Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jun 13;19(12). Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Faculty of Education, Psychology and Sport Sciences, University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain.

The aim of this systematic review was to identify the main factors affecting the training process of para-athletes, as well as the barriers they encounter. For this purpose, a systematic review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA declaration guidelines, in which six databases were analysed (Web of Science, Scopus, SportDiscus, Pubmed, Eric, and PsycInfo). A total of 19 articles were selected for analysis after applying the inclusion criteria. Read More

Biology (Basel) 2022 Jun 13;11(6). Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Institute of Sport Sciences, Department of Biomechanics, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, 40-065 Katowice, Poland.

Although the assessment of physique and body composition poses methodological, technical, and interpretative difficulties, it is of great importance for the health of people with disabilities. The aim of the study was to demonstrate that sedentariness and sports activity are factors differentiating anthropometric characteristics, indices, and body composition in people with physical disabilities. : Fifty-eight people were examined: 48 elite Polish Para athletes, including Paralympic track and field athletes (PTF, = 8), sitting volleyball players (SV, = 15), wheelchair rugby players (WR, = 25), and individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI, = 10). Read More

Eat Weight Disord 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Department of Physical Education, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Purpose: Assessing the body composition of children and adolescents is important to monitor their health status. Anthropometric measurements are feasible and less-expensive than other techniques for body composition assessment. This study aimed to systematically map anthropometric equations to predict adipose tissue, body fat, or density in children and adolescents, and to analyze methodological aspects of the development of anthropometric equations using skinfolds. Read More

Adapt Phys Activ Q 2022 Jun 10:1-19. Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA,USA.

Adults with intellectual disabilities have increasing life expectancy but may be susceptible to early aging-related conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between the presence of low muscle strength, low bone mineral density, and high body mass index with age and sex in adult Special Olympics athletes. Grip strength (n = 6,477; 40. Read More

J Sport Rehabil 2022 May 17:1-6. Epub 2022 May 17.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG,Brazil.

Context: Hormonal assessment in the sport context is important to monitor the physiological adaptations of athletes. However, Paralympic athletes, especially with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI), may have different hormonal responses than nondisabled athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the blood concentrations of total testosterone (TT) and cortisol (C) during acute (one training session) and chronic (1 and 2 month) training of athletes with CSCI in wheelchair rugby (WCR). Read More

J Sport Rehabil 2022 May 4:1-7. Epub 2022 May 4.

Biomechanics Laboratory, Center of Sports, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina,Brazil.

Context: The participation of judo athletes with disabilities in competitions has increased over the years as well as the burden of sports-related injuries and illnesses in this population. However, there is limited knowledge about sports-related injuries in judo athletes with different disabilities.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of injuries in judo athletes with disabilities, considering the different impairment groups, magnitude of injury (ie, mechanism, nature, and severity of injury), and specific body parts. Read More

Front Sports Act Living 2022 14;4:839285. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Rehabilitation Medicine, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Purpose: The para-athletic sport Frame Running is developed for persons with neurological impairments causing severe limitations of walking ability. Participating in sports can contribute to a better quality of life (QoL). It is unknown if participation in Frame Running contributes to QoL in children with mobility limitations. Read More

Adapt Phys Activ Q 2022 Mar 18:1-18. Epub 2022 Mar 18.

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI,USA.

Two forms of perfectionism were examined in the present study to see whether they predicted prosocial and antisocial behaviors in sport through moral disengagement and altruism in a sample of 327 wheelchair basketball and rugby athletes (M = 33.57 years, SD = 10.51; 83% male). Read More

Physiother Theory Pract 2022 Mar 5:1-7. Epub 2022 Mar 5.

School of Physical Therapy, Texas Women's University, Dallas, TX, USA.

Background: The single-leg stance test is included in the FUNfitness (FF) screening for Special Olympic athletes to determine if balance education and/or referrals are needed. There are limited data regarding the use of the single-leg stance test for people with intellectual disabilities.

Method: Data were collected for this prospective study as part of the FF screens during the 2018 Special Olympics summer games. Read More

Heliyon 2022 Mar 25;8(3):e09023. Epub 2022 Feb 25.

Faculty of Sciences, Bizerte, Tunisia.

Purpose: The structural appearance of each disabled athlete or the shape of their body, as determined by their individual genotype and influenced by the environment, considerably affects their technical and physical performance. This study sought to examine the morphological characteristics of elite track and field athletes with different disabilities, including their possible effects on physical and physiological performance.

Methods: A total of 66 male elite athletes with cerebral palsy (n = 12), upper arm amputation (n = 12), short stature (n = 20), or intellectual disability (n = 22) were included. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Jan 28;58(2). Epub 2022 Jan 28.

Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.

: Double poling is an important fundamental skill required for cross-country skiing in able-bodied athletes and in those with physical disabilities. Meanwhile, the performance improvement and injury prevention related to double poling requires a thorough assessment, whereas the scapular and shoulder kinematics in different postural conditions remain to be clarified. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanics during cross-country ski double poling in the standing and sitting positions. Read More

Phys Ther Sport 2022 May 3;55:12-20. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil. Electronic address:

Objective: To investigate the correlation between functional performance and self-reported upper limb function and between these two functional measures and clinical measures of shoulder and trunk in overhead athletes with shoulder pain.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Settings: Laboratory. Read More

Front Sports Act Living 2021 20;3:762206. Epub 2022 Jan 20.

Centre for Elite Sports Research, Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Purpose: To chart how changes in the number of medal events relate to changes in the number of sport events and classes during the Paralympic Games (PG) between 1960 and 2018.

Methods: Web-scraping was used to extract information from the website of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on all unique medal events, sport events, and classes per PG, which were then accumulated per sport to descriptively identify and further explore changes.

Results: The increased number of medal events during the early Summer Games (SG) (1960-1984: 113-975) and Winter Games (WG) (1976-1994: 55-113) was primarily due to an increased number of classes and sport events. Read More

PLoS One 2022 4;17(2):e0263392. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

IAPS, Université de Toulon, Toulon, France.

The objective of this exploratory research is to study the impact of holding a tennis racket while propelling a wheelchair on kinetic and temporal parameters in a field-based environment. 13 experienced wheelchair tennis players with disabilities (36.1 ± 8. Read More

J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2022 Jul 19;31(7):1463-1473. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Matsuda Orthopaedic Memorial Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.

Background: Shoulder pain and dysfunction are common in baseball players, and although "internal impingement" is recognized as one of the most common pathologies of shoulder dysfunction, the optimal surgical treatment for internal impingement with anterior instability of the shoulder remains controversial. This study evaluated baseball players' preliminary outcomes following anterior glenohumeral capsular ligament reconstruction for internal impingement with anterior instability of the shoulder.

Methods: Twelve baseball players (all male; mean age, 20. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2022 03 31;39(5-6):379-389. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Department of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.

Evidence suggests neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) may be associated with an increased incidence of concussion, but no studies have cross-sectionally and longitudinally assessed the associations of NDs and sex with concussion in collegiate athletes. We sought to assess the odds and relative risk (RR) of concussion in athletes self-reporting a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability (LD), and ADHD+LD. Data from the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium (2014-2017) were used to evaluate the likelihood of concussion for male and female athletes with ADHD, LD, and ADHD+LD, relative to controls. Read More

Front Neurol 2021 20;12:787480. Epub 2021 Dec 20.

Department of Pediatrics, Western University, London, ON, Canada.

Sport concussions can be difficult to diagnose and if missed, they can expose athletes to greater injury risk and long-lasting neurological disabilities. Discovery of objective biomarkers to aid concussion diagnosis is critical to protecting athlete brain health. To this end, we performed targeted proteomics on plasma obtained from adolescent athletes suffering a sports concussion. Read More

Phys Sportsmed 2022 Jan 12:1-7. Epub 2022 Jan 12.

Sports Medicine Department, Balıkesir Atatürk City Hospital, Turkey.

Objectives: Although there is growing interest in athletes' mental health (MH), there is a paucity of research exploring MH in athletes with disabilities (AWD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological state of AWD.

Materials And Methods: An online survey including demographic questions, SARS-CoV-2-related questions, and standardized scales assessing depression, anxiety, stress, coronavirus anxiety (CAS), and nonspecific psychological distress was distributed to AWD. Read More

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2021 Dec 24. Epub 2021 Dec 24.

Department of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, St. Vincentius Clinic, Karlsruhe, Teaching Hospital Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany.

Background: Adaptations in glenohumeral range of motion may affect overhead athletes and lead to shoulder pathologies.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and postero-superior impingement among male handball and volleyball players and the relationship between these pathologies and training level (amateur vs. professional), position (attack vs. Read More

Heliyon 2021 Dec 10;7(12):e08586. Epub 2021 Dec 10.

University of Saint Joseph, Department of Nutrition and Public Health, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, CT, 06117, USA.

Background: Studies have shown that individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) exhibit a high prevalence of obesity and poor-quality diet. The population of individuals with ID include athletes that participate in Special Olympics.

Aim: In order to develop appropriate educational programs for the Special Olympics Athletes in Connecticut, a baseline of the various health and nutrition variables needed to be established by examining the existing data in the Special Olympics International's Health Promotion database. Read More

J Sports Sci 2022 Mar 30;40(5):489-497. Epub 2021 Nov 30.

Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'épidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP), Paris, France.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of congenital and acquired visual impairments on the international performance of Para swimmers and Para track and field athletes. We collected results from visually impaired Para athletes competing in Para swimming or Para athletic events at all IPC-labelled competitions between 2009 and 2019. The dataset contained 20,689 events results. Read More

Sports (Basel) 2021 Nov 16;9(11). Epub 2021 Nov 16.

Institute for Sports Medicine, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, CH-6207 Nottwil, Switzerland.

Para-cycling is a sport including athletes with different disabilities competing on the track and on the roads using bicycles, tandems, tricycles, and handbikes. Scientific literature in this special population is scarce, especially in the field of sports nutrition. This review summarizes the physiological aspects and demands of para-cycling. Read More

Am J Sports Med 2022 01 24;50(1):229-237. Epub 2021 Nov 24.

School of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Becket University, Leeds, UK.

Background: Finger epiphyseal growth plate stress injuries are the most frequent sport-specific injuries in adolescent climbers. Definitive diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines are pending.

Purpose: To evaluate a diagnostic-therapeutic algorithm for finger epiphyseal growth plate stress injuries in adolescent climbers. Read More

Adapt Phys Activ Q 2022 01 5;39(1):17-36. Epub 2021 Nov 5.

Special Olympics Ontario.

This cross-sectional study examined experiential elements facilitating quality sport experiences for youth (ages 12-24 years) in Special Olympics, and the associated influences of sport program and sociodemographic characteristics. A total of 451 athletes involved in the 2019 Special Olympics Youth Games completed a survey assessing elements of quality participation (autonomy, belongingness, challenge, engagement, mastery, and meaning). The t tests investigated whether athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities rated elements differently across Traditional and Unified Sport programs. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2021 12 1;35(12):1112-1123. Epub 2021 Nov 1.

Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 68394The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

. Drastic functional reorganization was observed in the ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1) of a Paralympic long jumper with a unilateral below-knee amputation in our previous study. However, it remains unclear whether long-term para-sports are associated with ipsilateral M1 reorganization since only 1 athlete with amputation was investigated. Read More

Nutrients 2021 Oct 16;13(10). Epub 2021 Oct 16.

Department of Exercise Rehabilitation & Welfare, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Korea.

This study analyzed and evaluated the nutritional intake and nutrition quotient for adults (NQ-A) among 21 disabled national athletes preparing for the Tokyo Paralympic competition. A 24-h recall nutrition survey was conducted on the second day of training and one day of the weekend (holidays) to analyze daily nutritional intake. Dietary information was analyzed using the NQ-A questionnaire, which comprises 21 items. Read More

Med Sci Sports Exerc 2022 03;54(3):489-496

School of Physical Education and Sport Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, CHINA.

Purpose: The effects of short-term blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise on muscle blood flow perfusion and performance during high-intensity exercise were determined in elite para-alpine standing skiers to assess whether this would be an effective training regimen for elite athletes with disabilities.

Methods: Nine national-level para-alpine standing skiers (mean age, 20.67 ± 1. Read More

Nutrients 2021 Sep 6;13(9). Epub 2021 Sep 6.

Department of Environmental Physiology for Exercise, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.

Limited information exists on dietary practices in para-athletes. The aim of this study was to clarify the actual situation of para-athletes' dietary practice and to sort out the factors (i.e. Read More

Prog Rehabil Med 2021 26;6:20210032. Epub 2021 Aug 26.

Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.

Objectives: : This study aimed to describe the injuries and illnesses that occurred at the 18th National Sports Festival for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, which was attended by more than 3000 athletes from beginner to elite levels.

Methods: : Records from medical stations set up at the venues for each sport were reviewed. The incidence rates (IRs) were calculated as the number of medical station visits per 1000 athlete-days. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2021 Sep 9. Epub 2021 Sep 9.

University of Cincinnati, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center Division of Physical Therapy Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute.

Abstract: PM&R requires teamwork and innovation to help our patient's reach their goals and to optimize their quality of life, and one way is through participation in sports. 1,2,3,4 Unfortunately, people with disabilities participate in sports ~20% less than their peers, and reasons for this disparity include equipment cost and availability. 1,2,5,6 A unique way for PM&R clinicians to aid in overcoming these barriers is to collaborate with other fields to make adaptive equipment that meets our patients' needs. Read More