredited sports and exercise science and medicine practitioners rate ACL-risk based on video pf the same athletes (10 women; 10 men) performing drop-jump and sidestep tasks. Videos displayed athletes paired by gender for equivalent relative peak knee abduction moment for each task. Practitioners provided subjective ACL-risk and confidence ratings (0-10 scale) and repeated all evaluations one week later to assess intra-rater reliability. Practitioners were unaware that tasks were matched or repeated. All practitioners rated 40 videos. Cumulative link mixed models tested effects of athlete gender and survey session on ordinal ACL-risk ratings, with random intercepts for participants and video clips. RESULTS: A total of 122 accredited practitioners completed both online video sessions. ACL-risk ratings did not significantly differ by gender in session one (women: 5.4±2.3 vs men: 5.3±2.3, p=0.375), or session two (women: 5.3±2.1 vs men: 5.3±2.2, p=0.375). Within-participant reliability upon re-evaluating the same videos one week later was poor (ICC(3,1)[95% CI] = 0.37[0.35-0.4]), yet confidence ratings remained high during session one (7.7±2.2) and session two (7.9±2.1). CONCLUSION: Although accredited practitioners did not significantly rate women athletes as having higher ACL-risk, poor rating reliability despite high confidence limits conclusions regarding the presence or absence of gender bias. The disconnect between reliability and perceived confidence highlights the need to improve how ACL-risk assessments are formed, interpreted, and applied in practice.

Research on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention would benefit from rigorous process analysis aimed at generating hypotheses and testing causal claims. Unfortunately, sports medicine frequently relies on a “program causes outcome” hypotheses. This approach leads to an understanding of ACL injury prevention programs that can be summarised as "something is better than nothing." We present a principles-based critique of the ongoing efforts to use warm-up protocols as training programs for long-term ACL injury prevention and propose alternative approaches to advance research in this area.

Sidestep cutting exposes the knee to high multiplanar loads that both challenge tissue capacity and provide an opportunity to develop resilience through progressive exposure. This study investigated task constraints applied at the trunk and preparatory step and changes in lower-body joint kinetics associated with ACL injury risk during sidestepping in female athletes. Twenty-one trained female athletes performed six sidestep conditions: pre-planned and unplanned sidesteps, each with and without trunk (holding ~ 5-7.5% body mass at chest level) and preparatory-step (ducking under an adjustable rope at eye height) constraints. Relative joint power at the hip, knee, and ankle was analysed using statistical parametric mapping. In pre-planned sidesteps, trunk constraints significantly increased energy absorption at the knee during early stance (23-27%, p < 0.001). Preparatory-step constraints did not alter energy absorption at the knee but significantly increased energy generation at the hip relative to trunk-constrained and unconstrained conditions between 23 and 35% of stance (p < 0.001). Unplanned sidesteps showed no kinetic differences among conditions. Implementing trunk constraints during pre-planned sidesteps increases mechanical demands on the knee joint, suggesting these conditions may serve as a useful means to progressively expose athletes to higher joint loads in controlled training environments. These findings inform practical training strategies to increase tissue capacity and prepare female athletes for high-risk sidestepping scenarios, potentially contributing to an increased injury resiliency.

INTRODUCTION & AIMS: Concerns about the replicability of sport science findings have intensified. Particularly, performance-based interventions are susceptible to inflated effects due to methodological variability and selective reporting. Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is widely applied to acutely improve ballistic performance, yet reported effects are inconsistent. This pre-registered study aimed to conceptually replicate a previously used PAPE protocol and investigate its acute effects on countermovement jump (CMJ) height and CMJ height variance. METHODS: Forty-nine trained athletes (31 men, 18 women) completed a multi-centre, randomised control trial across four separate sites. Following a familiarisation session, participants completed a standardised warm-up and two PAPE sessions involving a single set of barbell back-squats (3 × 90% 1RM) and two control sessions with time-matched active rest. Session order was counterbalanced, randomised, and separated by one-week periods. CMJ height was assessed with force platforms at baseline and immediately (time 0), 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes after the set of barbell back-squats. A generalised additive mixed model for location, shape, and scale modelled the location (i.e. mean) and scale (i.e. standard deviation [SD]) of CMJ height across time. Baseline CMJ height was used as a covariate to account for regression-to-the-mean. RESULTS: Mean CMJ height for PAPE was significantly lower immediately after the intervention compared to control (32.75cm [95%CI: 32.29-33.14] vs. 33.86cm [95%CI: 33.65-34.14]). CMJ height SD for PAPE was significantly higher than control immediately after the intervention (2.00cm [95%CI: 1.60-2.37] vs. 1.38 [95%CI: 1.11-1.57]). Qualitatively, the time course of CMJ height is similar at minutes 3 through 12, and CMJ height SD is only similar by minute 12. CONCLUSION: The results indicate PAPE decreases CMJ jump height while nearly doubling CMJ height variance. Together with methodological variability and selective reporting (small samples, p-hacking, etc.), this increased variance is likely the cause of the widespread belief that PAPE exists.

Current Opinion article considers the diverging perspectives of two academics on the trainability and role of perceptual-cognitive abilities in sports performance, specifically applied to agility and sidestepping. This work uses a moderated dialogue approach between these two authors, each representing differing viewpoints: one advocating for the role of perceptual-motor skills through representative learning environments and another emphasising physical resilience. The article explores how fostering scientific discourse through moderated questions posed by a third party can be used to identify convergences and divergences in these perspectives. Both perspectives agree on the complexity of agility, the value of coupling perceptual skills with motor actions in representative environments, and the role of action capabilities in shaping affordances. However, they diverge on the best methods for assessing and training these skills, with contrasting views on the practicality of representative assessments and training transfer to in-game scenarios. The authors propose that the current article forms the first stage for future collaborative research to test hypotheses through adversarial collaboration in order to better understand how perceptual-cognitive skills are integrated with physical training and assessed for practical application in sports settings. By fostering mutual understanding, the article highlights the potential of adversarial debate in advancing scientific practices within the domain of sports performance, as well as how this method can form the basis for joint hypothesis testing between adversaries.

In der mittleren bis späten Reha-Phase nach einer Rekonstruktion des vorderen Kreuzbandes geht es vor allem darum, die Belastbarkeit der betroffenen Extremität wieder so weit herzustellen, dass die Rückkehr zum sportartspezifischen Training ohne Risiko möglich ist.

ABSTRACT:Vial, S, Scanlan, M, Beranek, P, Kadlec, D, Barley, OR, and Cochrane Wilkie, J. How strong is strong enough? Assessing when physical performance tests cease to be predictive of sprint performance in trained football players. J Strength Cond Res 39(10): e1195-e1201, 2025-Quantifying underlying capacities of sprint performance are useful for monitoring training and guiding interventions. Traditional statistical techniques, such as correlation and regression analyses, have been widely used to model relationships between physical capacity and sprint performance. However, these methods often assume linearity, potentially oversimplifying complex, nonlinear interactions, and generalizing group-level data that may misrepresent individual trends. For instance, strength metrics such as maximal half-squat strength have been correlated with sprint performance, suggesting that speed should increase proportionally with strength. Yet evidence indicates that, in practice, this relationship plateaus, with further gains yielding diminishing returns. Although general guidelines exist, no established methods exist for quantifying the individual contribution of physical performance metrics to sprint performance. Using a novel approach, this study identified the "saturation point" at which physical performance tests cease to predict sprint performance. We used random forest regression and partial dependence plots to analyze data from 60 male football players who completed strength (isometric mid-thigh pull [IMTP] and Nordic eccentric hamstring strength) and jump tests (countermovement jump and standing broad jump [SBJ]). The random forest model demonstrated high predictive power ( R2 = 0.85-0.87) for 20 and 40 m sprint times, identifying IMTP and SBJ as key predictors. Partial dependence plots revealed a saturation effect for IMTP at 2.0 body mass and SBJ at 0.29 m·s -1 , where further increases yielded diminishing returns on sprint performance. These findings suggest that while strength and power improvements benefit sprint performance, further gains beyond specific thresholds may contribute little to additional improvements in sprint performance.

Non-contact hamstring injuries (HSIs) commonly occur during the late swing phase of sprinting, when muscle-tendon units (MTUs) approach maximum length. Although sagittal-plane pelvis, hip and knee angles are often used as surrogate measures of overall hamstring lengthening, their predictive validity remains uncertain. This study investigated whether peak three-dimensional lower limb joint angles predict length change in the biarticular hamstring MTUs from peak hip flexion through to toe off (0-100 %) in fourteen intermediate-level male soccer players sprinting at maximal speed (8.56 ± 0.47 m·s-1). Participant-specific musculoskeletal models were used to compute MTU lengths for the biceps femoris long head (BFlh), semimembranosus (SM), and semitendinosus (ST). To account for inter-subject temporal variability and enable accurate point-to-point comparisons across trials, dynamic time warping was applied for non-linear temporal registration. Statistical parametric mapping regression was used to assess associations between pelvis, hip and knee peak joint angles (sagittal, frontal, transverse) and length change of BFlh, SM, and ST. Peak sagittal angles were poor predictors while peak frontal pelvis angle was negatively associated with MTU length change during late swing (BFlh peak |r| = -0.371; SM peak |r| = -0.460). Frontal hip adduction was negatively associated with MTU length change from peak hip flexion to early stance (peak |r| -0.39 to -0.46). Internal hip rotation was associated with SM and ST lengthening (peak |r| = 0.51) from late swing to early stance. Knee extension angles showed no significant associations. These findings suggest caution when using single-plane joint angles as isolated indicators of hamstring MTU length.

The ability to accelerate and attain high velocities is essential for both individual and team sport athletes. The purpose of this explorative study was to retrospectively analyze the ground reaction force using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) vector field analysis, as traditional scalar analyses often fail to acknowledge the interdependence of force vector components. The ground reaction force vector and the scalar components (i.e., vertical and horizontal force) were analyzed for 28 male sprinters and 24 male soccer players at 8.0 and 8.5 m.s(-1), and between 85%, 90%, 95%, and 100% of their maximum velocity. The ground reaction force vector differed predominately during mid-stance and late stance between both groups at 8.0 and 8.5 m.s(-1). Within-group analysis also revealed that in both groups, the first similar to 60% of stance tended to increase in relevance when transitioning to higher sprinting velocities as evident by the increasing {T-2} test statistic between adjacent velocity comparisons. Sprinters and soccer player reached their respective maximal sprinting velocity at similar to 40 m. This exploratory study discusses the potential limitations of scalar analysis and highlights the benefits of incorporating vector field analysis. Although both analysis methods resulted in similar conclusions in our re-analysis, vector field analysis may still enhance the understanding of force application in sprint performance by considering the interdependence of force components. We recommend utilizing vector field analyses alongside traditional methods in sports biomechanics research to ultimately enhance the accuracy of interpretations related to vector data.

ABSTRACT:Kadlec, D, Jordan, MJ, Alderson, J, and Nimphius, S. Examining the effects of dynamic and isometric resistance training on knee joint kinetics during unplanned sidesteps in elite female athletes. J Strength Cond Res 38(12): 2079-2087, 2024-The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 4-week block of isometric (isometric RT ) and dynamic resistance training (dynamic RT ) on kinetic variables associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk during unplanned sidesteps in elite female athletes. Twenty-one elite female athletes competing for a women's international rugby union team were recruited with 15 ( n = 15; age: 23.4 ± 4.7 years; 170.7 ± 8.4 cm; 84.4 ± 15.4 kg) completing assessment of knee flexion moment, knee valgus moment (KVM), knee internal rotation moment (KIRM), knee joint power during unplanned sidesteps, and lower limb strength before and after a 4-week intervention. Linear mixed effects models and one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping assessed the effect of the interventions. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Postintervention the isometric RT group revealed reduced peak KVM during early stance ( p = 0.04) while the dynamic RT group decreased peak KIRM ( p < 0.01) and KIRM over 8.8-86.6% ( p < 0.01) and 96.9-98.5% ( p = 0.047). An exploratory combined group analysis revealed reductions in KVM over 7.9-21.8% ( p = 0.002) and in KIRM over 8.3-90.5% ( p < 0.01) and 96.2-98.5% ( p = 0.046). Most lower limb isometric and dynamic strength measures increased after both resistance training interventions. Overall, both groups increased lower-body maximum strength while reducing kinetic knee joint variables associated with ACL injury risk during unplanned sidesteps. These results highlight the importance of increasing single-joint and multijoint strength in female athletes to mitigate the mechanical knee joint demands during sidestepping.

This study aimed to evaluate short-term outcomes of the HEAL™ing Mental Health program, an 8-week intervention for change in functional, behavioural and physiological health and wellbeing designed for people living with mental health conditions in rural or regional areas of Australia. A prospective cohort study was completed, reporting on 19 items (pre-program) and 15 (post-participation change), organised across seven domains. Participants took part in an Accredited Exercise Physiologist/Nurse led supervised group exercise (60 minutes) and healthy lifestyle education program (60 minutes). Separate linear mixed models with restricted maximum likelihood were used to examine the primary research question considering the effect of the program on: walking (min/week); planned, incidental and total physical activity (min/week); sitting time; active days; fruit and vegetable intake; body mass index; waist circumference; blood pressure; 6 minute walk distance; 30 second sit-to-stand; psychological distress symptoms; and stage of behaviour change. There were 99 participants (31 males, 68 females) out of 117 participants completed more than 50% of program sessions. Twelve of 15 measures achieved their desired target change and a statistically significant change toward the desired outcome was reported for 14 of 15 measures. Positive results were obtained for participants completing more than 50% of sessions, suggesting that HEAL™ ing Mental Health program is effective to increase physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices in individuals who self-report a mental health disorder.

Sidesteps can impose high demands on the knee joint and lead to non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Understanding how different constraints shape an athlete’s movement strategy and the associated joint demands can help design training interventions to increase injury resilience. Motor capacities, such as muscular strength and power, act as boundaries for the safe execution of perceptual–motor skills and co-determine the emergence of unique movement strategies. Increasing single- and multi-joint strength enables a broader solution space for movement strategies and increases load tolerance. Manipulating task constraints during sidesteps can be used in the training process to systematically expose athletes to increasing demands (on the knee joint or any joint or structure) in preparation for “worst-case” scenarios. In particular, the type and timing of information available influence the preparation time, subsequently affecting the movement strategy and the associated magnitude of external knee joint loading (e.g., knee valgus moment). While an athlete’s perceptual–cognitive skills contribute to the preparation time during in situ scenarios, attempts to further improve those skills with the aim of increasing athlete preparation time prior to “worst-case” scenarios are yet to demonstrate conclusive evidence of transfer to on-field situations. Therefore, in the current article, we reflect on the impact of different interacting constraints that influence the execution of sidesteps during in situ scenarios and impose high demands on the knee joint. Subsequently, we discuss how an integrated perspective, drawing on knowledge and perspectives from strength and conditioning and perception–action, may enhance an athlete’s ability to withstand “worst-case” scenarios and adapt to perform varied movement executions when sidestepping.

Background and Objective Meta-analysis and meta-regression are often highly cited and may influence practice. Unfortunately, statistical errors in meta-analyses are widespread and can lead to flawed conclusions. The purpose of this article was to review common statistical errors in meta-analyses and to document their frequency in highly cited meta-analyses from strength and conditioning research. Methods We identified five errors in one highly cited meta-regression from strength and conditioning research: implausible outliers; overestimated effect sizes that arise from confusing standard deviation with standard error; failure to account for correlated observations; failure to account for within-study variance; and a focus on within-group rather than between-group results. We then quantified the frequency of these errors in 20 of the most highly cited meta-analyses in the field of strength and conditioning research from the past 20 years. Results We found that 85% of the 20 most highly cited meta-analyses in strength and conditioning research contained statistical errors. Almost half (45%) contained at least one effect size that was mistakenly calculated using standard error rather than standard deviation. In several cases, this resulted in obviously wrong effect sizes, for example, effect sizes of 11 or 14 standard deviations. Additionally, 45% failed to account for correlated observations despite including numerous effect sizes from the same study and often from the same group within the same study. Conclusions Statistical errors in meta-analysis and meta-regression are common in strength and conditioning research. We highlight five errors that authors, editors, and readers should check for when preparing or critically reviewing meta-analyses.

Ziel der Rehabilitation von Tendinopathien ist es, die Belastungstoleranz der betroffenen Sehne progressiv zu erhöhen, um schließlich bei jeglicher sportartspezifischen Belastung schmerzfrei zu bleiben. Dabei sind hohe mechanische Lasten mittels verschiedener Methoden des Krafttrainings empfehlenswert, um qualitative Adaptationen der Sehne zu erzeugen und somit die Belastungstoleranz zu erhöhen. Abhängig von der akuten Schmerzsymptomatik ist zunächst eine Unterbrechung des Trainings empfehlenswert, um anschließend den Fokus zunächst nur auf die Rehabilitation zu richten. Schmerz bei und nach Belastung ist während der kompletten Rehabilitation das entscheidende Kriterium, um Intensität und Volumen der Übungen zu bestimmen. Ein höheres subjektives Schmerzempfinden als 2 von 10 Punkten auf der VAS sollte während der Übungen nicht auftreten. Athletiktraining in der Sportphysiotherapie

Purpose To examine the test re-test reliability of isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) of hip adduction (ADD ISO ), hip abduction (ABD ISO ), and multijoint leg extension (SQUAT ISO ) in sub-elite female Australian footballers. Methods Data were collected from 24 sub-elite female Australian footballers (age 22.6 ± 4.5 years; height 169.4 ± 5.5 cm; body mass 66.6 ± 8.0 kg; 4.5 ± 4.4 years sport-specific training; 2.5 ± 2.0 years unstructured resistance training) from the same club on two non-consecutive days. Participants performed three isometric MVCs of ADD ISO , ABD ISO , and SQUAT ISO . The SQUAT ISO was performed at 140° knee flexion with a vertical trunk position and ADD ISO and ABD ISO measures were performed in a supine position at 60° of knee flexion and 60° hip flexion. Reliability was assessed using paired t tests and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), typical error (TE), and coefficient of variation (CV%) with 95% CI. Results SQUAT ISO peak force (ICC .95; CV% 4.1), ABD ISO for left, right, and sum (ICC .90–.92; CV% 5.0–5.7), and ADD ISO for left, right, and sum (ICC .86–.91; CV% 6.2–6.9) were deemed acceptably reliable based on predetermined criteria (ICC ≥ .8 and CV% ≤ 10). Conclusion SQUAT ISO , ABD ISO , and ADD ISO tests demonstrated acceptable reliability for the assessment of peak force in sub-elite female Australian footballers, suggesting these assessments are suitable for muscle strength testing and monitoring adaptations to training.

Sowohl im leistungsorientierten Training als auch in der Rehabilitation nach verschiedenen Verletzungen und Erkrankungen beeinflusst das Feedback das motorische Lernen. Zeitpunkt, Häufigkeit und Inhalt des Feedbacks haben dabei entscheidenden Einfluss darauf, wie sich das Feedback auf das motorische Lernen auswirkt.