Editor's Choice
What´s new in JSAMS 2023?
From time to time it is necessary to adapt journal structures to recent developments within the scientific community. Like many other disciplines, sports medicine and sport science are facing enhanced reporting requirements for scientific publications, expressed in consented guidelines like the CONSORT statement ( http://www.consort-statement.org/media/default/downloads/CONSORT%202010%20Checklist.pdf ). Following them properly, however, may lead to difficulties with low word limits. So far the JSAMS limit was set at 3,000 for original research, and it has probably served well to facilitate concise writing.Physical activity across the lifespan: the need for a gender perspective
For the November issue, I would like to highlight three papers addressing the topic of physical activity. In the past decades, there has been an increasing interest in physical activity research, with a shift from emphasizing aerobic exercise to the broader concept of physical activity for various health benefits6. Physical activity guidelines describe how much physical activity at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity (MVPA) is needed to achieve these beneficial health effects. Generally, less females than males comply with physical activity guidelines: 85% of girls and 78% of boys, and 32% of women and 23% of men4,5.Two "hot topics" addressed and one article about "unknown territory"
For our October issue, it is my pleasure to highlight three papers from Denmark, Australia and Canada. Two of them address research questions from heavily debated areas (use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, NSAIDs, by athletes4 ; management of head injuries 5) whereas the other one is from an underresearched field (sport and gastrointestinal problems1).Prevalence, frequency, adverse events, and reasons for analgesic use in youth athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 44,381 athletes
To identify the prevalence, frequency, adverse effects, and reasons for analgesic use in youth athletes.The reduction of sport-related fatal incidents is an ongoing task for sport physicians
The survived cardiac arrest of Christian Eriksen during the European Football Championships 2020 (postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic) has shown once again that even the seemingly healthiest athletes who perform at the highest level are not immune to cardiac disease and even sudden cardiac death. Although fortunately rare, such cases are always threatening and have the potential to impair the reputation of sport despite "contradictory" findings like the ones from Orchard et al.4 in this issue who report a reduced death rate compared to the general population even in a contact sport like Australian Rules Football when played on elite level.Developmental associations of accelerometer measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time with cardiorespiratory fitness in schoolchildren
This study examined the developmental associations of accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in schoolchildren.Applying an ecosystem approach to explore modifiable factors related to the risk for low motor competence in young children
Early childhood is a crucial phase for motor development in which differences between children can manifest. These differences might be related to factors in ecosystems in which children are raised, of which little is currently known. The current study's purpose was to explore which modifiable factors in children's ecosystems are associated with the odds for low versus higher motor competence (MC) in 4- to 6-year-old children.Association of handgrip strength with all-cause mortality: a nationally longitudinal cohort study in China
Handgrip strength is considered a vital and reliable measure of comprehensive physical assessments, whereas the association of handgrip strength with overall mortality risk among Chinese adults was less studied. We prospectively investigated the association between handgrip strength and all-cause mortality among Chinese middle-aged and older people based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).3Reduced death rates of elite Australian Rules footballers compared to age-matched general population
To determine age-matched death rates of current and retired elite male Australian football players (Australian and/or Victorian Football League) with the general population.Relevance by content and for methodological reasons: Neck Strength, Childhood Fitness and Maximal Lactate Steady State in Swimmers
Three articles of the current JSAMS issue may warrant particular attention because they either investigate "hot topics" or give us methodological clues how to address particular research questions properly:Caught on camera: a video assessment of suspected concussion and other injury events in women's rugby union
The objective of this study was to identify and report the incidence and mechanisms of suspected injury and concussion in women's rugby union.Subscapularis tendinopathy is highly prevalent in elite swimmer's shoulders: an MRI study
The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of abnormal anatomical change present on MRI in elite swimmers' shoulders compared to age-matched controls.The impact of exercise modality on exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome and associated gastrointestinal symptoms
This study aimed to determine the impact of running and cycling exercise modalities on the magnitude of exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (EIGS) and associated gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS).Epidemiology of sudden cardiac death and sudden cardiac arrest with resultant disability during high school organized sport in Japan
To examine the incidence and survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest that were documented during school organized sports in Japan.Longitudinal associations of childhood fitness and obesity profiles with midlife cognitive function: an Australian cohort study
Clusters of low fitness and high obesity in childhood are associated with poorer health outcomes in later life, however their relationship with cognition is unknown. Identifying such profiles may inform strategies to reduce risk of cognitive decline. This study examined whether specific profiles of childhood fitness and obesity were associated with midlife cognition.Return to exercise post-COVID-19 infection: A pragmatic approach in mid-2022
With over half a billion cases of COVID-19 reported globally since December 2019, medical knowledge of COVID-19, its mode of transmission, clinical manifestations and possible long-term complications has increased significantly. Advice regarding investigation, management and return to exercise has also changed over this time in line with emerging evidence, vaccine distribution and the features of new variants. This editorial seeks to synthesize the current knowledge on return to exercise following COVID-19 infection, based on current scientific literature and real-world experience.Low energy intake (RED-S), hamstring injuries in cricketeers and exercise during pregnancy - relevant (clinical) topics from sports practice
This issue of JSAMS features several articles with high practical relevance of which I would like to highlight three:Comparison of different test protocols to determine maximal lactate steady state intensity in swimming
This study compared step test, lactate minimum (LM) test and reverse lactate threshold (RLT) test protocols with maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) in free-swimming. All test protocols used fixed duration increments and high work-rate resolution (≤ 0.03 m·s−1) to ensure high sensitivity.What are the employment prospects for Australian Sport Scientists?
The most recent unemployment figures released on April 14th show that only 4% of the labour force across Australia was unemployed in March 2022.1 But what are the employment prospects for Australian Sport Scientists entering in the labour force now and in the future? No doubt the industry was disrupted over the past 2 years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the accreditation standards set forth by Exercise Sport Science Australia (ESSA) that have been adopted by Australian Universities when training their sport science students should have ensured the development of a rigorous set of graduate skills and qualities, which in many cases can be transferrable to a variety of settings.Neck strength and concussion prevalence in football and rugby athletes
To determine the maximal isometric neck strength of male and female rugby and football (soccer) athletes, and to investigate the relationship between neck strength and sport played, sex, age, anthropometric measurements and concussion history.Imminent topics in cardiac screening and injury recording
This issue of JSAMS addresses two burning topics of current sports medicine and sport science - mainly from a scientific but also from a practitioner´s perspective:Australian guidelines for physical activity in pregnancy and postpartum
To develop Australian guidelines on physical activity/exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period.Can heat exposure improve exercise performance?
As part of a new set of initiatives, the JSAMS editor group established the early goal in 2022 of increasing the social media activity of our journals. Many academic journals have demonstrated over the past few years the increased importance of a strong social media presence. Dissemination of information on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and YouTube help maximise a journal’s impact and reach across a variety of different stakeholders, which is particularly important for JSAMS and its new sister journal JSAMS Plus, as we seek to best serve both our academic and practitioner readership.Sports Dietitian practices for assessing and managing athletes at risk of low energy availability (LEA)
To characterise the assessment and management practices employed by Sports Dietitians when assessing and managing athletes at risk of low energy availability (LEA).
