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Dear Colleagues,

According to a survey, several factors were identified as interfering with health, quality of life, activities of daily living, performance, rehabilitation, and physical preparation from childhood to adulthood, as well as adapted and paralympic sports and special populations. The health, quality of life, and performance of this population are affected by the relationships between stress, maturation, prescriptions, and control of exercise load as well as recovery. Environmental approaches aim to increase efficiency and physiological adaptations accordingly; however, this stimulus–performance–adaptation relationship varies in different situations and conditions.

As a result, we hope to receive contributions related (but not limited) to the following topics: health, quality of life, and training load monitoring; stress and physiological responses during exercise or sports; the recovery process; changes after stress and/or exercise load; exercise physiology in health; and physical as well as sports performance.

Dr. Felipe J. Aidar
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

health promotion
quality of life
fatigue monitoring
training load monitoring
sports
biological maturation
psychobiological changes
immune and endocrine responses
neuromuscular performance
adaptation to training
stress
recovery
fatigue
sleep
delayed onset muscle soreness
psychobiological changes
immunological responses
neuromuscular performance

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functional and Combined Training Promote Body Recomposition and Lower Limb Strength in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial and a Time Course Analysis

by Marcos Raphael Pereira-Monteiro, José Carlos Aragão-Santos, Alan Bruno Silva Vasconcelos, Antônio Gomes de Resende-Neto, André Filipe Santos de Almeida, Luis Alberto Gobbo, Francisco Hermosilla-Perona, Juan Ramón Heredia-Elvar, Fabricio Boscolo Del Vecchio, Felipe J. Aidar and Marzo Edir Da Silva-Grigoletto

Healthcare 2024, 12(9), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12090932 - 1 May 2024

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Abstract

Encouraging healthy aging in postmenopausal women involves advocating for lifestyle modifications, including regular physical exercise like combined training (CT) and functional training (FT). Regarding this population, age-related alterations in body composition, such as decreased muscle mass and heightened adipose tissue, impact health. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of FT and CT on body recomposition in postmenopausal women. About the methods, we randomly allocated 96 post-menopausal women to the FT, CT, or control group (CG). We measured body composition by bioimpedance and lower limb muscle strength by sit-to-stand test in five repetitions, respectively. The training protocol lasted 16 weeks, and we measured body composition and lower limb muscle strength every 4 weeks, totaling five assessments. Regarding results, we notice that both training groups increased lean mass from the 8th week of training. In addition, a reduction was observed in total fat percentage and an increase in appendicular lean mass from the 12th week of intervention. No differences were found for body mass. Furthermore, only the experimental groups increase muscle strength, starting from the 4th week of training. The conclusion was that FT and CT promote similar adaptations in body recomposition without affecting body mass in postmenopausal women. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports and Special Populations: Improving Physical Activity, Health and Quality of Life)

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Review

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26 pages, 1136 KiB

Open AccessReview

Adaptive Shooting Disciplines: A Scoping Review of the Literature with Bibliometric Analysis

by Luca Puce, Carlo Biz, Halil Ibrahim Ceylan, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Matteo Formica, Khaled Trabelsi, Łukasz Szarpak, Carlo Trompetto, Alessandro Rossin, Nicola Antonio Lanciano and Pietro Ruggieri

Healthcare 2024, 12(4), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12040463 - 12 Feb 2024

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Abstract

Para-archery and para-shooting, two very popular adaptive shooting disciplines that have earned their place as major official events in the Paralympic Games, share some similarities, as well as distinctive features in terms of rules, physiological requirements, and equipment used. The International Paralympic Committee has a clear responsibility to ensure that all sports within its jurisdiction, including adaptive shooting, can achieve excellence in their respective fields. To achieve this, the conduct of well-designed studies and rigorous research is essential. Although some research has been conducted in this area, a comprehensive and systematic evaluation is still needed. Therefore, the present study aims to provide a thorough review and synthesis of existing research on adaptive shooting disciplines, identify strengths and gaps, and suggest future directions. Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology is leveraged and enhanced with bibliometric and policy analyses to review literature on adaptive shooting. Databases like PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, OvidSP, and EMBASE were searched, focusing on studies in adaptive shooting disciplines and analysing these findings through a blend of thematic and statistical methods. Twenty-four studies totalling 483 para-athletes (299 para-shooters and 184 para-archers) are included in this scoping review, focusing on a range of aspects, including physiological responses (n = 9), research design and measurement methods for evidence-based classification (n = 6), biopsychosocial aspects (n = 3), development of new methods and technologies (n = 4), kinematic and biomechanical assessment (n = 1), and epidemiology of injuries (n = 1). Seven articles focused exclusively on para-archery, thirteen exclusively on para-shooting, and four on both para-archery and para-shooting. In conclusion, the available literature on adaptive shooting disciplines is still very limited, especially regarding para-archery compared to para-shooting. This highlights the need for further research in many key areas to ensure a better understanding of the different disciplines and to provide appropriate support for para-athletes. Future research in para-archery and para-shooting should focus on technological innovations, biomechanical studies, and psychological support to enhance athlete performance and accessibility. Addressing the imbalance between the two disciplines, along with injury prevention and global participation, can drive the sports towards greater inclusivity and equity for para-athletes worldwide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports and Special Populations: Improving Physical Activity, Health and Quality of Life)

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