https://medicalxpress.com/sports-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Sports medicine Anyone who has run while pushing a stroller knows stroller running can feel cumbersome and hard on the body. But does it increase the risk of injury? According to a new study from researchers at Penn State Berks, the answer appears to be no. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-parents-stroller-overuse-injury.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:00:04 EDT news705588660 Sports bodies should prioritize routine screening and regular monitoring of elite athletes' mental health to tackle the high prevalence of mental health issues among this group, concludes an International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus statement, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-prioritize-routine-screening-regular-elite.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:30:02 EDT news705566988 As a sophomore wide receiver who had just joined the USF football team, Jaden Alexis didn't expect a routine play to turn into a career-defining moment. During preseason football camp, Alexis had just sprinted up the sideline after catching a pass when a split-second collision changed everything. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-acl-injuries-early-ai-wearable.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:20:02 EDT news705685923 While most runners are chasing a new goal or a personal best, some are chasing something slightly more elusive: a runner's high. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-neuroscience-runner-high.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:20:08 EDT news705239102 Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are among the most severe injuries a competitive athlete can face. The ACL is crucial for maintaining both stability and function in the knee joint. Each year, between 100,000 and 200,000 athletes of all levels in the United States suffer an ACL tear, frequently sidelining them for up to a year of intense rehabilitation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-athlete-injury.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:20:04 EDT news705065341 Nutrition strategies for concussion management are being implemented by dietitians to support Australia's elite collision sport athletes, new Griffith University research has found. Lead author Dr. Nathan Delang interviewed 14 accredited sports dietitians who work across professional AFL, rugby league and rugby union teams to explore their practices and perspectives related to concussion management. The findings are published in The Journal of Nutrition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-concussion-recovery-pantry.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:40:08 EDT news705057061 Could athletes trade meat for plants and maintain their performance? In a multi-university study, researchers found that recreational runners and resistance trainers did just that. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-athletic-based-diets.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:40:01 EDT news705056161 When it comes to maintaining healthy bones, how intensely we exercise may matter more than how much we exercise, according to researchers at Semmelweis University. Their study, published in Sports Medicine – Open, found that bone formation was stimulated most effectively by activities involving explosive movements, rapid changes of direction and turning. The findings could help improve exercise programs designed to maintain bone health and prevent osteoporosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-weight-strong-bones-football-handball.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:40:05 EDT news705048213 Research that began by analyzing more than 400,000 gym-goers worldwide has illustrated the importance of persevering through early struggles. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-dont-succeed.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:40:06 EDT news705047281 It is easy to assume that harder training always produces better results. In resistance training, which includes lifting weights or using resistance machines, taking every set to the point where you cannot complete another repetition may create more fatigue without producing better results. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-stronger-limit.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:40:07 EDT news704966882 From yoga studios to boutique gyms, workouts performed beneath infrared heating panels have become a visible fitness trend. Studios often claim that infrared heat improves circulation, flexibility and recovery, reduces inflammation and helps the body to "detoxify." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-infrared-workouts-expert.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:00:03 EDT news704619722 Researchers from the Universities of Hildesheim, Bonn and Freiburg have uncovered how human skeletal muscle responds to resistance exercise at the molecular level. Their findings provide new insights that could help optimize training programs for athletes, improve rehabilitation strategies and counteract age-related muscle loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-resistance-muscle-machinery.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:00:06 EDT news704463602 An international team of researchers led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the University of Bonn—with participation from the Barça Innovation Hub (BIHUB), FC Barcelona's medical department and the company Made of Genes—has developed a computer-based approach that improves injury prediction in elite women's soccer. The study, published in npj Digital Medicine, combines artificial intelligence, survival analysis, statistical calibration and decision theory to transform risk prediction into a useful tool for clinical and sports practice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cumulative-fatigue-emerges-predictor-women.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:00:02 EDT news704463201 There is now widespread evidence that years of heading, tackling and collisions in football and rugby could increase the risk of dementia and other neurological diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-sport-dementia.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:20:05 EDT news704365021 For parents around the world, weekend mornings often look the same: standing on the sidelines of a soccer field, basketball court or American football field. In Australia's southern states, it's often an Australian rules football oval. But a few weeks ago, tragedy struck when footballer Nathan Fitzgerald died after sustaining three blows to the head during a game. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lowtech-brain-injuries-sport.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:00:04 EDT news704101681 Skeletal muscle is one of the first tissues to decline with age. This decline can lead to weakness, scarring, fat accumulation inside muscle and the loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers that are important for quick, powerful movements. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scientists-compound-muscles-stay-strong.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 05:00:03 EDT news704015821 As the Commonwealth Games approach, athletes chasing every extra edge on the track, court or in the pool might not find it in training, but on their dinner plates. In a study published in Sports Medicine—Open, University of Wollongong (UOW) researchers analyzed the diets and omega-3 blood levels of professional athletes, finding that almost three-quarters could benefit from increasing their intake of these healthy fats. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-omega-intake-boost-recovery-term.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:00:09 EDT news704016482 Infrared saunas are increasingly marketed as a post-exercise recovery tool that can reduce pain and fatigue, but the scientific evidence supporting these claims remains limited and conflicting. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-infrared-saunas-workout-recovery-evidence.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:20:01 EDT news703943390 Australian research has shown for the first time that a swimming program can be clinically effective at reducing disability caused by chronic low back pain. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the EduSwim clinical trial found that an eight-week individualized program of swimming and education, guided by a physiotherapist, improved function and reduced pain significantly more than education alone in people with back pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-trial-disability-chronic-pain.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:10:01 EDT news703841341 Collagen is a protein found in skin, hair, nails, tendons, cartilage and bones. Our bodies naturally produce collagen using the foods we eat. But in recent years, collagen peptides have gained popularity as a supplement to support joint, hair, skin and gut health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-collagen-peptides-bone-health-female.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news703755662 A study by researchers at Kent has revealed that the narcotic analgesic tapentadol has performance-enhancing effects on cyclists, making this drug a candidate for addition to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of prohibited substances in sport. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-sports-scientists-effect-tapentadol.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:20:03 EDT news703420155 Women should ignore most of the exercise advice they see on social media, University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researchers say. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-debunks-women-advice.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703338642 An interception can last less than a second. A defender reads a pass, steps into its path and reaches the ball before its intended recipient. Yet that brief movement requires the brain to judge speed, distance and direction while the body accelerates, changes course and maintains balance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-fatigue-world-cup-interceptions.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:00:09 EDT news703244282 The ripple of the net after a Jude Bellingham strike is no longer the only ripple attracting attention. During England's World Cup campaign, the midfielder's prominent thigh veins have become an internet talking point. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-jude-bellingham-leg-veins-scoring.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 10:40:06 EDT news703239661 World Cup fever has America in its grip as the international soccer tournament grinds steadily toward the final. But a new study highlights a darker side to the sport: the toll soccer can take on the brains of professional players. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-pro-soccer-players-brains.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:40:01 EDT news703143831 New research from the University of Mississippi indicates that athletes with ADHD need even more scrutiny when head injuries are involved. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-athletes-adhd-higher-concussion-longer.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:40:01 EDT news703166930 Evidence that beetroot juice can improve athletic performance has long been inconsistent. While some studies reported benefits, others found little or no effect. Now, a new study combining results from 33 studies provides the clearest evidence yet that it can enhance exercise performance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-beetroot-juice-boost-sports-latest.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:00:09 EDT news703165262 Soccer players who are pregnant or have recently given birth can kick off the season with more confidence, using a new FIFA tool developed in collaboration with a University of Alberta researcher. Two decision aids, one for playing during pregnancy and one for returning to the game postpartum, have been launched by FIFA, an international governing body for the sport. Both are published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-moms-game-fifa-pregnant-partum.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:20:01 EDT news703156107 Skeletal muscles—responsible for movement, joint stabilization and postural support—are highly metabolically active and heavily reliant on oxygen during physical activity. However, conditions such as high-intensity exercise or sustained exertion frequently expose skeletal muscles to reduced oxygen availability, which can compromise muscle homeostasis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mouse-uncovers-transcription-factors-hif1.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:20:04 EDT news703143850 The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has published a new call to action statement urging the sports medicine community to intentionally incorporate social determinants of health (SDoH) into research, clinical care, and administrative and organizational decision-making to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-greater-focus-social-factors-health.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:20:01 EDT news702823721