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Simple Sports Essay Topics for Any Level

Can Tiger Woods win another major considering the field of competition?
Why isn’t professional soccer considered a major sport in the United States?
Should championship wins during the global pandemic come with asterisks?
Should high school players bypass college to join an AAU league?
Should baseball get rid of the Designated Hitter Rule in the American League?

Hot Topics in Sports for Any Educational Level

How effective are the current methods to find instances of PED use in sports?
Should players have the right to protest peacefully by taking a knee?
Should the NCAA get rid of the collegiate one-and-done rule?
Has LeBron James surpassed Michael Jordan as the Greatest of All Time?
Who has been a more dominant professional hockey player? Crosby or Ovechkin?

Controversial Sports Topics for College Students

Should professional athletes use their platform to talk about social issues?
Is the NFL over protecting offenses because of the risks of head trauma?
Should the current College Football Playoff format expand to include more teams?
What is the major league record to be less likely to be broken across all sports?
Should we remove instant replay from professional sports?

Sports Management Topics for Graduate Students

How should sports agents approach negotiations for clients that decided to skip playing in 2020?
Should agents be allowed to talk to other teams while their players are under contract?
How can Canadian taxes be used to fund professional teams in the NHL?
What does it mean for sports as more female coaches are hired to professional male teams?
What risk issues must general managers consider when signing older athletes?

Argumentative Topics Sports for High School Courses

Should parents allow their children to play in high-impact sports?
What are the most effective leadership approaches for high school coaches?
What impact do violent sports have on the psychological development of teenagers?
Should professional female athletes be paid the same as their male counterparts?
Is it better to win an Olympic Gold Medal in a team sport or a professional league’s championship in that same sport?

Sports Sociology Topics for High School Courses

How do team sports create a sense of community among high school athletes?
Do young adults reveal a part of human instincts by playing in organized sports?
Do males and females perceive sports differently?
Is it reasonable to encourage young athletes to pursue professional sports careers?
Are young student-athletes at greater risk of performing poorly at school?

Sports Law Topics for Graduate Students

Should players that decide to not play during the pandemic get paid?
Should student-athletes maintain all rights to their likenesses and profit from them?
In what way have American Disability Laws been applied to sports programs?
What responsibilities does the training staff have to warn players of injury risk?
Are professional athletes permitted from seeking independent medical advice?

Sports Medicine Topics for College Students

Does yoga measurably impact a player’s flexibility and performance?
What are the positive and negative effects of drinking caffeine while exercising?
How do different assessments of heart rates influence training programs?
How are injuries different for bodybuilders, powerlifters, and weightlifters?
Why are turf-related injury rates increasing for collegiate and professional football players?

Sports Debate Topics for High School Students

What are the major arguments against return-to-play rules in the NCAA?
Is it legal to test athletes for drug use randomly?
What have been the most significant acts of retaliation towards Title IX complaints?
What is better for performance training? Short intervals or long intervals?
Should coaches work closely with medical staff to ensure player safety?

Topics in Sports Psychology for College Students

How did playing in the NBA bubble during the Covide-19 pandemic affect athletes?
How do athletes in shooting sports improve their abilities to concentrate?
Do professional athletes raise their children differently?
How do athletes recover psychology after experiencing physical or mental trauma?
How different are the psychological needs of women in professional female sports?

Sports Persuasive Essay Topics for College Students

Do you think colleges that do not regulate student-athlete activities should be penalized?
Should more females be encouraged to take up a sport in high school and college?
Should females be allowed to head refereeing staff if they have the qualifications?
Do you think it is okay to require student-athletes to submit to weekly drug tests?
Should more women be featured on sports magazine covers without posing for sexual attention?

Good Sports Research Topics for a Quick Project

Are the Summer Olympics better than the Winter Olympics?
How important are the Olympics for a nation’s economy?
What steps will the International Olympic Committee take to prevent Covid-19 spread if no vaccine is widely available?
Should the U.S. look towards the NBA’s Bubble as a framework to hold future seasons in other sports?
How important is the 2020 Presidential Election to the future of sports in the United States?

Sports Nutrition Topics for College Students

How can athletes boost performance by adopting the right nutrition for their bodies?
Is sports nutrition a veritable and reputable sub-field in the area of healthy eating?
Should non-athletes adopt sports nutrition as a way to gain muscle and lose weight?
What have been the most effective sports nutrition strategies in the last 20 years?
Should sports nutrition be taught at the high school level?

Sports Speech Topics for a Presentation

How important are cardio activities like cycling and jogging to weight loss?
Should athletes aim to build more lean muscle to prevent injuries?
Why is it important that coaches nurture a relationship with their athletes?
What are the most important skills for a hockey head coach to have?
Should e-sports be considered a professional sport or stay a video game competition?

Sports Informative Speech Topics

Should paintball be considered a hunting sport or is it just a recreational activity?
What impact did the Korean Baseball Organization have on U.S. sports?
What are the best systems for developing custom training programs for runners?
Should head coaches listen to scientists more when working on training programs?
Does our method for testing athletes PED catch all those who are guilty?

Great Sports Ethics Topics for College

Is it ethical to use PEDs if others in the league use them?
Is the training staff ethically obliged to report players that violate PED use?
Is it ethical to prevent foreign players from joining their teams in international competition?
Is it ethical to gamble on sporting events while one is still an active player or coach?
Should cultural sports that harm animals (e.g., bullfighting) be banned?

Latest Articles

The globalization of professional basketball: context and competition matters in the nba, wnba, and olympics.

George Minoso 2024-12-03T15:53:49-06:00 December 20th, 2024 | Contemporary Sports Issues , General , Olympics , Research , Sports Exercise Science |

Authors: Howard Bartee, Jr., Ed.D. 1

1School of Public and Allied Health, Division of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX, USA

Corresponding Author:

Corresponding Author: Howard Bartee, Jr., Ed.D. Prairie View A & M University 700 University Drive Prairie View, TX 77446 [email protected] 770-314-4415

Howard Bartee, Jr., Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor of Health and Kinesiology-Sport Management at Prairie View A & M University in Prairie View, TX. His research interests include sports management and communication, sports analytics, and organizational behavior within the context of health and kinesiology. With nearly twenty-five years in higher education, Dr. Bartee has served in administrative capacities and previously taught sports management and sports administration courses at Houston Christian University in Houston, TX and Belhaven University in Jackson, MS. Dr. Bartee has further spearheaded initiatives related to sports career services, student advisement, and program and curriculum development.

ABSTRACT The role of professional basketball has evolved through the years given socio-historic and current perspectives involving the NBA, WNBA, and Olympics. Such perspectives have shaped the context and competition for globalization and the subsequent impact and implications for the broader basketball industry.

Key Words : athletic competition, sports history, international ambassadors

INTRODUCTION

Professional basketball for both men and women, as a globalized sport, has grown tremendously from the days of the peach basket on the basketball court to now being played in a virtual environment of NBA 2K video games. Globalization refers to global, international merging of diverse national economic, socio-cultural, political, and technological forces into a single and coalesced society (14) . Internal and external forces have influenced the expansion of the game and which, in effect, draw attention to professional basketball leagues and the Olympics in understanding how they have impacted these outcomes.

From a practical viewpoint, while the careers of LeBron James (NBA), Kevin Durant (NBA), Steph Curry (NBA), Tina Charles (WNBA) and Diana Taurasi (WNBA) may have reached a twilight stage, when considering their careers in totality, their contributions to professional basketball arena and the broader public of media and related markets informed globalization given their appeal across the world stage. When considering the emerging careers of Jaylen Brown (NBA), Victor Wembanyama (NBA), Caitlin Clark (WNBA), A’ja Wilson (WNBA), and Angel Reese (WNBA) launch, their emerging careers offer a unique opportunity for the professional game of basketball within the United States to (re)define a model for how to expand globally within the current state of professional basketball and the role of the Olympics.

Thus, using sociohistorical and current perspectives and demographical information, the following questions guide this exploration:

What is the impact of the WNBA and NBA, post-1992 Olympics to the present, for the globalization of the game of basketball?
What implications do the globalization of professional basketball hold for WNBA, NBA, and the broader Olympics?

These questions provide the context for understanding how the game of basketball and some marketing aspects has evolved given expanding technological aspects and the unique comparisons between the different eras of growth since 1904.(13) These questions show how competition within the NBA and WNBA contributes to overall globalization and marketing outcomes. (1). Using the implications of both context and competition, these questions offer a broader understanding of the impact of the globalization of basketball and how it informs the future state of the game, the players and related marketing components (9).

Context Matters for the NBA and WNBA and Olympics Demographics as Globalization Impacts

A View on the 1992 to the 2024 Olympics on Men’s Basketball for Globalization

Context matters for globalization of men’s basketball, particularly given how the 1992 Olympics for men brought forth a new playing field of competition. The competition that became apparent was focused on the United States closing the gaps between amateurism, professionalism, and international competition. With the convergence of these three concepts came the entrance of NBA players into the Olympics Games as well as the first steps toward globalization. According to Olympic history, “in 1992, for the first time, NBA players were allowed by FIBA to represent the USA and all other countries in national team competition” (7). At the time, the 1992 U.S. team was considered the greatest team ever assembled as they dominated the 1992 Olympic tournament, led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, on their way to winning the gold medal. Photo #1 features this team of NBA professional players competing on the international scene changed the game of basketball forever. (2)

Photo Credit: Bill Bender The Sporting News ) Inside the ‘Dream Team’: A complete roster & history of USA’s 1992 Olympic men’s basketball team | Sporting News

And so, from the 1992 Olympics to the 2024 Olympics, globalization of basketball has increased on various levels, both domestically and internationally. The resulting impact of these changes has resulted in different responses from different nations. It is important to note that not all countries are excited to release their valuable athletic resources for the capitalistic society of the NBA in the United States, yet there are many countries that do support the globalization movement to a more diverse marketplace of professional basketball.

To that end, when it comes to the global sports marketplace, professional basketball has grown as indicated by the countries represented. This has allowed new players and fans to enter the game. One of the most important entrances into the NBA was that of Yao Ming from China being drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2002 as the #1 pick and later a global ambassador for the 2008 Olympic Games. During these years, following the Beijing Olympics until 2012, basketball competition highlighted the effect of how global inclusion started affecting the outcome of games as the European league players were competing more closely with NBA players. The progression of basketball globalization moved to whole new levels not only based upon player competition in the Olympic Games, but also, based upon player entrance into the professional ranks of the NBA. Over the last sixteen years, the team has won gold in 2012, 2016, 2021 (during the pandemic years, following postponement in 2020), and most recently, in 2024. With the influx of new players, fans, and corporate sponsors, especially since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics until the 2024 France Olympics, consideration of different aspects of this globalization are provided.

As a result, what is of interest to note for the NBA teams is that the countries now performing well on the Olympic stage are also sending players to the NBA through the draft. The impact of this new wave of draftees is not only influencing the Olympics, but it is also influencing the draft classes, as history shows us. For example, the NBA and the Olympic Games have both seen shifts in roster makeups and globalization efforts over the last 32 years, since the 1992 Dream Team played in Barcelona, Spain. In the following Figure 1, there is a state-by-state visualization of the birthplace of U.S. born NBA and ABA Players. Figure 1 is as follows:

From countries abroad to the United States, a basketball “rite of passage” is being seen in the total number of draft picks being selected between U.S. Born NBA and ABA Players in comparison to those non-U.S. Born basketball players. Figure 1 shows the top 5 states are as follows: California (443), New York (440), Illinois (302), Pennsylvania (250), and Texas (211).

As a result, Figure 1 provides the foundation for understanding how opportunities could be provided through the NBA draft on a worldwide scale, particularly given the relationships or networks that can be established within each of these countries. These contacts help to create a context for toward globalizing efforts. And while these networks or relationships do not guarantee NBA stardom or a roster spot, they do provide a glimmer of hope and expanded area for recruitment. This hope extends for not only the individual players, but for their countries, communities, families, and friend, which, in effect, is an upside trend of a new global basketball marketplace is emerging. Table 1 particularly identifies the birthplace of non-US born NBA and ABA Players. Table 1 indicates the following:

Table 1, according to (16), shows most of the non-US born NBA and ABA players are born in the top three (3) countries of Canada (n=54, France (n=38), and Germany (n=27). Table 1 also shows the gap existing between the birthplaces of those coming from larger countries compared to those coming from smaller countries. What can be surmised from Table 1 is that while the competition gap has gotten smaller, the challenge to enhance greater roster structures has become increasingly important. Owners, general managers, and coaches are feeling the need to scout not only the colleges of America, but they must also scout the high schools and the international leagues of the world. The increased attention on these different talent pools is not only affecting NBA business locally, but it is also affecting NBA business globally. Particularly within this structure, global scouting is being shown through current NBA rosters. The NBA is experiencing expanded growth internationally. Table 2 particularly identifies the countries of those players from the different countries. Table 2 is as follows:

Table 2, according to (11) , shows that the majority of the players come from the country of Canada with the next highest number of players coming from the country of France. A number of countries have only one player that comes from there. Table 2 identifies the frequency in which foreign players (N=125) were on opening day NBA rosters during the 20232024 season. The table reveals that 20.8% of the players were from Canada, while 79.2% of the players were from 39 other countries. In effect, it can be surmised that over a period of one season, Canada had more players on 2023-2024 Opening Day NBA rosters as compared to the other 39 countries represented on the 2023-2024 rosters. Table 3 shows the nationalities of the

NBA All Star players. Table 3 is as follows:

Table 3, according to (11) , identifies the frequency in which foreign players (N=7) were on the NBA All-Star rosters during the 2023-2024 season. The table reveals that 27% of the player appearances were from seven countries, while 73% of the player appearances were from the United States during this same period. As a result of these findings, it can be assumed that over a period of the most recent NBA All-Star Game, players with a primary United States nationality had more All-Star game appearance in the 2023-2024 season as compared to the other7 foreign countries and 7 foreign players represented during this same period inclusive of the Eastern and Western Conferences. Context matters.

A View on the 1976 Olympics on Women’s Basketball for Globalization

Context matters, too, with regards to women’s basketball. Starting in 1976 at the Olympics and continuing in 2024, there has been tremendous growth in the sport of women’s basketball. During these past forty-eight years, the United States has led the world in the number of gold medals received during Women’s Basketball Olympics competition. With this level of dominance, the United States and women’s basketball players have evolved since winning a silver medal in 1976. Their first year of competition included players Luisa Harris, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Cindy Brogdon, Susan Rojcewicz, Nancy Dunkle, Charlotte Lewis, Gail Marquis, Patricia Roberts, Mary Anne O’Connor, Patricia Head and Juliene Simpson and Photo #2 features this Women’s Basketball Olympic Team. (5)

These players were coached by Cal State Fullerton Head Coach Billie Moore and assisted by Stephen F. Austin Head Coach Sue Gunter in the first year of Olympics competition to their current eight Olympics gold medal winning streak in 2024. Photo #3 highlights the women’s basketball team winning in 2024. (6)

Photo Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP (2024 USA Women’s Basketball Team) US women win eighth straight Olympic basketball gold medal – CSMonitor.com

Table 4 highlights the 2024 Olympics Team comprised of players from across the country and is shown as follows:

Source: Kyle Irving (The Sporting News) USA women’s Olympic basketball roster: A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart headline 2024 U.S. team for Paris | Sporting News

Table 4 shows that the majority of the women’s basketball players came from the Las Vegas Aces. Only one player came from the Connecticut Sun and the Seattle Sun. Table 5 highlights the coaching staff for this Olympic Team and is shown as follows:

Table 5 shows a diversity of coaches that was inclusive of both university and professional areas. This integrated approach certainly allowed for a broadened perspective on coaching to be enacted. Notwithstanding, with the passage of Title IX in 1972 and the growth of women’s basketball in the United States between 1972 and the bicentennial year of our nation’s founding in 1976, a team was able to be fielded for the Montreal Olympic games in Canada. Though the team from the Soviet Union would win the gold medal in 1976, there was stiff competition as the United States finished with the silver medal and the team from Bulgaria would win the bronze. Consequently, the evolution of women in basketball emerged in various ways within the country and beyond. Context matters.

Competition Matters for NBA and WNBA and Olympics Demographics as Globalization Impacts

A View on The Team and Medals Received in Men’s Basketball for Globalization

Competition matters as part of globalization and impact for the NBA. History shows that since 1936, the United States has led the world in the number of gold medals received during Men’s Basketball Olympics competition. As Table 6, Table 7, and Table 8 show, excluding, 1940 and 1944, in which Olympic Games were not held and noted as N/A, the United States has won 81% of the gold medals, three countries, the old Soviet Union (17.3%), Yugoslavia (17.3%) and France (17.3% )have won 52% of the silver medals, and two countries, Brazil (13%) and

Lithuania (13%), have won 26% of the bronze medal. With this level of dominance, the United States and its’ basketball players are a cut above the rest in terms of Olympic basketball and international participation in both men’s and women’s basketball. More specifically, Table 6 indicates that the men received a substantial number of gold medals. Table 6 indicates the following:

Men’s Olympic Gold Medals Since 1936 (N=21)

Table 6, according to (10) , shows how the United States has won substantially more gold medals than any of the other competing countries. No other country has come close to the United States in receiving gold medals in basketball. Table 7 highlights the silver medals received by the United States since 1936. Table 7 is as follows:

Table 7, according to (10) , shows that a three-way tie existed between France, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia with having four (4) medals. The United States has received one (1) silver medal along with the countries of Canda, Croatia, and Serbia. Table 8 highlights the number of bronze medals received since 1936 by different countries. Table 8 shows the following:

Table 8, according to (10) , shows that the countries of Brazil and Lithuania have received three (3) bronze medals. The United States has received two bronze medals along with the countries of the Soviet Union, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, and the one listed as N/A. Thus, the composition of the medals received by the United States is clearly at the gold level with less medals being received at the silver and bronze levels. Table 9, however, provides insights into the competition experienced by those who were part of the NBA finals. Table 9 is as follows:

Table 9, according to (4) , identifies the frequency in which players with foreign nationalities (N=6) were on NBA Finals rosters during the 55 years of NBA Finals MVP selections from 1969 to the most 2024 season. The table reveals that 6 of the 35 (17%) of the MVP Finals MVPs were from France, Greece, Nigeria, Serbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Germany, while 29 of the 35 (83%) were of United States nationality. As a result of these findings, it can be assumed that over a period of 55 years of NBA Finals from 1969-2024, pre-

1992 and the Olympic Dream Team in Barcelona, all Finals MVP’s were of U.S. Nationality, while post-1992 and until most recently, in 2023, there six individuals that have won the coveted title of NBA Finals MVP as a direct result of globalization of basketball. Table 10 shows the following outcomes in the competition from those involved with the NBA Finals and their background:

Table 10, according to (4) , indicates how the players came from the San Antonio Spurs the majority of the times which indicates a priority of producing MVPs might be emphasized within that organization. These players primarily came from the U.S. Virgin Islands which also might indicate a pipeline being utilized to recruit players from that area. Nevertheless, with globalization, competition matters.

A View on The Team and Medals Received in Women’s Basketball for Globalization

Competition matters, too, for women’s basketball when considering globalization. As Tables 11-13 show aggregately and collectively, the United States has won 77% of the gold medals, while two countries, Australia (23%) and France (15%) have won silver medals with eight countries winning at least one silver medal each to make up the remaining 62% of medal recipients; whereas two countries, Australia (23%) and Russia (15%) have won bronze medals with eight countries winning at least one bronze medal each to make up the remaining 62% of medal recipients. Table 11 highlights the United Sates in comparison to other teams.

Table 11 is as follows:

Women’s Olympic Gold Medals Since 1976 (N=13)

Table 11, according to (10) , indicates the Soviet Union as only having received one gold medal since 1976. The United States Women’s Team has had ten (10) gold medals within this time. Table 12, however, highlights the silver medals where Australia had the highest number of silver medal at three (3). Table 12 is as follows:

Women’s Olympic Silver Medals Since 1976 (N=13)

Table 12, according to (10), shows several countries with only one silver medal. Some of those countries include China, Australia, South Korea, Spain, and others. Table 13 highlights those countries that have received bronze medals since 1976. Table 13 is as follows:

Women’s Olympic Bronze Medals Since 1976 (N=13)

Table 13, according to (10) , indicates Australia with the highest number of bronze medals. Russia has received two (2) silver medals while several countries received one (1) bronze medal. What becomes evident is the consistency of the United States as the recipient of gold medals throughout the years. Australia is identified as the country that is next in terms of the medals received since this time. Competition matters.

Shared Implications on Context and Competition Matter: The NBA, WNBA, Olympics, and Globalization for Basketball

Context and competition have shared implications for globalization when considering the NBA, WNBA, and the Olympics. From historic Olympic, NBA, and WNBA games to the more recent Olympic, NBA, and WNBA games, it remains important to continuously consider the sociohistorical and current impact upon the globalization of the game of basketball. Both the NBA and WNBA markets are continuing to evolve into the vision first spoken by late NBA Commissioner, David Stern vision of globalization and during the WNBA’s first president, Val Ackerman, service as a U.S. representative to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), to grow the game of basketball. Currently, as it stands in 2024, the economic, social, political, and technological changes that are taking place are evident as the game of basketball is part of the global sports industry, that is worth $484 Billion Dollars in 2023, according to The Business Research Company in April of 2024, with an expected market growth rate of 6.1% over the next five years from $484 Billion in 2023 to an estimated $862 Billion in 2028. (15) Such financial outcomes collectively shape the context and competition for professional basketball.

Furthermore, the Olympics Games of 2024 has provided a unique example of how much the game has grown ever since the 1992 Dream Team of NBA Players entered the competition. Through the vision of the late NBA Commissioner, David Stern, and the continued efforts of current NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, the game and competition continued to improve. This year’s Olympic Game Gold Medal Games was another example of how far globalization has come as the United States of America competed in the Men’s and Women’s finals again the host country of France, with each of these games featuring players from not only globally, but from the NBA in the Men’s Gold Medal Game and from the WNBA in the Women’s Gold Medal Game.

To that end, from both context and competition stances, the game will continue to build upon the past success of this year’s Olympic Games as it was viewed globally by millions. With almost 400 million fans in 2024, basketball continues to expand across the globe. For example, this year’s Men’s Olympic Games gold medal game averaged 19.5 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, which according to the (3) in the New York Times (2024). According to LeBron James in that same article regarding the United States Olympic Games Gold Medal Game, “we got our moment…it’s a basketball world and everybody loves the game; we just hope that we continue to inspire people all over the world”. As one of the most recognizable figures in the game and the first active NBA billionaire player, LeBron James, along with Kevin Duran, Steph Curry and the 2024 Olympic Gold Media winning team of NBA superstars, the U.S. Team was able to capture the gold and continue in the legacy of past U.S. Olympics teams made up of NBA superstars.

Additionally, from an WNBA perspective, the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team, led by WNBA MVP, Aja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces’ and her fellow WNBA and Olympic teammates was able to win the gold medal over France with “a peak viewership of 10.9 million for the final half hour of the one-point affair” (8) . With the growth of women’s basketball on the collegiate level, through the emergence of budding stars, Caitlin Clark (Iowa) and Angel Reese (LSU), they are now in the WNBA, with Clark, with the Indiana Fever and Reese, now with the Chicago Sky and will potentially be in the 2028 Olympics to help extend their record eight straight goal medal streak started in 1996. As a result, the future is very bright with the new stars emerging in the NBA, WNBA and Olympic games, while the old guard passes the torch to the next generation. Therefore, as the past is cherished, the present is held and the future is embarked upon, basketball is changing because of the demographic makeup of National Basketball Association (NBA), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Olympic team rosters in 2024 and beyond (12). Context and competition matter.

In closing, since the founding of basketball at Springfield College by Dr. James Naismith in 1891, for both men and women now, the pathways into the globalization of professional basketball has expanded from a small college to larger colleges and universities to professional leagues to countries from across the world. With there being no boundaries, the opportunities for globalization remain limitless. Thus, the success of individual teams led by those individual basketball players born outside of the United States has not only led to an increased fanbase, but also has allowed the Olympic game talent to become more talented. As “Table 1: Birthplace of non-U.S. Born NBA and ABA Players” and “Table 2: NBA Rosters from a Global Perspective, 2023-2024” show, the nationalities of players have grown exponentially, while at the same time, selection of MVP’s has grown as well. The cities of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Milwaukee, and Denver, which now boast NBA Finals MVP’s have all represented their counties well, along with those respectful induvial players.

When considering both context and competition, with the U.S. dominance in both Men’s and Women’s Gold Medal games, the next four years will offer interesting perspectives to consider as countries seek to close the talent gap between those teams that have and those two teams that have not. These are tremendous efforts, particularly since 2020/2021 during the pandemic when the teams of the NBA and WNBA, had to play in the bubble, the unintended yet, resulting, outcome has led to higher medical protocols and concerns for those participating then and even now. In effect, many will wonder how globalization will influence context and competition for the next four years. With the Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 2028, it will be critical that those involved in sports stay encouraged as the games continue to grow as the growth will foster itself as new markets come aboard. Moreover, as new forms of gaming enter the technical arena, having knowledge of the past histories allows one to be able to learn the necessities for current and future matters of context and competition, particularly given the rise of e-sports and related virtual gaming. By learning the game through e-sports and video games, participants can utilize their movements into today’s face to face games. Strategic planning and coaching sessions help to make today’s understanding of the globalized basketball game in a more reflective and projected manner. Within these types of sessions, learning about the world of gaming offers more engaging and relevant experiences. Such sessions create the platform for further advancing the globalized game of basketball for engaging professional and amateur worlds. With the popularity of the NBA and WNBA and the Olympics being at an all-time high, understanding the globalization of basketball, particularly given the implications and impact of context and competition, becomes important for how the future game of professional basketball is shaped for future generations

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The Predictive Ability of the Physical Skills Used at the NFL Combine to Predict Draft Status

George Minoso 2024-12-09T15:40:54-06:00 December 6th, 2024 | Research , Sports Exercise Science |

Authors: Raymond Tucker 1 , Chang Lee 2 , Willie J. Black 3

1 College of Education and Health Professions, University of Houston at Victoria, Victoria, TX, USA 2 College of Education and Health Professions, University of Houston at Victoria, Victoria, TX, USA 3 College of Education and Health Professions, University of Houston at Victoria, Victoria, TX, USA

Raymond Tucker D.S.M., CFSC, CSCS * D, XPS, FMS, USATF, USAW College of Education and Health Professions University of Houston-Victoria 3007 N Ben Wilson St [email protected]

Raymond Tucker, D.S.M., is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Houston in Victoria, Texas. His research interests focus on leadership skills used by coaches in their daily interactions with athletes and various topics in strength and conditioning and sports performance.

Chang Lee, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston at Victoria in Victoria, Texas. His research interest focuses on investigating the effects of resistance exercise and nutrition on skeletal muscle responses including lean mass and strength gains.

Willie J Black, EdD, Willie J. Black, Jr. Ed.D. is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Houston in Victoria, Texas. His research interests are centering on leadership, physical education pedagogy, and social justice in physical education.

ABSTRACT This study investigated the results of the six physical skills tests, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, bench press, broad jump, 3-cone drill, and 20-yard shuttle, used at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine to predict draft placement in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft. Analyses of 324 potential draft prospects’ performance data showed no significant (p<0.05) difference between drafted and nondrafted players in any of the six physical skills tests (drafted vs. nondrafted; 40-yard dash: seconds, 4.70 ± 0.30 vs. 4.75 ± 0.31, p = 0.115; vertical jump: inches, 32.81 ± 4.58 vs. 31.96 ± 4.38, p = 0.173; bench press: reps, 21.83 ± 4.62 vs. 20.12 ± 4.59, p = 0.132; broad jump: inches, 118.15 ± 8.78 vs. 117.24 ± 8.70, p = 0.458; three-cone drill: seconds, 7.33 ± 0.41 vs. 7.44 ± 0.49, p = 0.247; 20-yard shuttle: seconds, 4.52 ± 0.25 vs. 4.54 ± 0.28, p = 0.598). Draft placement was correlated with broad jump performance (r s = -0.221, p = 0.010) and 20-yard shuttle scores (r s = 0.250, p = 0.043), but not associated with the other performance measures. The results indicate the physical skills tests used at the NFL Scouting Combine have little to no predictive ability in the draft status of prospective players. The findings will assist strength and conditioning coaches and head football and football position coaches at the collegiate level in preparing their football players for the upcoming NFL draft.

Keywords: football, performance testing, skills test, NFL combine results.

INTRODUCTION The National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine is held annually at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, providing personnel from the 32 NFL teams with an opportunity to evaluate prospective draft prospects in a range of physical skills tests, on-field position drills, and an extensive medical evaluation and player interviews. Seniors who have completed their senior year and underclassmen who have declared for the NFL draft that satisfy the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the NFL requirements and guidelines are eligible to participate in the NFL Combine. It is estimated that 335 football players participate in the NFL Scouting Combine annually.

However, it is unclear whether the physical skills tests used by the NFL Combine can accurately predict draft status in the NFL draft and assess if prospective draftees have the skills and abilities required to play in the NFL. Sierer et al. (10) indicated that testing performed at the combine might not take into account a player’s potential skill level during an actual game. Yet, coaches and scouts have used the test results from the NFL Combine to assess players’ physical abilities and skills as a determining factor of their success at the professional level. McGee and Burkett (8) state that the NFL Combine can be used to accurately predict the draft status of running backs, wide receivers, and defensive backs. The study by McGee and Burkett (8) supports the study by Kuzmits and Adams (6) that shows the 40-yard dash, 10-yard and 20-yard timed increments are highly correlated with running back performance in the NFL and should be used going forward when drafting running backs. However, a later study by Robbins (9) concluded that draft success is not significantly correlated with the results of the NFL Combine’s physical test battery, normalized or not. Normalized data were no more valid than raw data for predicting draft order based on the results of the eight physical skills tests comprising the battery of tests utilized at the NFL Combine. Robbins (9) added that performance measures used at the combine have only a weak correlation with draft success. The author emphasized that NFL teams are interested in only a few physical characteristics, such as straight sprint time and jumping ability. The study by Robbins (9) supports an earlier study by Kuzmitz and Adams (6) that found that only one third or less of the physical performance measures making up the NFL Combine test batteries correlated well with draft performance in the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions. They suggested that other performance evaluations at the combine, such as field position specific drills, anthropometric measurements, interviews, aptitude testing, flexibility, injury evaluation, and illegal substance testing, may help better determine whether prospective football players will be selected in the upcoming NFL draft. According to Robbins (9), the findings of Kuzmitz and Adams (6) would imply that NFL teams do not rely heavily on physical performance data collected at the NFL Combine when making draft decisions. Furthermore, a former Tennessee Titans president stated that all that matters at the combine is medical evaluations and player interviews (4).

We have previously observed that the physical tests used at the NFL Combine are not a reliable predictor of draft placement in the NFL draft except possibly for the WR position (11). We found that the physical skills tests utilized at the NFL Combine are essential in differentiating between getting drafted into the NFL (11). To follow up on and reconfirm our previous findings, we designed the present study to conclusively investigate the issue by analyzing more recent NFL Scouting Combine performance data in 2022 for their predictive ability to draft status. We hypothesized that there would be no differences between drafted and nondrafted players in their physical skills tests, and the physical skills test scores would not have any predictive validity in the NFL draft.

METHODS Participants This research study included 324 football players who attended the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine: 15 Quarterbacks (QB); 36 Running backs (RB); 40 Wide Receivers (WR); 21 Tight Ends (TE); 58 Offensive Lineman (OL, including offensive guards (OG), offensive tackles (OT), and centers (C); 48 Defensive Lineman (DL, including defensive tackles (DT), nose tackles (NT), and defensive ends (DE, edge rushers); 36 Linebackers (LB); 61 (DB); and 9 Specialist (ST). The Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) at University of Houston-Victoria determined this study is exempt from Institutional review board approval because this study is a secondary analysis of publicly available data.

Procedures Players were grouped by position to perform on-field positional workouts and physical skills tests. Group 1: QB, WR, and TE; Group 2: OL, RB, and ST; Group 3: DL and LB; Group 4: DB. The data for this study was obtained from Pro Football Reference, a web-based public access domain (13). The physical skills tests used for the analyses in this study include the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, bench press, broad jump, three-cone drill, and 20-yard shuttle for offensive, defensive, and special team positions.

Data are presented as mean ± SD. Units: seconds for 40-yard dash, inches for vertical jump, number of reps for bench press, inches for broad jump, seconds for 3-cone drill, seconds for 20-yard shuttle. C: center, CB: cornerback, DE: defensive end, DT: defensive tackle, EDGE: edge defender, K: kicker, LB: linebacker, LS: long snapper, OG: offensive guard, OT: offensive tackle, P: punter, QB: quarterback, RB: running back, S: safety, TE: tight end, WR: wide receiver.

Data Analyses All statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics software (version 28; IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY). The assumption of normal distribution was checked using Shapiro-Wilk test, and non-normal data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical procedures. Independent t-tests were performed to examine differences between two groups (e.g., drafted vs. nondrafted), and Spearman’s correlations were used to examine associations between physical skills tests and draft placement. P values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant, and data are presented as mean ± SD unless stated otherwise. RESULTS Differences between drafted and nondrafted players in performance measures. When participants were analyzed together, there was no difference between drafted and nondrafted prospective draft prospects in any of the six physical skills tests drafted vs. nondrafted; [40-yard dash: seconds, 4.69 ± 0.30 (n=148) vs. 4.75 ± 0.31 (n=87), p = 0.115; vertical jump: inches, 32.81 ± 4.58 (n=141) vs. 31.96 ± 4.38 (n=82), p = 0.173; bench press: number of reps, 21.83 ± 4.62 (n=47) vs. 20.12 ± 4.59 (n=26), p = 0.132; broad jump: inches, 118.15 ± 8.78 (n=135) vs. 117.24 ± 8.70 (n=83), p = 0.458; three-cone drill: seconds, 7.33 ± 0.41 (n=58) vs. 7.44 ± 0.49 (n=34), p = 0.247; 20-yard shuttle: seconds, 4.52 ± 0.25 (n=66) vs. 4.54 ± 0.28 (n=35), p = 0.598]. When the individual positions were analyzed separately, no differences were observed between drafted and nondrafted players in most of the positions’ physical skills tests with the exception of (DT)’s 40-yard dash, (EDGE) 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump, (LB) 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump; (TE) 40-yard dash; and (WR) 40-yard dash scores, where the drafted athletes showed better performances than the nondrafted athletes (Table 1). Correlations between performance measures and draft placement When all the participants were analyzed together, draft placement was weakly correlated with broad jump performance (rs = -0.221, p = 0.010) and 20-yard shuttle scores (rs = 0.250, p = 0.043), but not associated with the other performance measures (40-yard dash, vertical jump, bench press, and three-cone drill scores; p>0.05). When the individual positions were analyzed separately, draft placement showed a moderate to strong correlation with (DT)’s 40-yard dash (r s = 0.753, p = 0.019) and offensive tackle (OT)’s 40-yard dash (r s = 0.782, p = 0.008), but not associated with any other performance measures in any other positions (p>0.05).

DISCUSSION The main finding of this study is that the physical skills tests used at the NFL Scouting Combine may not have predictive ability in determining the draft status of prospective draftees entering the 2022 NFL Draft. The performance differences between drafted and nondrafted players were minimal, and weak correlations between draft placement and physical test scores were observed in only a few tests or positions.

The first finding of this study indicates that when all of the offensive and defensive positions were analyzed together, the physical skills tests used at the NFL Combine to predict draft placement showed a weak correlation with broad jump performance (rs = -0.221, p = 0.010) and 20-yard shuttle scores (rs = 0.250, p = 0.043), but is not associated with the other performance measures 40-yard dash, vertical jump, bench press, and three-cone drill scores; p>0.05). The standing broad jump tests lower body strength and power. NFL players may have an advantage in a one on one situations if they can explode from a standing position while maintaining control and balance. Every player in the NFL will need a measure of lower body strength, balance, and explosiveness to jump, run, block, change direction, fight off an opponent in football, and prevent injury. The 20-yard shuttle tests a player’s ability to change direction. Every offensive and defensive position in football will need to have the ability to change direction to catch a pass or evade an opponent in football. The standing broad jump and the 20-yard shuttle showed a weak correlation, meaning that a farther broad jump and a faster 20-yard shuttle could influence draft placement; however, this finding is nonsignificant. The second finding of this study indicated that when individual offensive and defensive positions were analyzed separately, draft placement showed a nonsignificant moderate to strong correlation with (DT) 40-yard dash (rs = 0.753, p = 0.019) and (OT) 40-yard dash (rs = 0.782, p = 0.008), but not associated with any other performance measures in any other positions; (p>0.05). The 40-yard dash tests a player’s ability to accelerate for 40 yards, which is a test of acceleration. Football players will start from a three point stance and sprint 40 yards. Times are recorded at the 10-yard, 20-yard, and 40-yard increments.

The present study showed a nonsignificant moderate to strong correlation between draft placement and the 40-yard dash for (DT) and (OL); however, a question should be asked whether either of these positions runs 40 yards during a single play in a football game. The answer to this question would be that they don’t. Rather, they run 5 and maybe 10 yards, depending on the blocking scheme for offensive linemen and defending the pass rush. It appears that NFL personnel are looking at the fastest 40-yard time, but in reality, they could be more interested in the start and the times in the 10-yard and 20-yard increments, which are more relevant to the offensive and defensive tackle positions. The only positions on the football field that start in a three-point stance are offensive and defensive linemen and perhaps a fullback. If this is the case, why is every position at the NFL combine starting in a three-point stance when timed in the 40-yard dash? It may be better to evaluate how quickly a player can accelerate in 10-yards, which is a better indicator of what occurs on any given play in a football game for offensive linemen and defensive tackles.

The third finding is that 324 players attended the 2022 NFL Combine, and only 262 players were drafted. The results of this study show that the physical skills tests do not have the predictive ability to determine draft status in any offensive and defensive positions except for the positions of DT and OT in the 2022 NFL draft. The authors indicate that if the 40-yard (36.6 m) dash is the heavily weighted performance test and can distinguish between drafted and undrafted players, then why do the results of this study not show a positive correlation between the 40-yard (36.6 m) dash and draft status in all of the offensive and defensive positions.

The validity of the performance metrics used at the NFL Scouting Combine has been investigated in several other studies, and the results were equivocal (5). Football coaches appear to share the assumption that combine performance indicators can forecast a football player’s overall ability to play the game, yet studies have identified few reliable indicators (1-5). The performance metrics utilized at the NFL Scouting Combine examine players’ athletic skills rather than their ability to play football. It is questionable whether those combine performances are directly related to the football playing ability of prospective draftees. According to Vincent et al. (12), the NFL should consider changing the National Scouting Combine (NSC) testing battery to position-specific tests. These include a 10-yard dash for linemen and change of direction drills that are similar to those needed to execute successful pass patterns for wide receivers.

Our findings support a study by Robbins (9), which suggests that the combine tests are not sufficiently specific and have little bearing on a player’s actual ability to play the game of football and consequently receive little attention from NFL personnel. The study by Robbins supports an earlier study by Kuzmits & Adams (6), suggesting various explanations as to why performance in a number of the combine tests is not strongly correlated with draft order. One may be the rigorous preparation invitees undertake before attending the combine. Research by Kuzmits and Adams (6) indicates that the abundance of prep courses and other learning resources available to help players prepare for the combine may be the reason for the lack of correlation between overall performance at the NFL Combine. Kuzmits and Adams (6) explain that the lack of correlation between NFL Combine performance and NFL performance is that combine exercises measure the athlete’s athletic skill and not the athlete’s actual ability to play football. Also, when drafting prospective draftees, there are a number of additional variables that can come into play. The team’s needs for the upcoming season, injuries, off the field issues, and performance during college or pre-draft workouts are examples of such factors. In the end, NFL teams consider numerous factors when selecting players, making it difficult to predict the draft status of the participating players using the NFL combine skills tests. The combine tests are used to determine if a football player has the necessary elite skills and physical abilities to play in the NFL and contribute to a team’s success. However, according to Lyons et al. (7), on-field performance in college is likely the strongest predictor of success in the NFL.

CONCLUSIONS Although certain individual positions may have limited applicability for specific skills test scores due to their ability to reveal players’ overall elite athletic prowess, collegiate football players aiming to earn NFL drafts should devote the majority of their time to honing the positional technical and tactical proficiencies necessary for success at their respective offensive and defensive positions. Additionally, they should be wary of suppliers and performance centers who make false promises of improved outcomes and substantial compensation at the NFL combine, only to enrich themselves through excessive pricing. The NFL Combine appears to be a mere exhibition where the nation’s most talented collegiate football players convene for a week in an attempt to secure a drafting spot and realize a lifelong ambition of playing professionally. Over the years, more and more top-rated collegiate football players have opted out of attending the NFL combine for several reasons, one common reason being to avoid injury. The hype of the players performing well at the NFL Combine has opened the doors for private sports performance facilities to offer training services to improve a player’s performance on the physical skills tests utilized to enhance the chances of being drafted higher and receiving a payday. Robbins (9) suggested that the lack of a strong relationship between the performance measures and the draft may be because of the rigorous preparation invitees undertake before attending the combine. The study by Robbins (9) supports an earlier study by Kuzmits and Adams (6) that brings up a very interesting point other than marketing claims made by vendors themselves, there is no scientific evidence that their preparation improves NFL combine performance. The authors of this study agree with Robbins (9) and Kuzmitz and Adams (6) and suggest that the physical tests used at the NFL combine are used to measure a player’s physical skills and not their football playing ability.

APPLICATIONS IN SPORT This study hypothesized that there would be no difference between drafted and nondrafted athletes in their performance measures, and the performance scores would not have any predictive validity in the NFL draft. 324 football players participated in the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, and based on the results, our data suggest that NFL Scouting Combine test results have little to no effects on the participating players’ overall draft status and bear little predictive value. Some of those skills test scores might be of limited usage in a few individual positions because those can show players’ overall elite athletic physical capabilities. To conclude, collegiate football players with the goal of one day getting drafted into the national football league should spend most of their time improving the positional technical and tactical skills required to succeed in their various offensive and defensive positions. They should also be aware of vendors and performance centers promising better results at the NFL combine and big paydays only to fill their pockets with the high prices they charge. Finally, prospective NFL players should place more emphasis on further developing their overall football playing ability, such as mental aptitude, team attitude, and willingness to learn, rather than the physical characteristics evaluated at the NFL Scouting Combine. REFERENCES

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www.pro-football-reference.com

Maximizing Youth Sports Engagement on Social Media: How Visual Impact and Message Appeal Shape Consumer Responses Online

George Minoso 2024-11-04T18:10:35-06:00 November 22nd, 2024 | Contemporary Sports Issues , General , Research , Sports Studies , Sports Studies and Sports Psychology |

Authors: Wan S. Jung1, Won Yong Jang2, and Soo Rhee3

1 Department of Professional Communications, Farmingdale State College, New York 2 Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 3 Department of Mass Communication, Towson University, Maryland

Wan S. Jung, Ph.D Knapp Hall 30 2350 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735-1021 [email protected] 934-420-2276

Wan S. Jung, PhD is an Associate Professor of Professional Communications at Farmingdale State College, NY. His research interests focus on the credibility assessment process of digital information.

Won Yong Jang, PhD is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. He specializes in 1) international communication, 2) news media and society in East Asian countries, 3) climate change policy & communication, 4) public opinion on North Korea’s Nuclear Program, and 5) territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Soo Rhee, PhD is a Professor at Towson University, Maryland. Her research interests include luxury brand advertising, gender portrayals in advertising, dynamics of electronic word-of-mouth, cross-cultural studies in advertising and message strategies in health advertising.

ABSTRACT An increasing number of people rely on the Internet as their primary information source and use it to share their opinions and thoughts with others. Generally, individuals adopt a systematic approach when processing sports information, evaluating its completeness and accuracy due to the serious consequences of incomplete or inaccurate information, such as monetary loss and negative impacts on child development. However, our study finds that the heuristics of online information, even with subtle changes in design features, generate more positive attitudinal and behavioral changes compared to central cues (i.e., informational posting). Our findings suggest a dissociation between involvement and the effects of heuristics. This study also provides an empirical framework for predicting how people process information in digital media environments. Additional findings and implications are discussed.

Key Words: youth sport communication, visual impact of social media posting, message appeal

INTRODUCTION The youth sport market is a huge and fast-growing industry, ranging from organized sports leagues to recreational activities. The market for youth sports in the United States stood at 15.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 and grew to 19.2 billion U.S. dollars by 2019 (11). With a fast-growing trend (i.e., a growth rate of 25.4% from 2017 to 2019) with various options, parents became more active in searching for information. As social media are pervasive, rapidly evolving, and increasingly influencing parents’ daily life and their sport consumption, parents increasingly turn to the internet as a source of community, which helps them connect, communicate, and share information (18).

The rapid growth of online sports information production and dissemination through social media parenting communities (e.g., Facebook local groups and Nextdoor) raises important research questions about how individuals process online information provided by other consumers (i.e., experienced parents whose child(ren) have participated in your sport programs) in youth sport consumption decision making. Moreover, since sport consumers make decisions about whether or not to adopt online sports information based on their own judgement (e.g., attitudinal formation), how individuals evaluate online information is central to sports communication agendas.

Although the formation of attitudes toward information can be attributed to multiple aspects of that information (e.g., source credibility, information completeness), sport consumers using online resources are more reliant on how the information is presented than on the quality of the argument (10), and subtle graphical adjustments become relevant when online parenting community members share their own experiences with other members on social media platforms. In order to emphasize their own views, web users often create visual prominence using subtle design elements, such as capitalized subject lines, copy-and-paste text art (also called keyboard art, e.g., ≧◡≦), or bullet-point symbols. In addition to subtle design changes, the characteristics of the online posting can be varied based on the degree of informativeness (i.e., emotion-based versus information-based).

The purpose of the current study is twofold. First, it will explore the effect on attitudinal formation and behavioral intentions of the message appeals and subtle graphical adjustments of posts in online parenting communities in the youth sport consumption context. Second, the study will investigate whether the strength of the relationship between attitude and behavioral intentions varies based on message appeals. Overall, the study will seek to advance understanding of digital media by examining how small graphical changes and message appeals impact youth sport consumers’ attitudes and behaviors when searching for consumer-generated information (e.g., testimonials) in online communities.

LITERATURE REVIEW Parent-to-Parent Online Information in Youth Sport Consumption “It takes a village to raise a child” is a proverb to explain the role of and community support in parenting. As social aspect is one of the primary factors that drives parents and their children to be involved in sport program (1), the influence of other parents’ opinion and the role of parent community are even more prominent in youth sport consumer’s decision making process. Braunstein-Minkove & Metz (2019) noted in their research on the role of mothers in sport consumption that youth sport consumption might not always about the sport but the experience. Therefore, parents of youth rely on other parents’ opinion to obtain relevant and sufficient information and evaluate various youth sport program options available. In order to provide the best sporting and exercise experience for their children, parents of young children are willing to hear voices of other parents (i.e., testimonial) regarding the type of sports, sports programs, and sporting events their children would participate in.

With the modern technology and the advent of social media, the notion of the village (or supporting community) has been expanded from a physical village to a digital community. Social media platforms support a variety of user generated content to be disseminated to other users and allows users to participate in interactive discussions. Among the various types of social media platforms, Facebook have become the most prevalent web-based service in the world (21) and remaining the most popular site by far (12). Also, Facebook recently provides an option to mark the group type as parenting group, which gives parents new ways to discover and engage with their communities (5). Though the role of online community and the influence of information from other youth sport consumers (i.e., testimonials from other parents in such online community) in youth sport consumer’s decision-making process became more prominent, there is no previous research to explore the effects of the presentation of online information on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral response in youth sport consumption context.

The Impact of Visual Prominence Quick and low effort cognitive information processing has been investigated in the field of psychology since the 1970s (e.g., 9, 13), and the research indicates that impression formation is the result of the perceiver’s rapid response to selective or incomplete information. In other words, one’s appraisal of an event occurs without intention or conscious thought. Theories of impression formation in the context of digital communication have been developed by Fogg (2003) and Wathen and Burkell (2002), and their studies suggest that visual prominence—the visual salience that allows people to effortlessly notice the presence of graphic elements (e.g., bold vs. non-bold font)—is a primary driver of attitudinal formation, rather than information quality.

The impact of visual prominence can also be explained by individuals’ reliance, when making decisions, on transactive memory systems, which consist of two key elements: internal memory (e.g., personal experience) and external memory (e.g., another person’s expertise; 14). The presence of an external memory will activate a transactive memory system, and such a dependency on external memory increases efficiency and cognitive labor power (20). Thus, external sources of knowledge can have a significant impact on one’s perception of what to accept as true and how confidently to accept it.

The theoretical and empirical evidence for transactive memory systems is based on offline social interactions (e.g., interactions within family groups). However, recent studies suggest that online sources can also trigger transactive memory systems due to the similarity between the process of outsourcing cognitive tasks to other people and the process of outsourcing cognitive tasks to the Internet (6). This nonhuman transactive memory network is further fueled by the unique features of the Internet (e.g., accessibility, breadth, immediacy of information), but such features may distort one’s ability to calibrate personal knowledge because the boundary between internal and external memory becomes unclear. That is, individuals often mix up information obtained through the Internet with information stored in the brain, and this illusion inflates self-ratings of competence regarding personal knowledge and decision-making (17). Recent research on such illusions also suggests that people tend to believe they can solve problems even in unfamiliar domains and that their decision-making processes are often based on heuristics, such as visual prominence (7, 8); the impact of visual prominence would thus be greater in digital media environments.

Since online parenting community members can establish the visual prominence of their postings on social media platforms only with subtle graphical adjustments, the current study will investigate how subtle changes (e.g., capitalizing subject lines, use of text art) to posts in online youth sport communities influence individuals’ attitude formation and behavioral intentions. Given the exploratory nature of the topic of individual information judgment in digital media environments, the following hypotheses are proposed: H1: Visually prominent postings in online youth sport communities form stronger attitudes than less prominent postings. H2: Visually prominent postings in online youth sport communities form stronger behavioral intentions than less prominent postings.

The Impact of Involvement on Message Appeals The persuasiveness and prevalence of various appeal types (e.g., emotional, informative) have been extensively examined in different contexts, such as brand familiarity (Rhee & Jung, 2019), cultural variability (Han & Shavitt, 1994), and involvement (Flora & Maibach, 1990). However, less is known about the differential effects of appeal types in the context of online youth sport communities, and the current study therefore presents an exploration of the question of which type of message appeal is most persuasive in such communities. The elaboration likelihood model (ELM; 16) is one of the most prominent theoretical frameworks employed in the message appeal literature and is applied in various contexts, such as public health service announcements (Perse et al., 1996), crisis management (Lee & Atkinson, 2019), and advertising (Stafford & Day, 1995). Studies have also commonly found a moderating effect of involvement on message appeals, and according to the ELM, people tend to rely on argument quality (e.g., information completeness, comprehensiveness) when processing information under high involvement conditions, with persuasion less likely to occur through peripheral cues, such as peers’ emotional experiences. The converse is also true under low involvement conditions.

However, a recent study by Jung et al. (2017) found evidence that contradicts the prevailing literature on the role of involvement in digital media environments; the study claims that individuals often find it hard to motivate themselves to process information thoroughly, regardless of involvement levels, due to the nature of the Internet, which inundates them with massive amounts of non-verifiable information. Individuals therefore tend to compromise the accuracy of their decisions, which can require extensive cognitive effort, by relying on the heuristic aspects of information.

In addition, in the context of online youth sports communities, people tend to seek others’ prior experiences (e.g., a coach’s personality) and emotionally supportive messages because any objective information about a youth sports program (e.g., fees, coach’s experience, facilities) can be easily found through sources such as the program’s website. It can therefore be assumed that the moderating role of involvement in appeal types might be limited by the dominance of social media. Nevertheless, because there is still insufficient evidence for the limited role of involvement in the social media context, we propose the following research question: RQ1: What effect does involvement have on the appeal types of posts in online youth sport communities?

The Moderating Impact of Involvement on the Attitude–Intention Relationship Attitudes are among the most significant predictors of behavioral intentions in psychology. According to the theory of planned behavior (TPB), intention functions as an antecedent of behavior and is attributable to individual attitudes, together with subjective norms and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1991). Although a number of studies have provided strong evidence for the relationship between intentions and the three causal variables of the TPB, a meta-analytic study by Cooke and Sheeran (2004) also noted that less than 42% of the variance in intentions can be explained by those variables.

Consequently, there have been numerous attempts to increase the predictive power of the TPB by exploring moderators of the relationship between intention and the TPB variables, such as attitudinal ambivalence (Armitage & Conner, 2000) and certainty (Bassili, 1996). In addition to these moderating variables, Petty et al. (1983) has offered theoretical and empirical evidence that the attitude–intention relationship is more consistent under high involvement conditions, because attitudes established by highly involved people are more stable than those of lowly involved people. Verplanken (1989) also examined whether involvement can explain additional variance in the attitude–intention relationship, although that study was in the context of nuclear energy.

Therefore, the current study will examine the moderating role of involvement in the attitude–intention relationship in the sport communication context. H3: High involvement will be associated with greater attitude–intention consistency than low involvement.

METHOD Subjects and Procedure 192 participants who had parenting experiences (male = 64%) from the United States between the ages of 20 and 55 completed the study through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). For participants’ ethnicity, the most common ethnicity was Caucasian (53.6%), followed by Asian (33.9%), African American (5.2%), Hispanic (3.6%), and other racial backgrounds (3.6%). To participate in the study, subjects were requested to provide electronic consent. And subjects were debriefed and compensated upon completion of the study.

Experimental Treatment Conditions To investigate the effects of visual prominence (high vs. low prominence) and message appeals (emotional vs. informative message) on online youth sport program postings, four versions of online postings were created as stimuli, and the subjects were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions: low prominence and emotional (n = 49), high prominence and emotional (n = 49), low prominence and informative (n = 49), and high prominence and informative (n = 45).

The postings contained an online community member-created message about a local youth soccer program. The community member-created posting consisted of either factual information about the soccer program (informative appeal) (i.e., up to 12 kids in one session with two coaches, all are CPR first aid and AED certified, and having an indoor field) or user experiences (emotional appeal) (i.e., it was such an amazing experience and my son loves his current coach). A youth soccer program was selected as the topic for this study because of popularity of the sport among young parents. The manipulation of visual prominence was carried out by differentiating graphic elements between high prominence and low prominence conditions. Since parent community members on social media platforms can emphasize their posting with subtle graphical alterations, the high prominence version was designed to help the study participants notice the key messages by capitalizing key words, using a bulleted list and line-breaks in order to increase readability, and using a text art. The low prominence version lacks those design features.

Dependent Measures Attitude toward the online posting The attitude toward the online youth program posting was measured using three semantically differential items (i.e., good/bad, favorable/unfavorable, negative/positive) emerged from the literature on the scale (Lee & Hong, 2016). The scale was internally consistent (Cronbach’s  = .91, M = 4.70, SD = 1.81).

Behavioral Intentions Subjects were also asked to answer their intentions to 1) recommend the youth soccer program on the posting you just read and 2) register for the soccer program in the future on 7-point Likert-type scales ranging from 1 (not at all) 7 (extremely). The items were averaged to create a behavioral intention scale (Cronbach’s  = .83, M = 4.33, SD = 1.73).

Independent Measure Involvement Involvement in sports activities may influence the attitudinal formation and behavioral intentions. Thus, this study measured personal involvement with sports activities by using three 7-point (1 = strongly disagree, 7 strongly agree) Likert-type scales, the participants reported on how much they agreed with the following three statements: “I enjoy playing sport,” “Sport plays a central role in my life,” and “Sport says a lot about who I am.” The three items were averaged to measure involvement (Cronbach’s  = .86, M = 5.38, SD = 1.35). This study used a median split to categorize high-involvement (N = 86) and low-involvement conditions (N = 83).

RESULTS Manipulation Checks The visual prominence manipulations were examined. Using two seven-point sematic differential items, the participants were asked to rate the extent to which they thought the format of the online posting they just read were “attractive/not attractive” and “likable/not likable” (Cronbach’s  = .83, M = 4.81, SD = 1.75). A t test between the two prominence conditions (low vs. high prominence) showed subjects felt that the youth sport program posting was more visually prominent when it included noticeable graphic elements (M = 5.60, SD = 1.23) than when it lacked the elements (M = 4.05, SD = 1.84), t (190) = 6.82, p < .001.

This study measured the degree of informativeness of online postings (emotional versus informative) by asking participants to rate the extent to which they though the posting they just read was “emotional” and “warmhearted” (Cronbach’s  = .80 M = 4.39, SD = 1.61). A t test between two message appeal conditions showed that the emotional appeal group (M = 4.94, SD = 1.27) perceived the posting to be significantly more emotional than the informative appeal group (M = 3.82, SD = 1.73), t (190) = 5.11, p < .001. H1 and H2: Visual Prominence Main Effects

Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine the significant impacts of visual prominence, message appeal, and involvement on attitudes and behavioral intentions. H1 and H2 suggest that participants reading visually prominent postings would form stronger attitudes and behavioral intentions than did participants reading less prominent postings. Follow-up analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were also performed the examine the effect of visual prominence for each of the dependent variables. Findings revealed that the effect of visual prominence was pronounced in relation to being able to determine consumers’ attitudes (M_High Prominence = 5.30, SD = 2.02 vs. M_Low Prominence = 4.14, SD = 1.38; F (1, 169) = 20.90, p < .001, partial η2 = .12) and behavioral intentions (M_High Prominence = 4.69, SD = 1.64 vs. M_Low Prominence = 4.01, SD = 1.73; F (1, 169) = 7.24, p < .01, partial η2 = .04). Thus, H1 and H2 were supported.

RQ1 and RQ2: Influence of Involvement on Visual Prominence and Message Appeals The impact of consumers’ involvement on visual prominence and messages appeals were examined by 2 (visual prominence) X 2 (involvement) ANOVAs and 2 (message appeal) X 2 (involvement) ANOVAs with attitudes toward the online posting and behavioral intentions as dependent variables. The ANOVA results showed that that there were not significant interaction effects of the involvement-appeal relation and the involvement-visual prominence relation. The p values of the aforementioned relations were greater than .37. However, the impacts of visual prominence and message appeals were greater under both involvement conditions (see Figure 1 and 2).

H3: Moderating effect of involvement on the attitude-intention relation This study anticipated that the attitude toward the online posting would form a stronger impact on the formation of behavioral intentions for high involvement conditions. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to examine whether involvement modifies the magnitude of the attitude-intention relation. Then, each correlation coefficient values for the high- and low-involvement conditions was converted into z scores by using Fisher’s r to z transformation. In order to compare the z scores for the two conditions, the following formula was implemented to determine the observed z score: Zobserved = (Z1−Z2) ∕ (square root of [1∕N1−3] + (1∕N2−3))

For the high involvement condition (n = 83), the correlation coefficient for the attitude-intention relation was .49 (p < .001). For the low involvement condition (n = 84), the correlation was .25 (p < .05). The test statistics, z = 1.78, p < .001 (one-tailed test), indicate that the correlation in the high involvement condition is significantly higher than it is in the low involvement condition. Therefore, Hypothesis 3 is supported.

DISCUSSION Our findings suggest a lack of association between involvement and the effects of heuristics. The moderating role of involvement has been well established since the introduction of Petty et al.’s (1983) ELM and Chaiken’s (1987) heuristic-systematic model. According to those theories, involvement is a significant determinant in the selection of an information processing route (peripheral versus central). It is also commonly acknowledged in the sport communication field that individuals generally use a systematic mode (i.e., evaluating completeness/accuracy) when processing online sport information under high-involvement conditions in order to avoid the serious consequences of incomplete or inaccurate information (e.g., monetary loss, negative impacts on child development). However, our study found that the non-systematic mode is often activated for both high-involvement and low-involvement participants, and this finding thus contributes to the literature on individuals’ approaches to online information processing.

According to evidence-accumulation models (2), individuals reach a conclusion once there is enough evidence to support a particular case, but they can also alter the amount of evidence needed for coming to that decision. Although individuals generally want to make accurate decisions, Internet users often compromise the accuracy of their decisions by reducing the amount of evidence required to validate the information they are investigating. This tendency is attributable to online information overload, in which individuals experience difficulties in understanding the nature of a particular topic (Robin & Holmes, 2008). The tendency suggests a new general pattern of the speed–accuracy trade-off (SAT) in social media environments. In line with the SAT, there are two driving forces in the decision-making process (4); one emphasizes faster (or more efficient) decisions, while the other emphasizes higher accuracy. Although there are trade-offs between speed and accuracy, the two can be pursued independently, but they produce a wide spectrum of outcomes, from slower but more accurate decisions to quicker but less accurate decisions. In social media environments, individuals are motivated to engage in less-effortful information processing and are more likely to trade accuracy for speed in the decision-making process.

The current study also found another reason for further examining the role of involvement in social media environments. It has been assumed that persuasion is less likely to occur through emotional messages when an individual is highly involved in an issue because people tend to scrutinize issue-relevant information. However, our findings suggest that emotional messages can be more persuasive than informational messages regardless of the level of involvement, especially in the online youth sport community context, and these findings can be explained by the types of information individuals seek in online communities. Objective information about a youth program (e.g., fees, coaches’ experience, facilities) can be easily found through sources such as the youth program’s website, but people also tend to seek others’ prior experiences and emotionally supportive messages when joining online communities. It is important to stress that the attitude–intention relationship varies with involvement levels. Our study shows that the attitudes of high-involvement participants are more predictive of the intention to perform a specific act (e.g., signing up a youth sport program) than the attitudes of low-involvement participants. Our findings regarding the attitude–intention relationship suggest that the moderating effect of involvement on that relationship is applicable to not only traditional media environments (e.g., Krosnick, 1988; Verplanken, 1989), but also to social media environments.

In addition to the theoretical implications of this study, understanding parents’ information processing in assessing youth sport program is an integral part of the sport communication landscape. With the growing importance of (local) parenting community groups on social media and the impact of user generated message, this study will help youth sport service providers understand the effective way of crafting online information. This study will shed lights on communication strategies for youth sport providers when they try to utilize a form of testimonial in introducing their services to the market. This study will also lead how social influencer marketing would be employed in delivering and disseminating the promotional messages to the consumers.

This study has some limitations. All its subjects were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Although MTurk respondents tend to be more diverse than student samples in terms of demographic, psychographic, and geographic characteristics, some reliability issues (e.g., the work ethic of MTurk respondents) are unavoidable (3). Another limitation is that this study was conducted with samples of people who had parenting experiences because the study used a youth soccer program to develop the experimental stimuli, and the context of parenting might amplify reactions to emotional messages. We therefore recommend that future studies be conducted with more diverse samples and more popular sports topics (e.g., local sports events) in order to exclude the specific study topic and characteristics of the sample as potentially confounding factors.

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Title: The effects of COVID-19 infection on athletic performance: A systematic review

George Minoso 2024-11-26T09:43:24-06:00 November 15th, 2024 | COVID-19 , Research , Sports Exercise Science , Sports Health & Fitness |

Authors: 1 Marisella Villano, MS, CFT, CES and 2 Frank Spaniol, PhD

Department of Kinesiology, Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi

Marisella Villano, MS, CFT, CCES

Marisella Villano recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Kinesiology from Texas A & M – Corpus Christi and has previously earned a Master’s degree in Gerontology from Long Island University. Additionally, she is a certified fitness trainer and corrective exercise specialist and is the founder and owner of MARVIL FIT, an indoor cycling, fitness and personal training studio in the Hamptons.

Frank Spaniol, PhD is a professor of sport and exercise science and also the program coordinator in the Kinesiology department at Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi. His research interests include: sport performance, strength and conditioning, visual skills training, and sport technology.

Abstract Purpose: This systematic review investigated the effects of COVID-19 infection on athletic performance. Methods: Using guidelines for a systematic search review, a comprehensive literature review was conducted utilizing the computer databases Google Scholar, PubMed and the Mary and Jeff Bell Library at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Results: Incidence of cardiac abnormalities is low among athletes with COVID-19 infection, but cardiopulmonary deficiencies like shortness of breath have been shown to affect aerobic capacity which can impair performance. A premature switch to anaerobic metabolism at higher intensities was observed during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Increased exercise heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were also observed in some athletes during CPET. Finally, the effects of COVID-19 appear to be multisystemic as decrements were also observed in balance, sleep and high intensity performance. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection primarily affects the cardiorespiratory system, but other multisystemic disturbances to athletic performance may occur which can negatively affect performance. Applications to Sport: Athletes recovered from COVID-19 illness continue to experience shortness of breath which may decrease recoverability after high intensity exertions and increase fatigability during competition. Proper screening beginning with CPET and planned RTP protocols based on the individual needs of athletes are necessary for seamless return to sport and attainment of performance levels prior to infection.

Keywords Return to play, cardiorespiratory, cardiopulmonary exercise test, cardiac magnetic resonance, heart rate, VO2max, aerobic threshold, anaerobic threshold, ventilation, ventilatory efficiency, ventilatory inefficiency, long covid

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic spared no one, including athletes, and became a significant worldwide problem that appeared to primarily cause respiratory and cardiovascular illness (29). While clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in athletes are generally mild, persisting symptoms like cough, fatigue and tachycardia are similar to individuals in the general public (25). Individuals affected with mild or moderate COVID-19 illness also have the possibility of experiencing persistent symptoms post infection called Long-Covid (LC) and asymptomatic infection can introduce symptoms once a person has recovered from the primary infection (32). Persistent symptoms lasting more than 28 days are defined as LC and generally include fatigue and shortness of breath (6, 34).

Aside from the common symptoms of COVID-19 which include cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular disturbances, multisystemic disturbances have been observed in the central and peripheral nervous systems, gastrointestinal system, hematological system, liver, skeletal muscle, and kidneys (11, 16, 29). Furthermore, post infection sequelae causing imbalances of the autonomic system have also been observed (15). To sum up, the virus responsible for COVID-19 attacks the immune system of its host and creates a systemic inflammatory response by activating a large number of cytokines, which induces inflammation and can affect multiple organ systems that could potentially contribute to their failure in severe cases (1). Multiorgan damage by COVID-19 infection is caused by penetration of the virus through angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptors found on the surface of the cell (21). Further, large concentrations of ACE2 receptors are found in pulmonary and cardiac tissue, which may explain symptoms of shortness of breath and cardiac complications in recovered individuals (21). Additionally, COVID-19 complications have been observed to last longer than 30 days and up to 6 months (28). Even though the athletic population appears to develop mild to moderate COVID-19 infection, are not at high risk for severe illness and are quick to recover, they may experience lingering post infection sequelae from COVID-19 like myocarditis, exertional dyspnea, tachycardia, muscle pain, joint pain and fatigue (even with asymptomatic and mild infection) (9, 15, 25). Lastly, estimations of LC in athletes are between 3 and 17% (34). First time symptoms of COVID-19 illness can occur once the primary infection has subsided (32). Because athletes exert demanding loads compared to the average population, understanding the long-term effects of COVID-19 is not only important to help maintain maximal performance levels, but should also be a concern for their safety (2, 6, 32). While athletes appear to fully recover after COVID-19 infection, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) post infection has aided medical professionals to uncover potentially detrimental symptomatology during exertional activities (5).

Fortunately, current research has demonstrated that the chance for cardiac abnormalities among athletes recovering from asymptomatic to moderate COVID-19 illness is very rare (3, 14, 16, 19). In a study by Maestrini et. al. (2023), 6% of the participants exhibited cardiac abnormalities post COVID-19 cardiovascular evaluations. Also, of 1597 athletes in Big Ten American Football Conference, 37 athletes (2.3%) exhibited clinical or subclinical signs of myocarditis (10). Of interest, some cardiac issues uncovered during CPET and cardiovascular testing while undergoing return to play (RTP) protocols after infection had no relationship to COVID-19 and appeared to result from preexisting conditions (3, 24, 32). This emphasizes the need for regular CPET (which has been used as a standard test to determine the cardiorespiratory and pulmonary health of individuals post infection) and cardiovascular screening for all athletes (3, 24, 32).

While most athletes will have mild or no symptoms during acute COVID-19 infection, 3-17% will be affected by continuing symptoms, like fatigue, that can have negative effects, to optimal performance (33). Unfortunately, the recommended forced rest of 14 days for elite and competitive athletes can be detrimental to power and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), cardiac output and stroke volume (21). Information regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19 continues to evolve and only necessitates the importance of research and investigation, especially in athletes because their success relies on their physical capabilities (31). Additionally, little research is available on the consequences of any potential musculoskeletal cellular interruptions through the ACE2 receptors primarily occurring in pulmonary and cardiac tissue (31). Although many athletes have a significantly reduced risk of severe COVID-19 illness, they are not immune to contracting the disease and its lingering effects (9,33). Further, compared to other acute respiratory viruses, the proportion of athletes who have not fully recovered from COVID-19 is significantly higher (34). The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 infection on the performance of athletes.

List of Abbreviations Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET), Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR), Heart Rate (HR), Maximal Heart Rate (MHR), Ventilation (VE), Ventilatory Efficiency (VEf), Ventilatory Inefficiency (ViE), Long Covid (LC), Maximal Oxygen Consumption (VO2max), peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), Beats Per Minute (bpm), Blood Lactate (BL), Oxygen (O2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Repetition Maximum (RM), Respiratory Compensation Point (RC), Ventilatory Aerobic Threshold (VAT), Beat per Minute (BPM), VE/CO2 Slope (pulmonary ventilation to CO2 production), Partial Pressure of CO2 (PETCO2), Forced Expiratory Volume in the First Second (FEV1), Second Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV2)

Methods Using guidelines for a systematic search review, a comprehensive literature review was conducted from January 2020 to November 2023 using the computer databases Google Scholar, PubMed and the Mary and Jeff Bell Library at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Several search terms were used and include; covid and athlete; covid infection and athlete and performance and CPET; covid infection and athletes and power and performance and VO2max and cardiorespiratory; covid infection and CPET and anaerobic and athlete; covid infection and athletes and power and performance and VO2max and cardiorespiratory; covid infection and athletes and power and performance and VO2max and cardiopulmonary and sport. Larger search terms to narrow results were necessary when using Google Scholar as the use of two search terms like covid infection and athlete resulted in over 22,000 results. All search titles were carefully filtered to include athletic performance inferences and COVID-19 infection.

Once searches were filtered, article content was reviewed to determine relevance of the investigation as mentioned above. Research journal articles were selected along with 2 case studies due to lack of information in this newly emerged topic. 947 articles were retrieved using Google Scholar with search terms covid infection and athletes and power and performance and VO2max and cardiopulmonary and sport. Of the 947 articles, 10 were relevant to the research parameters. A second search on Google Scholar was conducted using the search terms covid infection and CPET and anaerobic and athlete with 899 results. Of the 889 resulting articles, 17 were relevant to the research parameters. Two separate searches were conducted in PubMed for the terms (1) covid infection and athlete and performance and CPET and (2) COVID infection and athlete and performance and CPET and anaerobic. The first search resulted in 122 outcomes with 18 relevant articles and the second search resulted in 7 outcomes with 5 relevant items. Larger search terms were used because using only the terms covid infection and athlete together resulted in almost 3,000 results. Lastly, the Mary and Jeff Bell Library was used in the review search using fewer search terms since using the larger terms resulted in an extreme narrowing of results. The search terms COVID and athlete were used and resulted in 237 articles. Using the option to include the search terms in the subject heading, the search was further narrowed to 88 where 7 of these search outcomes were selected based on the criteria. 6 articles were extracted from the final selection of articles that did not meet the search requirements and all results were compared for duplicates. In total, 32 articles were retrieved from the search. Additionally, a few articles were extracted from the articles obtained in the search for further investigation of research evidence.

Babity et al. (2022) observed a 10% decrease in VO2max in athletes recovered from COVID-19 infection when comparing their CPET values before illness. Also, post infection CPET times were longer among athletes recovered from COVID-19 infection (p=.003). Further, increased heart rate (HR) was observed in athletes previously infected with COVID-19 during testing. However, once adjustments for age were calculated, no statistically significant changes were evident. Additionally, 13% of elite athletes who participated in the study had asymptomatic infections and a small group appeared to have cardiac irregularities. Despite these differences, no difference was observed between COVID-19 athletes and the control group in ventilation (VE,) carbon dioxide (CO2) removal, blood lactate (BL) levels and percentage of time spent during the anaerobic phase. Vollrath et al. (2022) observed that athletes recovered from COVID-19 infection with persistent symptoms had lower ventilatory efficiency (VEf) than athletes who were symptom free and may indicate a slow recuperation of VEf for symptomatic individuals. Three months later, these persistent symptoms experienced by the athletes were reduced but still present in about 60% of the subjects.

Ventilatory inefficiency (ViE) was observed in competitive athletes that tested positive for COVID-19 by Komici et al. (2023) but was not observed to limit their exercise capacity. These athletes were tested after an RTP program of about 2 weeks. When comparing post infection sequelae, a study by Rinaldo et al. (2021), observed that nonathletic individuals exhibited similar symptoms at rest and at work whereas athletes did not appear to express symptomatology at rest. The exercise decrements observed between both groups in CPET included early AT, early termination of testing, lower peak oxygen (O2) pulse, lower work and a decreased slope relationship between O2 uptake and rate of work. Decreased capacity of exercise was not observed in athletes by Komici et al. 2021, however a trend was observed in the decrease of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) among the recovered athletes. Similarly, Keller et al. also observed 4% lower peak values of VO2max in athletes recuperated from COVID-19 (p=.01) when compared to athletes who did not contract the virus. Along with reduced VO2max, Keller et al. (2023) observed an increased chance for exercise hypertension during CPET testing within this group which can be indicative of intolerance to exercise. Additionally, the authors noted that incidences of shortness of breath and chest pain were more prevalent with older athletes in the study group. Reduced peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) and increased BP among athletes recovered from COVID-19 illness were observed during CPET, but not at rest.

CPET values among COVID-19 recovered athletes with mild to moderate illness reached AT faster (p=.05) and also had lower measurements for minute ventilation (Ve) than the control group in an investigation by Anastasio et al. (2022). However, differences in maintaining CPET parameters between the two groups were not significant. Additionally, differences at maximal effort only differed by HR, with the COVID-19 group demonstrating higher HR values, but performance during testing was not altered. Finally, one month post COVID-19 infection athletes demonstrate a premature shift to anaerobic metabolism when compared to the control group.

Significant differences were not observed by Babity et al. (2022) when analyzing CPET values of elite athletes before and 3 months after COVID-19 infection. It is important to note that athletes in this study also underwent post COVID-19 retraining protocols where significant increases were observed in average exercise times (p=.003), time to achieve VO2max, respiration rate (p=.008), and HR achieved at AT (p=.004). Also, findings during examination uncovered arrhythmias or hypertension in asymptomatic athletes, and additional non-COVID-19 related to cardiac abnormalities. Moreover, Parpa & Michaelides (2022) observed significantly lower VO2max (p=.01) and decreased VO2max (p=.05) in 21 soccer players recovered from COVID-19. Significantly higher HR at ventilatory threshold (VT) (p=.01) and respiratory compensation point (RC) (p=.01) were also detected. Lastly, decreases in running speed during testing were only observed at VO2max (p=.05) and lower running times (p=.01) were observed.

In a study by Milovancev et al. (2021) of professional volleyball players recovered from COVID-19 infection with about 20 days of retraining, CPET values appeared to show fairly normal pulmonary function. After analyzing data from other studies of healthy athletes, the authors observed lower VO2max and second ventilatory threshold (VT2) in the participants of their study but contributed the deficits to detraining. Lastly, no cardiac disturbances were detected during testing. Similarly, testing results of athletes recovered from COVID-19 showed no statistically significant difference before and after COVID-19 in a study by Taralov et al. (2021) regardless of continued fatigue symptomatology. Due to the study’s small sample size, the authors looked at individual results and were able to see that one participant’s total CPET time was 30 seconds shorter post infection from 18 minutes to 17:30 minutes. Further, AT was reached earlier after acute infection. Additionally, maximal heart rates (MHR) were similar during testing before and after infection which suggests that the similar effort post infection resulted in decreased testing capacity. Another test subject had differing recovery HR 2 minutes into recovery from 141 beats per minute (bpm) before COVID-19 infection to 156 bpm after COVID-19 infection, which is an indication of diminished recovery capacity.

Wezenbeek et al. (2023) showed decreased aerobic performance after COVID-19 infection in elite soccer players about 2 months post infection. Statistically significant higher (MHR) percentages were observed 6 minutes into a Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (YYIR) (p=.006). When compared to non-infected team members, the MHR percentages were 6-11% greater in the players recovered from COVID-19. After a retest 4-5 months post recovery, these decreases dissipated to normal values. Lastly, the authors also investigated the effects of the viral infection on jumping, strength and sprinting capabilities and no significant differences were observed before and after infection.

A comparative study by Stavrou et al. (2023) between athletes that tested positive for COVID-19 and healthy athletes which never contracted COVID-19 demonstrated statistically significant differences during CPET even with non-significant differences in testing performance. First, the post-COVID-19 group had lower HR at maximal exertions than their healthy counterparts, 191.6 ±7.8 bpm and 196.6 ± 8.6 bpm respectively (p=.041). Mean arterial pressures were similar between both groups. Also, O2 consumption showed no significant difference between the groups. Second, BL levels in the post- COVID -19 group were significantly higher at rest (p=.001), during CPET and during recovery than the healthy group. Third, both groups achieved similar VO2max values, but the post-COVID-19 group did have greater exertional symptoms like increased VE. Fourth, increases in VE were observed in post-COVID-19 group even with non-significant performance differences in CPET between the two groups. Lastly, the post-COVID-19 group also had greater sleep disturbances based on study questionnaires (p=.001). Interestingly, no significant differences in O2 consumption were present between the groups, yet VE was higher at greater workloads in the post-COVID-19 group. Another comparative study by Śliż et al. (2021) with endurance athletes before and after COVID-19 noted significant changes in CPET parameters after illness. These changes include aggravations to VO2 at AT (p=.00001), VO2 at RC (p=.00001), HR to RC (p=.00011) and VO2max (p=.00011). Additionally, lowered VO2max and early accumulation of lactate were observed during CPET.

Similar findings to ViE and decreased aerobic capacity in elite and highly trained recovered athletes were observed by Brito et al. (2023) with CPET 6-22 weeks after onset of illness. Further, statistically significant decrements were observed in both symptomatic and asymptomatic participants recovered from COVID-19 illness. Additionally, over 50% of all test subjects exhibited significant dysfunctional breathing (p=.023) and over 60% presented significant evidence of ViE (p=.001). Also, a statistically significant percentage of abnormalities were more prevalent among symptomatic individuals, specifically VE/CO2 slope (p<.001), PETCO2 rest (p=.007) and PETCO2 max (p=.008). Statistically significantly higher abnormalities of expiratory air flow/tidal volume were apparent with asymptomatic individuals (p=.012). Lastly, no changes in running economy were apparent in either group. Bruzzese et al. (2021) also noted statistically significant changes to oxygen uptake at second ventilatory threshold (VO2VT2) (p=.28), MHR (p=.04) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) (p=.02). In a case study by Barker-Davies et al. (2023) an elite runner recovering from COVID-19 experienced reduced work capacity and O2 uptake at AT 5 months after infection and occurred more rapidly than a previous CPET conducted 15 months earlier. Also, a decrease in workload by 27 watts (W) and a reduction of O2 uptake by 13% was also observed. When reviewing calorimetry, a 21% decrease in fat metabolism was observed and may explain the early onset to AT. Despite the decrements in performance, the absolute values of the CPET fell within normal range but the athlete complained of fatigue and difficulty generating power.

An investigation by Rajpal et al. (2021) which focused on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) found incidence of current myocarditis or prior injury to the myocardium in almost 50% of 26 athletes recovered from COVID-19 (22). In another investigation by Maestrini et al. (2023), 2% of cardiac abnormalities were observed in 219 asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic athletes by Maestrini et al. (2023). Moreover, 3.3% of study participants demonstrated cardiac disturbances that included pericarditis and myopericarditis by Cavigli and colleagues. Juhász et al. (2023) also provided evidence that about 3% of recovered athletes had evidence of myocarditis or pericardial effusion. The authors also mentioned that persistent symptoms of COVID-19, like fatigue and chest pain, were factors that restricted players from RTP. Further, the disturbances seemed to be prevalent only among female athletes who had mild symptomatic COVID-19 infection. Additionally, these cardiac disturbances were determined during CPET testing and ECG monitoring. Biomarkers for cardiac disturbances, arrhythmias and structural abnormalities in the heart were also very low in the study by Sridi-Cheniti et al. (2022). Lastly, Cavigli et al. (2021) also observed that no athletes with asymptomatic COVID-19 infection demonstrated any cardiac complications.

Conversely, all athletes participating in an investigation by Fikenzer et al., (2021) had fluid accumulation in the pericardium (pericardial effusion) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with high T1- and T2- values had a reduced maximal load, maximal O2 uptake, a higher HR at comparable exertion, and a significantly reduced O2 pulse when compared to previous testing. The changes to cardiac muscle in HR and O2 pulse were visible at moderate intensities, while the cardiopulmonary effects became apparent during higher intensities. Additionally, the respiratory minute volume which is used as a constraint of pulmonary function was considerably reduced. Malek and colleagues noted that 28 Olympic athletes recovered from COVID-19 infection did not appear to have any acute myocarditis findings after MRI testing. However, 5 of the subjects did show cardiac abnormalities. These individuals were all able to fully recover and RTP safely. Lastly, a case study by Nedeljkovic et al. (2021) observing native CMR images of an athlete recovered from asymptomatic COVID-19 infection demonstrated no signs of inflammation to the cardiac tissue. However, after contrast application, the indication of focal myocarditis became apparent where the athlete was advised to cease training for 3 months. Further, this individual continued to present with signs of myocarditis and decreased functional ability at a 3 month follow up visit.

Individuals like National Football League player Myles Garrett, National Basketball Association player Jayson Tatum and Major League Baseball player Yoan Moncada all experienced symptoms of fatigability (33). Because of this, Walker et al. (2023) compared the mean Pro Football Focus (PFF) game scores before and after a COVID-19 infection in players to examine performance. When analyzed by position before and after infection, statistically significant decreases in the numbers of snaps per game were observed in Defensive Backs (p=.03) and statistically significant decreases were further observed for mean scores in Defensive Linemen (p=.03). Additionally, similar findings were observed by Savicevic et al. (2021) in professional soccer players that were recovered from COVID-19 infection and completed RTP protocols where players demonstrated a decrease occurrence of high intensity accelerations and decelerations in game performance (p=.04).

Neuromuscular disturbances affecting balance may be another complication arising from COVID-19 as observed by Fernández-Rodríguez et al. (2023) which evaluated six handball players 1 month post infection and demonstrated degradation to static balance. Mild sleep disturbances were observed to affect 31% of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 by Śliż et al. (2023) and the sleep disturbances appear to influenced endurance athletes while performing CPET. Endurance athletes that experienced decreased sleep times experienced significant parameter changes in breath rate, pulmonary VE and BL concentration at AT. The study further observed several CPET correlations in athletes with sleep disturbances and performance and include (1) disturbances in HR and RC, (2) higher pulmonary VE at AT, (3) maximum power output and maximal HR and (4) individual habit which including methods to cope with sleep disturbances. Of interest, Vollrath et al. (2022) observed that sleep disturbances increased during the course of their investigation. Lastly, the authors further described that the most persistent symptoms observed in athletes included insomnia, fatigue and neurocognitive disorders, which can cause impairments to memory, learning and decision making. Probing the influence of COVID-19 strains on athletic performance, Stojmenovic et. al. (2023) demonstrated that athletes infected with the Omicron variant, the latest virus strain, had higher VO2 max when compared to athletes infected with the older variants, Wuhan and Delta. Athletes affected by the Omicron variant had better VE and higher O2/HR values when compared to the two previous strains, Wuhan and Delta. Further, O2 transport to skeletal muscle was also greater with the Omicron variant. No statistical difference was observed with MHR at the completion of CPET and during the 3-minute recovery. Of further interest, the early transition of aerobic to anaerobic metabolism, which has been observed in several studies with the Wuhan and Delta variants, was not present for the Omicron variant (29).

Stojmenovic et. al. and colleagues further observed values of HR at ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT) and RC that were much higher in the athletes who contracted the Omicron strain versus the groups of athletes which contracted the Wuhan or Delta strain (p=.01). Additionally, higher HR values at the VAT were observed with the Wuhan and Delta variants when compared to the Omicron variant (p=.001). The RER at lower intensities was greater among the Wuhan and Delta group (p=.001) which demonstrates a greater dependence toward carbohydrate as a fuel rather than fat and further indicating an inability to utilize O2 for energy production. The efficiency of O2 delivery was the greatest for athletes with the Omicron variant. Moreover, VEf, although within normal limits for all three strains, was the best for individuals recovered from Omicron which further highlights more effective O2 transport to the skeletal muscle. Also, this study demonstrated meaningful decreases in aerobic capacity for all COVID-19 strains. Deng et al. (2023) investigated the neuromuscular performance of the upper body and mental health in a group of vaccinated kayakers recovered from the Omicron variant. No decrements were evident in 1RM bench press about 22 days post infection. Mental health appeared to be intact.

In an investigation by Jafarnezhadgero et al. (2022) recreational female runners that were hospitalized for COVID-19 were able to maintain steady state running with similar HR as the control group but ran at slower paces than the control group (p=.0001). Further, running test in COVID-19 recovered female runners terminated early (p=.0001). Also, these individuals had longer foot contact time (p=.002), peak propulsion forces (p=.0004) and reductions in loading rate (p=.04). Another study by Toresdahl and colleagues explored a potential link to COVID-19 infection and increased chances for injury in recovered runners due to systemic inflammation. While the investigation relied on self-reported questionaries, the outcome presented finding that about 20% of 1947 study participants, which included both males and females, experienced injury after a positive COVID-19 infection that prevented them from running for at least one week.

Juhász, et al. (2023) also noted that females, when compared to men, were more likely to suffer from short term prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 infection (34% vs. 19%, p = 0.005). However, females conveyed information through study surveys which indicated that they were able to regain peak form and maximal training strength faster than their male counterparts (3 vs. 4 weeks, p = 0.01). Further, LC was statistically significant with age groups in the study, with older age groups experiencing LC and severe symptoms more than their younger counterparts (p= .02%).

Gattoni et al. (2022) noted significantly lower performance outcomes among soccer players recovered from COVID-19 infection (p<.01). Additionally, no cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular abnormalities were present among test subjects. Also, while no statistical significance was observed for cardiopulmonary abnormalities, individual impairments were noted. Of 26 elite athletes and 20 physically trained individuals (average age 30) participating in a study by Brito and authors, 65% of them continued to have persisting symptoms approximately 2-3 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis, with the most frequent symptom being dyspnea (or shortness of breath). Additionally, participants with symptomatic illness showed statistically significant impairment to minute ventilation/CO2 production (VE/VCO2) slope (p < 0.001), partial pressure of CO2 (PETCO2) rest (p = 0.007), and PETCO2 max (p = 0.009) when compared to asymptomatic individuals. However, expiratory air flow/tidal volume occurred more often among asymptomatic individuals (p = 0.012). Lastly, impairments during CPET did not differ between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.

Discussion With increased research regarding the influence of COVID-19 infection to athletic performance, new information is emerging, and prior implications of significant cardiac involvement have been quelled. The concern for myocarditis and sport related cardiac complications lies in fears of sudden cardiac death due to high intensity workloads, but these complications in athletes who are typically healthy and young with asymptomatic or mild symptoms COVID-19 infection are low, yet the risk does exist (7, 23). Occurrences of myocarditis, pericarditis, intolerance to exercise, fatigue and shortness of breath in athletes presented the need for more regular medical examinations and screening post infection not only to conserve athletic capabilities, but to also prevent the possibility of sudden cardiac death (SCD) (29). Further, some of the cardiac issues uncovered with CPET and cardiovascular testing with RTP protocol may have been preexisting conditions in athletes which had no relationship to COVID-19 (3). For this reason alone, CPET testing and cardiovascular screening is recommended for all athletes (3). To complicate matters, changes to the heart muscle can occur in athletes due to adaptations resulting from exercise quantity and intensities that are necessary to maintain athletic performance and may make testing athletes at resting conditions to be counterproductive (22, 32).

Cardiac abnormality involvement in athletes recovered from COVID-19 is inconsistent (18). Clinical cardiac events in elite and high-level athletes after mild or asymptomatic infection are very low even after resuming high-level training (27). Because of the low prevalence of cardiac complications associated with COVID-19 infection, the use of resonance CMR has been suggested to be reserved as a screening tool for athletes that may be at risk for cardiovascular abnormalities, although cardiac screening in athletes was suggested to be performed at least once to help detect underlying heart abnormalities (3, 17).

COVID-19 seems to affect the cardiorespiratory system more than the cardiovascular system (19). Several studies have observed an early switch to anaerobic metabolism during CPET. The greater recruitment of anaerobic metabolism at a specific workload can help to explain the inability of athletes to develop a significant power output during exertion, most probably due to fatiguability (4). Further, a study by Ajaz et al., observed decreased cellular respiration in hospitalized COVID-19 patients when the glucose pathway for energy was blocked. Additionally, Stavrou et al. (2023) also emphasized this to be a deficiency in the aerobic pathway for energy production as ventilation increased during physical exertion. Keller and colleagues suggested that the limitations to performance are directly related to delivery of O2 to muscles tissue rather than occurring from cardiac complications. Also, Jafarnezhadgero et al. (2022) determined that decreased performance during running tests were caused by deficits in O2 transport rather than fatigue, and they did not affect running mechanics in the study participants which recovered from COVID-19. Finally, these ideas are further supported by Wezenbeek and colleagues, who believe that COVID-19 infection can cause disruption to capillary blood flow, thus limiting the uptake of O2.

Of interest, a study by Ajaz et al. (2021) observed decreased cellular respiration in hospitalized COVID-19 patients when the glucose pathway for energy was blocked. Additionally, cellular respiration in the healthy control group and a separate group with various chest infections not related to COVID-19 did not exhibit any augmentation to cellular respiration. Also, in all three groups, no changes were present when other energy pathways with glutamine and long chain fatty acids were blocked. Further, Ajaz and authors believe the dependency on glucose may explain the early shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism observed in some athletes post COVID-19 infection. Moreover, the authors consider that mitochondrial dysfunction from COVID-19 infection is responsible for the preference of cells to utilize the process of glycolysis for cellular respiration and energy production. Lastly, greater metabolism of carbohydrates may have more negative implications in female athletes since females are more reliant on fat metabolism than men (4).

Although testing parameters in a study by Taralov et al. (2021) demonstrated no statistical significance in CPET and blood testing before and after COVID-19 infection in athletes, many continued to complain of persisting fatigue for several months. By examining the individual differences among the small sample group, the authors were able to detect small changes in performance. For example, a 30 second shorter CPET time post infection with time with similar MHR and intensity values before infection may be indicative of fatigue. Additionally, another test subject exhibited higher recovery HR parameters post infection which can be indicative of a reduced capacity for recovery. Further, AT was reached earlier after acute infection. Taralov and authors further emphasized that these findings can be significant during competition. While these changes seem small when comparing test results, these small differences can make large differences during competition by increasing fatigability and decreased recovery capacity that can have a negative impact to performance.

Recovery from persistent COVID-19 infection sequelae can take several months. Parpa & Michaelides (2022) concluded that 2 months of recovery post infection may not be sufficient for athletes, especially since some symptoms are not detectable at rest. Subsequently, post COVID-19 infection can cause reduced VO2 peak during exercise testing and increases in blood pressure during exercise despite presenting normal findings at rest reinforces the need for return to play testing in athletes (14). Additionally, even mild illness in athletes who have non-significant differences in VO2max when compared to non-infected individuals will experience aerobic burdens, which will display strains in performance and respiration (28). Lastly, the authors recommended that factors like VT, RC and HR and running speed should be observed during VO2max and respiratory threshold (RT).

One of the primary reasons for performance decrement may be due to detraining from COVID-19 infection and the necessary forced rest (19). Declines in VO2max with detraining have been observed in as little as 12 days and are caused by decreased stroke volume and arteriovenous gas exchange due to decreased volume of plasma from decreased exercise exertion (19). In addition, decreases in mitochondrial density have been observed after three weeks of exercise with no changes in muscle capillarization (19). Finally, cessation of exercise in 42-85 days has been noted to change the oxidative capacity of intermediate type IIa muscle fibers toward type IIb muscle fibers (19).

Moreover, an increase in VE/VCO2 slope is suggestive of intolerance to exercise along with cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary disease (15). Komici et al., (2023) did not believe that deconditioning was associated with ViE from their ventilatory parameters because the slope of VE/VCO2 appeared similar within all groups of athletes recovered from COVID-19 in their study. However, a perceived inverse correlation among ventilatory efficiency slope (VCO2/VE) maximum and ventilatory equivalents for O2 (VO2/VE) maximum among test subjects was suggestive of a perfusion mismatching in ventilation which is indicative to ViE (15). While the mechanisms involved in their ViE were not clearly understood, an inverse relation was observed between maximum volume of CO2 during ventilatory exchange and the volume of max O2 during ventilatory exchange and may have implications to a mismatching of O2 (24). Moreover, cardiorespiratory deficits have been attributed to muscle deconditioning in patients, not athletes, when decreased ventilatory response and early AT was observed in post COVID-19 patients (24). Athletes recovered from COVID-19 infection may demonstrate shortness of breath but can also have reduced pulmonary capacity and cardiac symptoms only detectable during sub-maximal conditions which can result in reduced physical capacity (10,15, 25). Moreover, increases in HR at VT and RC may be a response in the cardiovascular system resulting from hypoxemia, which has been observed as a mismatching of gas exchange in several studies (21). To conclude, understanding how to assist athletes with regaining pre-COVID-19 infection performance is not only important for a safe return to play, but for performance too.

Sleep is important for the body to function properly, and can affect attitude, breathing, pulmonary VE, memory impairment, stress tolerance, BL concentrations, glycogen recovery, metabolic processes and immune function (26). In addition, reaction times, accuracy, perceptual abilities, skill performance, strength, power, endurance and overall athletic performance can be affected by sleep disturbances and may not allow adequate recovery from physical exertion (26, 28). Finally, lack of sleep and decreased ability for recovery may increase injury risk because of slower reaction times and decreased perceptual abilities (28).

Also, Jafarnezhadgero et al. (2022) suggested that COVID-19 infection may also alter rates of perceived exertion which can possibly affect running biomechanics. Further, Toresdahl et al. (2022) observed a potential cellular musculoskeletal deterioration from systemic inflammation of COVID-19 in a group of endurance runners. Since this investigation used only questionnaires, more research is necessary to confirm if the outcomes were a result of cellular musculoskeletal deterioration or if they were a result of deconditioning due to forced rest associated with illness which could be responsible for developing muscle weakness or neuromuscular control.

With the emergence of COVID-19 strains, understanding the symptomatology before and after disease is important for the determination of athletic integrity among individuals in sports (28). Fortunately, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants appears to have diluted pathologies or symptomatologies (8, 29). However, the authors emphasized that all athletes affected with the COVID-19 variants exhibited decreased collected values in VO2max. Stojmenovic and authors examined the effects of COVID-19 virus variants when compared to healthy athletes which never tested positive for COVID-19. Furthermore, testing was conducted during the athletic season where athletic capacity should be optimal. Additionally, Stojmenovic et. al. (2023) observed an adequate supply of O2 to the muscle in all three groups during testing and speculate an inefficiency with mitochondrial or cellular respiration caused by COVID-19 infection. Finally, Bruzzese and colleagues noted that although significant performance differences during CPET were observed in athletes pre and post COVID-19 infection, significant work intensities were attained.

Static balance is a skill for all sports and may help increase strength, power and speed (9). Fernández-Rodríguez and colleagues suggested that decrements to static balance may be due to the neurological impairment of sensory processing that may occur with COVID-19 infection. Moreover, sensory processing in sports is important for the cognitive control of decision making, planning of movement, organization of movement, thought planning and actual execution of performance (9). Lastly, other reasons for balance decrement can include mental health issues like depression, anxiety, inability to make decisions, fatigue and lack of sleep, cardiorespiratory impairments, or simply the forced break after infection with limited physical activity (9).

Bruzzese et al. (2023) suggested that a decrease in volume of O2 at second forced expiratory volume (FEV2) in evaluated athletes was a result of detraining from forced rest and isolation due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Additionally, a case study by Barker-Davies et al. (2023) suggested that deconditioning due to imposed rest was a potential reason that might explain performance decrements. However, the individuals observed presented with normal stroke volume and cardiac output and values did not decrease as they would in a deconditioned individual. The authors further hypothesized that decreases in performance may also be a result of mitochondrial dysfunction, which has been observed with COVID-19 infection. Mitochondrial dysfunction is the result of the cells possessing an increased dependence of glucose rather than fat metabolism (4). Further, the authors explain that after calorimetry data review, the larger ratio of the metabolism of anaerobic to aerobic pathways may be another possible explanation for perceived decreases in power output. Finally, women appear to be more dependent on fat metabolism than men, thus reductions in aerobic pathways will probably have a greater impact on women (4).

Unfortunately, RTP for some athletes may not be an option because of persistent sequelae due to COVID-19 illness (12). Organizations like the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association Joint committee have recommended a gradual RTP which involves low intensity exercise once symptoms have subsided (12). From current studies, persisting sequalae among athletes post COVID-19 infection appear to resolve in 3-4 months and incidences of LC lasting more than three months was very low (3, 17, 23). Because the physical long-term health implications of COVID-19 to athletes are not fully understood and research is limited, an ambivalence for RTS protocols exists (11). Currently, RTP protocols, which assist athletes to fully recover from illness, ranges from 1-4 weeks depending on severity of COVID-19 and generally have not included exercise stress (17, 25). Exercise should not be continued among symptomatic players that continue to experience persistent fever, dyspnea at rest, cough, chest pain, or palpitations, since high intensity exercise may increase inflammation and advance the rate of viral replication therefore negatively impacting immunity to exacerbate or even lengthen duration of illness (7, 19). Conversely, moderate exercise intensity has been noted to have positive effects on immunity (19).

Performance can be limiting as some athletes, specifically those with cardiac symptomatology, will require several months to clear symptoms and can lead to deconditioning, specifically to power and VO2max(5). Savicevic et al. (2021) noted absences resulting from COVID-19 infection ranged from 7-91 days and can have implications to detraining. Unfortunately, forced breaks in training due to COVID-19 illness may be the reason for decreases in mitochondrial functioning, which will decrease the oxidative capacity of the muscle and capabilities (12). Further, the lack of energy supply, coupled with possible decreases in oxygen transport, suggested to be a common consequence of COVID-19 infection, may contribute to fatigue during performances in sports (12). Additionally, voluntary skeletal muscle function and activation can also be compromised under circumstances of fatigue and can further precipitate early onset of fatigue and alter biomechanics of movement (12). However, the effects of detraining among elite athletes lasting less than 28 days have been observed to have non-significant effects on neuromuscular functioning (8).

Even with decrements in VO2max from COVID-19 infection, different sports have varying uses for aerobic capacity (21). For instance, sports like basketball and tennis rely primarily on anaerobic energy pathways, but rely on aerobic fitness for recovery, and resynthesis of phosphocreatine for the ATP-PC (21). Conversely, a sport like soccer will rely heavily on aerobic fitness with total distances covered by players in a game can range between 9-14 kilometers (21). Further, distance covered in a 90-minute soccer game is dependent on VO2max and lactate threshold and metabolite removal/recoverability (21). Additionally, with reference to team sports, Savicevic et al. stressed the fact that a decline in the performance of one team player could affect the performance of the entire team. Lastly, using CPET can be beneficial to observe athlete responses to high intensity demands and help distinguish between the effects of detraining or cardiorespiratory inefficiency from illness (21).

Conclusion To conclude, COVID-19 infection does appear to affect athletes adversely and may last for several months. Although small, these differences could affect team success or individual success in sports. Additionally, some athletes recovered from acute COVID-19 infection continue to feel fatigued under physical exertions even when medical screening, physical fitness tests and power output results were within normal limits and may cause limitations during athletic performance. Individuals experiencing these symptoms of fatigue after a short-forced rest may be a result of viral infiltration resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction, while longer forced rest times may be contributed to deconditioning along with metabolic deficiencies. Fortunately, these issues appear to be reversible as observed with Babity et. al. (2022), where athletes were observes to have better CPET values post infection with a rigorous retraining protocol. Lastly, further research on decrements during competitive performance is necessary to fully understand the true effects of the virus infiltration among athletes since laboratory conditions cannot replicate the actual competitive environment.

Applications to Sport Due to the complicated nature of COVID-19 and slow recovery associated with persistent fatigue which may be a result from a possible disconnect to pulmonary efficiency, capillary perfusion or mitochondrial function, screening for exertional stressors during athletic performance is highly recommended with CPET and spirometry. Further, the problematic physical circumstances of COVID-19 illness can prevent athletes from returning to sport at physically competitive levels. Individualized gradual RTP is recommended to acclimatize athletes to the high intensity demands of sports since small decrements to performance can produce negative consequential outcomes during play in competitive sports.

Limitations There were several limitations to this review. First, many of the studies conducted had small sample sizes. Second, most of the testing was conducted with male athletes. Third, limited data was available from CPET and cardiac screening before infection among test subjects which did not allow for comparative investigations. Also, since COVID-19 is a relatively new epidemic and disease, limited data is available, especially among the athletic population and vaccinated individuals. Additionally, data varies with respect to recovery times and physical conditioning as some testing was conducted after RTP or during the competitive season. Lastly, very limited data investigating strength and power was available and is of interest since many decrements to performance were observed during high intensity exercises in a few investigations.

Acknowledgements Special thanks to Drs. Frank Spaniol and Dr. Donald Melrose for all their support and advice.

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Nedeljkovi, I. P., Giga, V., Ostojic, M., Djordjevic-Dikic, A., Stojmenovic, T., Nikolic, I., Dikic, N., Nedeljkovic-Arsenovic, O., Maksimovic, R, Dobric, M, Mujovic, M., & Beleslin, B. (2021). Focal Myocarditis after Mild COVID-19 Infection in Athletes (Case Report). Diagnostics, 11, 1519. doi 10.3390/diagnostics11081519
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Cupping Therapy Treatment on Range of Motion

George Minoso 2024-11-04T11:58:48-06:00 November 4th, 2024 | Research , Sports Exercise Science , Sports Medicine |

Authors: 1 Rachele E. Warken, 2 Erik Reid, & 3 Christopher M. Harp

1 Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, USA

Rachele E. Warken, PhD, ATC

Northern Kentucky University

100 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099

859-572-5623

[email protected]

Rachele Warken is an associate professor and the director of the graduate Athletic Training Program at Northern Kentucky University. She is also a certified athletic trainer. Rachele has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Kentucky University and a master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Hawaii, Manoa.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of cupping therapy and passive stretching on shoulder internal and external rotation in healthy male high school athletes. Methods: Participants included nine high school male football players recruited from a local private high school. An eight minute cupping therapy treatment was completed on one arm, while passive shoulder stretching was completed on the other. Pre and post intervention measurements were taken for shoulder internal and external rotation and analyzed. Results: Analysis revealed that shoulder internal rotation range of motion post intervention were significantly higher than at pre intervention (p = 0.003), but there was no significant difference between shoulder internal rotation between the cupping therapy group and passive stretching group (p = 0.879). Similarly, shoulder external rotation range of motion post intervention was significantly higher than at pre intervention (p=0.021), but there was no significant difference between the cupping therapy group and passive stretching group (p = 0.621). Conclusions: The results of this study conclude that a cupping therapy treatment was as effective as a passive stretching treatment at increasing shoulder internal and external rotation in healthy high school males. Application in Sports : Cupping therapy is widely used by clinicians and athletes for a variety of reasons. Although this study this study did not find that cupping therapy is superior to passive stretching in healthy high school aged males, it did demonstrate that this intervention is as effective as passive stretching and provides the clinician with an additional method of treatment.

Key Words : Passive Stretching, Myofascial Decompression, Rehabilitation

Introduction

Injuries to the shoulder and elbow are very common among athletes, especially in sports that require forceful overhead activities. Range of motion deficits, specifically in shoulder internal and external rotation, have been linked to both shoulder and elbow injury. Previous research has indicated that athletes with a passive shoulder internal rotation deficit greater than 25° in their dominant shoulder compared to their non-dominant shoulder were at four to five times greater risk of upper extremity injury than those with less than a 25° deficit (10). Additionally, a total range of motion (shoulder internal rotation plus external rotation) of less than 160° also resulted in an increased the risk of upper extremity injury (2). As a result, clinicians and athletes consistently work to improve shoulder rotation range of motion with the goal of decreasing shoulder and elbow injuries.

Common methods to increase shoulder rotation include passive stretching and self-stretching. These stretches place slow and controlled tension on the soft tissue and have been shown to increase range of motion, improve flexibility, reduce the risk of injury, and improve blood circulation (1). Recently, the use of cupping therapy has gained popularity, especially in the athletic population as a result of prominent athletes advocating its use. Cupping therapy is an ancient Chinese technique that utilizes either glass or plastic cups along with fire or a vacuum pump to create negative pressure, drawing the skin and underlying tissue into the cup during treatment (9). The negative pressure developed during the treatment is thought to help reduce pain and inflammation, improve blood flow, facilitate the healing process and strengthen the immune system (6 ,8, 9).

Cupping therapy or myofascial decompression as it is commonly known in Western medicine is often used in sports medicine settings to increase range of motion. It is thought that the increase in blood flow to the muscle during a cupping therapy treatment increases tissue temperature causing tissues to become more elastic, resulting in greater range of motion (3). Although commonly used, there is currently limited research demonstrating the effectiveness of cupping therapy on improving range of motion. Previous research analyzing the effectiveness of cupping therapy on improving spine range of motion found that the cupping therapy intervention increased cervical and lumbar spine flexion range of motion following treatment (7, 11, 14). When cupping therapy was applied to other areas of the body differing results were found. When a cupping therapy treatment was applied to the gastrocnemius, an increase in dorsiflexion range of motion was identified (4). When cupping therapy was applied to the hamstring muscle group, researchers found that the cupping therapy treatment provided similar improvements in range of motions as more standard methods such as passive stretching (5, 8, 12) or found no improvement in range of motion (9, 13). To our knowledge, there is no previous research available that assess the effectiveness of cupping therapy on the upper extremity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of cupping therapy and passive stretching on shoulder internal and external rotation in healthy male high school athletes. It was hypothesized that cupping therapy will result in greater shoulder internal and external range of motion values than the passive stretching technique.

Study Design

This study utilized a cross-sectional design, and all data were collected in the athletic training clinic of a local boy’s private high school. The dependent variables include internal and external shoulder range of motion. The independent variables include the treatment types (cupping therapy and passive stretching) and the time the measurements were taken (pre-intervention and post-intervention). This study was approved by University’s Institutional Review Board.

Participants

Participants in this study included male high school football athletes recruited from a local boy’s private high school. A total of nine participants completed the study. Participant demographic information including age, height and weight are listed in Table 1. The inclusionary criteria for this study were healthy male high school athletes who were cleared for full athletic participation. The exclusionary criteria for this study included those who did not have full medical clearance for athletic participation, had shoulder surgery within the past year, or currently have shoulder pain.

INSERT Table 1. Participant demographics.

Instrumentation

A standard twelve inch goniometer was used to measure internal and external rotation range of motion of the shoulder prior to and following the interventions. For the cupping therapy intervention, five plastic cups and pumping handle were used (Hansol Cupping Therapy Equipment Set, Hansol Medical Equipment, Seoul Korea).

All testing occurred in the athletic training room at the local all boy’s private high school. Each participant (and their parent/guardian) completed the informed consent and assent forms prior to testing. During testing, age, height, weight, dominant arm, and previous shoulder injury information were collected. Each participant completed both the cupping therapy intervention and passive stretching intervention, one on each arm. The interventions were randomly assigned to each arm (dominant/non-dominant).

Prior to any intervention, passive shoulder internal and external rotation range of motion were assessed in both shoulders with a goniometer while the participant was lying supine, with their shoulder abducted to 90°,their elbow flexed to 90° and their shoulder in neutral rotation. Two measurements in each direction were taken and the values were averaged and used in the statistical analysis.

Following the pre intervention measurements, the cupping therapy intervention was performed with the patient lying prone. Lotion was applied to the posterior shoulder, scapula, and upper back to act as a lubricant for the cups. Five cups, each two inches in diameter were then applied to the muscle bellies of the posterior and lateral deltoid, infraspinatus, the middle portion of the trapezius and the rhomboid major and given three pumps each. The cups remained in place for eight minutes and then removed. Following removal of the cups, shoulder internal and external rotation range of motion was measured again with a goniometer.

Prior to the stretching intervention, the participant was asked to perform a warm-up of the arm being stretched. The warm-up consisted of passive self-stretching into flexion, extension, internal and external rotation, and completing rows with an elastic band. Following the warm-up, the researcher manually stretched the shoulder in both internal and external rotation with the participant in the supine position. The researcher held each stretch for 30 seconds, switching between stretching internal and external rotation for a total of three stretches in each direction. Following the stretching treatment, shoulder internal and external rotation range of motion were measured with a goniometer.

Statistical Analysis

A two-way analysis of variance was used to assess the differences between interventions (cupping therapy and passive stretching) and time period (pre-intervention and post-intervention) was completed for each dependent variable (shoulder internal rotation and shoulder external rotation). A priori alpha levels were set at p < 0.05 for statistical significance. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Version 28 (SPSS, Inc, Chicago, IL).

A total of nine male high school athletes participated in this study. The demographic information is included in Table 1. The two-way analysis of variance revealed that shoulder internal rotation range of motion post intervention were significantly higher than at pre intervention (p = 0.003). There was no significant difference between shoulder internal rotation between the cupping therapy group and passive stretching group (p = 0.879), nor was there a significant interaction (F(1, 32) = 0.094, p = 0.761) (Table 2). Similarly, the two-way analysis of variance for shoulder external rotation range of motion post intervention was significantly higher than at pre intervention (p=0.021). There was no significant difference between the cupping therapy group and passive stretching group (p = 0.621), nor was there a significant interaction (F(1, 32) = 0.061, p = 0.806) (Table 3).

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a cupping therapy treatment on increasing shoulder internal and external rotation. The results of this study found that both the cupping therapy intervention and the passive stretching intervention significantly increased shoulder rotation, however there was no difference between the interventions. To our knowledge, this was the first study to examine the use of cupping therapy to increase range of motion at the shoulder. Previous authors examined different areas of the body and found differing results.

Markowski et al. (7) conducted a study analyzing the effects of cupping therapy on lumbar flexion in participants with chronic low back pain. They found that one cupping therapy treatment significantly improved lumbar flexion range of motion. This study did not include a control group, so it is not clear if a cupping therapy treatment is superior to more standard ways of increasing range of motion such as passive stretching of the low back. Similarly, a study by Yim et al. (14) examined the difference between a cupping therapy treatment and McKenzie stretching exercises on cervical spine range of motion in healthy participants. They found that that the cupping treatment increased cervical spine range of motion to greater degree than the McKenzie stretching exercises indicating that cupping therapy applied to the cervical spine region was a superior to other standard stretching techniques.

A study by Hammons and McCullough (4) examined the effects of a cupping therapy treatment on dorsiflexion range of motion in individuals with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in their gastrocnemius muscle. They found that cupping therapy significantly increased dorsiflexion range of motion in individuals with DOMS compared to a control group. Although a control group was used in this study, this group did not receive any treatment, so although cupping therapy increased dorsiflexion, it is not clear if a cupping therapy treatment is superior to other methods of increasing range of motion.

Several studies have examined the effectiveness of cupping therapy in the hamstring muscle group. Kim et al. (5) compared cupping therapy to passive stretching in the hamstring group. They found that both interventions significantly increased hamstring range of motion, however there was no difference between groups. Murray et al. (8) found that cupping therapy significantly increased hamstring range of motion, but similar to other studies, they did not use a control group so it is unclear if the increased observed following the cupping therapy treatment was superior to other methods of increasing range of motion. Warren et al. (12) conducted a study on hamstring flexibility and compared a cupping therapy treatment to a self-mobilization treatment using a foam roller, in individuals with tight hamstrings. Similar to others, they also found that both groups had significant improvements in range of motion, but the individual treatments were not significantly different.

Finally, a study by Williams et al. (13) also looked at the effect of cupping therapy compared to a control group on hamstring flexibility. The control group did not receive any treatment. Unlike other previous research, they found that a cupping therapy treatment did not increase hamstring range of motion. Similarly, a study by Schafer et al. (9) compared hamstring flexibility in a cupping therapy group, a sham group and a control group and found that none of the groups significantly increased hamstring range of motion following treatment.

This is the first study to specifically examine the effects of cupping therapy on increasing shoulder internal and external rotation. The results of this study found that cupping therapy increased both shoulder internal and external rotation, but was not superior to passive stretching. Cupping therapy is a common practice among clinicians and athletes and is used for a variety of reasons. This study adds to the previous literature that indicates that cupping therapy could be a useful tool, among others to increase shoulder internal and external rotation. Future research could focus on individuals with shoulder rotation deficits, functional limitations and pain. In this population, it is possible that cupping therapy could be a superior method for increasing range of motion and function as well as decreasing pain.

Applications in Sport

Cupping therapy is widely used by clinicians and athletes for a variety of reasons. This study concludes that the use of cupping therapy is one possible method for increasing shoulder internal and external rotation. Although the results indicated that cupping therapy is not superior to passive stretching for increasing shoulder range of motion in healthy, high school aged male athletes, it is one tool that could be used. Although not analyzed in this study, cupping therapy has been shown to help with pain and inflammation. In theory, in an athlete suffering from a shoulder pain and decreased range of motion, a clinician may choose cupping therapy over passive stretching, because cupping therapy may increase shoulder range of motion, and it may also help with pain.

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Hammons, D., & McCullough, M. (2022). The effect of dry cupping on gastrocnemius muscle stiffness, range of motion and pain perception after delayed onset muscle soreness. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine , 28 (7), 80–87.
Kim, J.-E., Cho, J.-E., Do, K.-S., Lim, S.-Y., Kim, H.-J., & Yim, J.-E. (2017). Effect of cupping therapy on range of motion, pain threshold, and muscle activity of the hamstring muscle compared to passive stretching. Korean Society of Physical Medicine , 12 (3), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.13066/kspm.2017.12.3.23
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Markowski, A., Sanford, S., Pikowski, J., Fauvell, D., Cimino, D., & Caplan, S. (2014). A pilot study analyzing the effects of Chinese cupping as an adjunct treatment for patients with subacute low back pain on relieving pain, improving range of motion, and improving function. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 20 (2), 113–117. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2012.0769
Murray, D., & Clarkson, C. (2019). Effects of moving cupping therapy on hip and knee range of movement and knee flexion power: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy , 27 (5), 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2019.1600892
Schafer, M. D., Tom, J. C., Girouard, T. J., Navalta, J. W., Turner, C. L., & Radzak, K. N. (2020). Cupping therapy does not influence healthy adult’s hamstring range of motion compared to control or sham conditions. International Journal of Exercise Science , 13 (3), 216–224.
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Warren, A. J., LaCross, Z., Volberding, J. L., & O’Brien, M. S. (2020). Acute outcomes of myofascial decompression (cupping Therapy) compared to self-myofascial release on hamstring pathology after a single treatment. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy , 15 (4), 579–592.
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Yim, J., Park, J., Kim, H., Woo, J., Joo, S., Lee, S., & Song, J. (2017). Comparison of the effects of muscle stretching exercises and cupping therapy on pain thresholds, cervical range of motion and angle: A cross-over study. Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science , 6 (2), 83–89. https://doi.org/10.14474/ptrs.2017.6.2.83

Sports Research Paper Topics and Ideas

Table of contents

0.1 Key Points
1.1 You Don’t Have To Rehash The Same Old Ideas
1.2 Choose A Topic With Plenty Of Sources
1.3 A Sports Research Paper Needs To Be Relevant
1.4 Use Evidence For Your Sports Paper
1.5 Bring Something New To The Table
2 Sports Management Research Topics
3 Sports Psychology Research Topics
4 Research Topics About Sports Medicine
5 Research Topics on Exercise
6 Research Topics on the History of Sports
7 Research Topics on Sports Marketing
8 Sports Research Topics on Sociology
9 Research Paper Topics About Soccer
10 Research Paper Topics about Basketball
11 Research Topics on Athletic Training
12 Sports Research Paper Topics: Key Takeaway

Writing about sports is as fun as playing it if you choose the right topic. But what to do if you’ve run out of ideas? No worries, we’ve got you covered with our selection of the most engaging sports research paper topics. One of them will help you to reveal your writing potential. Keep reading to find inspiration for an A-grade sports research paper.

Sports research paper topics include major league baseball, football fans, and mental health. Even topics like sports celebrities, extreme sports, science, and doping
Write about something that you’re passionate about and is in line with your essay brief
Make sure your research paper topic allows you to present useful content and narrow it down if it is too broad

Tips for Selecting Ideal Sports Research Topics

Good sports research topics make putting your essay together more enjoyable. When that happens, your writing flows better, and your readers will enjoy it too. Take a look at these tips that college students can use to select the perfect research paper topics.

You Don’t Have To Rehash The Same Old Ideas

Let’s be honest – researching and following methodology in a research paper is tedious. But if you’re doing it on a subject you enjoy, your passion for the topic should keep you motivated and engaged. And you’ll likely produce high-quality work.

Choose A Topic With Plenty Of Sources

At the same time, make sure it’s narrow enough to get specific and provide insight. You have to find the right balance. You want to have enough information to get stuck into the topic, but not so much that it’s overwhelming.

A Sports Research Paper Needs To Be Relevant

A trending or hot topic is much easier to write about. And your readers are going to thank you for it. As long as they relate to what you’re saying, you’re halfway there. Take a look at news coverage of the industry. Are there any current discussions or debates? Or has a particular sports personality tweeted something viral?

Use Evidence For Your Sports Paper

You’re going to need sources to back up your claims. Are there enough articles, books, and other sources on hand to conduct an extensive study? You’ll need research papers, journals, documentaries, or interviews with experts in the field.

Bring Something New To The Table

Instead of writing on something already well-covered, try and contribute something new. Think about finding practical applications or implications for the sporting industry. If originality isn’t your strong suit, there’s an option to buy a research paper to get excellent results. That way, you’re guaranteed high-quality, well-researched work created by experts in the field. The result will be a unique perspective that makes your sports paper stand out.

Sports Management Research Topics

Sports management degree matter looks at effective leadership, athlete management, and marketing. They provide valuable insights into global sports culture today. You’ll also get the chance to learn more and develop critical thinking skills.

Are Sports News Media Firms Necessary?
Management In Promoting Social Inclusion
Technology’s Impact on Management
The Evolution Of Management: From Amateur To Professional
Evaluating The Efficiency Of Management In Collegiate Athletics
The Effect Of Gender Equality In Management
Implications Of Mental Health Awareness In Management
Strategic Management In Professional Sports: A Case Study Approach
Ethics And Integrity In Management
A Comparative Study Of Management Practices Across Different Countries
An Overview Of Sports Management Duties
Sustainability In Management: A Road To Environmental Consciousness
The Economic Impact Of Major Sporting Events: A Management Perspective
Leadership Styles In Successful Management
The Future Of Management: Trends And Predictions

Sports Psychology Research Topics

Research paper topics on psychology explore human behavior and experiences. Write about any of the following sports topics, and you’ll have an impact. How? By understanding the psychological and physical factors that affect athletes. Ethical issues among college athletes are also on the rise. Making character development a vital aspect of research paper topics.

A Study Of Coaching Styles On Athletes’ Psychological Well-Being
Achieving Peak Performance And Self-Confidence
Psychological Techniques For Stress Management Physical Activity
Considering Group Dynamics On Sports Team Performance
The Psychological Effects Of Injury On A Sports Person
Psychology In The Rehabilitation Of Injured Athletes
The Cognitive And Behavioral Characteristics Of Mental Toughness
Psychological Impact Of Competitive Pressure On Athletes
Visualization Techniques In Enhancing Performance
Athletes’ Experiences With Mindfulness Training
Taking A Look At Physical Activity Participation On Mental Wellbeing
Should We Push Young Athletes To Do Better?
Psychological Aspects Of Retirement
A Team Approach: Psychologists In Promoting Positive Mental Health
The Effect Of Social Support On Athletes’ Performance And Well-Being

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Research Topics About Sports Medicine

In sports medicine research paper topics, you’ll look at the health of athletes. It includes diagnosing and treating injuries and training programs. Provide an in-depth analysis of how physical education sessions prevent sports related injuries. And if you want something juicier, how about drinking and drug abuse? Plus, such research paper topics address the specific needs of female athletes.

Medicine In Injury Prevention
Aspects Of Injuries On Young Athletes’ Long-Term Health
The Advancement Of Injury Treatments
The Use Of Platelet-Rich Plasma In Injury Recovery
Nutrition In Sports Injury Treatments And Prevention
A Look At Concussions On Athlete Health
Physiotherapy In Injury Rehabilitation
Evaluation Of Different Pain Management Techniques In Medicine
Medicine In Enhancing Athletes’ Performance
Health Effects Of Steroids On Athletes
Genetic Testing in Medicine: Implications
How Important Is Sleep For Athlete Performance And Recovery
Effects Of Overtraining On Athlete Health And Performance
Technology Advances In Injury Treatment
How Doping Affects Physical And Cognitive Functions

Research Topics on Exercise

Try writing a research paper about why exercise is good for you. You’ll look at how working out benefits physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The following interesting sports research paper topics promote understanding and healthy lifestyle habits. If you write about exercise, offer valuable evidence-based resources. You never know, your peers could use your research paper to educate others.

Benefits Of Regular Exercise On Mental Health
Chronic Diseases and Exercise
The Effects of Exercise on Stress Levels
Exercise Capacity and Age
The Impact of Exercise on Body Image
Cognitive Function In Elderly People: The Benefits Of Exercise
Exercise In Preventing Obesity
The Importance Of Physical Education In Schools
Insights Into Group Exercise’s Psychological Benefits
A Study On Exercise On Sleep Quality
Exercise As A Treatment For Depression
Do Personal Physical Exercises Improve Athletic Performance
A Review Of Exercise On Cardiovascular Health
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Vs. Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT)
How Exercise Has An Impact On Women’s Health

Research Topics on the History of Sports

A great way to understand the impact of sports on society is to examine its evolution over time. Sports history research topics look at the origins of it. As well as contexts and the changes in equipment, rules, and player abilities. Through them, you’ll learn more about the sport you love. You’ll also learn what the sport is like today and the efforts of athletes and organizers over the years.

How Have Sports Developed In The Olympic Games
Women in Athletics: A History
Taking A Look At Racial Integration
How Equipment Has Evolved Through The Ages
Doping In Athletics: Then And Now
How Transgender Affects Sporting Activities
Changing Shapes Of Competition On National Identity
Banned Dangerous Ritual Sports
Why Do People Want To Ban Fighting In Ice Hockey?
Historical Analysis Of The Paralympic Movement
Aspects Of Competition In Cultural Exchange
Insights From Playing Cricket In The Creation Of Softball Sports
Incorporating Technology Into Competition
Coaching Techniques: An Evolution
The History Of Martial Arts As A Sports Competition

Research Topics on Sports Marketing

Sports research paper topics on marketing study advertising techniques in the sports industry. You’ll write about market structure, consumer behavior, sponsorship, and branding. All while evaluating the impact of different approaches in attracting and engaging fans. It’s a fascinating subject that goes into sport psychology. As well as the promotional events that drive revenue.

For those times when inspiration runs low, experts help save the day. Luckily, professionals at the research paper writing service are ready to advise on effective writing. They’ll guide you toward crafting a well-thought-out and relevant academic paper.

Using Social Media In Marketing
Considering Brand Endorsements On Athletes’ Public Image
How Marketing Has Evolved In The Digital Age
Observations On The Effects Of Marketing On Consumer Behavior
The Effectiveness Of Celebrity Sports Personalities In Advertising Campaigns
An Overview Of Marketing In Promoting Diversity And Inclusion
A Study On Sponsorship On Brand Recognition
The Challenges Of Marketing In The Era Of Esports
Strategies For Marketing To Generation Z
The Ethical Implications Of Using Athletes In Advertising
A Study Of Marketing On Youth Sports Participation
Taking A Look At International Sports Events On Tourism Marketing
Insights Into Viral Marketing
Marketing’s Impact On The Popularity Of Lesser-Known Games
A Look At Data Analytics In Sports Marketing Strategies

Sports Research Topics on Sociology

Sports research topics examine the relationship between sports and society. Here’s where ethical research topics come into play. Think about things like culture, values, media, politics, race, religion, and gender.

And by studying the connections, you’ll notice how competition shapes society. The reason is that physical games aren’t only about competition – they play a larger societal role. They help communicate cultural values, relieve stress, and contribute to social mobility.

How Competition Promotes Social Cohesion
Taking Stock Of Societal Norms On Gender Roles
Bringing Out The Best In Youth: Youth Development And Socialization
Does Physical Competition Perpetuate Or Challenge Social Inequalities
Bringing Race, Culture, And Athletics Together
The Sociological Impact Of Sports Injuries
A Study Of The Social Perception Of Professional Athletes
A Look At How Games Foster Patriotism
Incorporating Social Media Into Sporting Culture
Doping in Physical Competitions: Societal Implications
How Community Development Grows Through Games
The Impact Of Athletics On Body Image And Self-Esteem
Sports Rituals And Traditions Have Cultural Importance
Commercialization and Societal Effects
Taking A Closer Look At The Effects Of Celebrity Competition On Societal Values

Research Paper Topics About Soccer

A well-written research paper on soccer shows how well you assimilate knowledge. This means researching, analyzing, and explaining your conclusions. If you love soccer, then the following sports topics are for you. It’s amazing how easy it is to produce a good essay on something you’re interested in.

To make things a bit more exciting, narrow down your topic by choosing a niche soccer area to explore. Consider the impact of technology or the sports psychology of soccer moms.

Over The Decades: Soccer Strategies Over The Decades
Incorporating Technology Into Soccer Officiating
Soccer Vs. American Football
Considering International Politics On Soccer
Youth Soccer Participation and Socio-Economic Factors
The Effects Of Sports Nutrition And A Balanced Diet On Soccer Performance
World Cup History And Significance
Soccer Fan Behavior And Sports Club Culture
The Dynamics Of Team Sports In Soccer Success
An Analysis Of Coaching Style On Player Development In Soccer
Insights Into Gender Equality Initiatives In Soccer
Performance Of Soccer At Different Altitudes And Climates
Incorporating Medicine In Soccer Injury Prevention
The Commercialization Of Soccer: Benefits And Drawbacks
Soccer’s Influence on International Diplomacy

Research Paper Topics about Basketball

Basketball research paper topics cover many subjects related to the sport. Its history, rules, psychology, sociology, and physiology are among them. Writing an essay on such a subject is an excellent way to explore the game and its impact on society.

And don’t think these topics won’t help you excel. You’ll still develop critical thinking skills and elevate your writing. Plus, basketball is very popular. In other words, there are plenty of resources for research and finding relevant info.

Basketball Rule Changes On The Evolution Of The Game
Using Analytics In Modern Basketball Strategies
Basketball Culture Around The World As Influenced By The NBA
Basketball Performance And Physical Conditioning
Basketball Participation And Socio-Economic Factors
Insights Into Coaching And Mentorship In Basketball Player Development
Physiotherapy And Medicine On Injury Prevention In Basketball
Social Issues And Basketball
College Basketball’s Growing Commercialization
Basketball Success Depends On Team Chemistry
The History And Significance Of The NBA Draft
Basketball Performance And Nutrition
Youth Development And Socialization Through Basketball
A Study Of Gender And Race Within Basketball Culture
Taking A Look At International Basketball Events On Global Diplomacy

Research Topics on Athletic Training

With training in sports research topics, you’ll be a part of something ground-breaking. Writing about the subject explores scientific advances and adds knowledge to the field. You’ll have the chance to prove your research, analytical, and communication skills. Skills that employers and academic programs appreciate.

Athletic training subjects are also a great way to develop your reasoning abilities. And another bonus is you’ll learn about the science behind competitive performance. Sports topics for research papers on athletic training cover medicine and athlete healthcare. Consider ideas you have on sports injury relief, performance enhancement, and sports nutrition.

A Look Sports Training In Injury Prevention
How Nutrition Has Evolved In The Sporting Industry
Different Training Regimens and Their Physiological Effects
The Role Of Athletic Training Facility Units
Coaching and Athletic Training Ethical Issues
Incorporating Technology In Enhancing Athletic Training
Effects Of Athletic Training On Long-Term Health And Wellness
Athletes Need Recovery Strategies
Athletic Training Methods Based On Age And Gender
A Review Of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Benefits And Risks
Introducing Medicine In Athletic Training
Mental Health Effects Of Athletic Training
Athlete Development: Strength And Conditioning
Insights Into Athletic Training On Career Longevity In Professional Competition
An Integrative Approach To Athletic Training Based On Sports Psychology

Sports Research Paper Topics: Key Takeaway

Whenever you choose research paper topics, make sure it’s something you’re enthusiastic about. Find out if there’s enough information available on Google and work from there. Remember that you’re still going to need relevant sources for your argument.

As for sports paper topics, there are so many to pick from. You can explore the psychological and physiological aspects of competition. And if you want to go more in-depth, think about the significance of volleyball injuries. With the right approach and a bit of creativity, you’ll find a topic to produce a paper you’re proud of.

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Sports nutrition research paper topics .

Here, you can write about nutritional supplements and biologically active products, how to organize nutrition in sports clubs, what qualities nutritional support for athletes should have, and how to support sportsmen during training and competition.

The Role of Protein Supplementation in Muscle Recovery and Growth
The Impact of Carbohydrate Loading on Endurance Performance
Hydration Strategies and Their Effects on Athletic Performance
The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Reducing Inflammation in Athletes
Comparing Plant-Based vs. Animal-Based Diets in Sports Performance
The Effects of Pre-Workout Nutrition on Strength Training Outcomes
The Role of Vitamin D in Bone Health and Athletic Performance
Caffeine as an Ergogenic Aid: Benefits and Side Effects in Sports
The Impact of Intermittent Fasting on Body Composition in Athletes
The Effectiveness of Antioxidants in Reducing Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress
Sports Nutrition for Vegan Athletes: Challenges and Solutions
The Role of Electrolyte Balance in Preventing Muscle Cramps During Exercise
The Impact of Timing and Composition of Post-Workout Meals on Recovery
The Role of Creatine Supplementation in Enhancing High-Intensity Performance
The Influence of Sports Drinks vs. Water on Hydration and Performance

Sports psychology research paper topics

This kind of research paper can be anything from the evolution of sports psychology and mental health problems that impact athletes to strategies to reduce violence among athletes and the effects of team chants on the performance of players .

The Role of Mental Toughness in Athletic Performance
The Impact of Visualization Techniques on Sports Performance
Managing Performance Anxiety in Competitive Sports
The Influence of Motivation on Athlete Success
The Role of Team Cohesion in Enhancing Sports Performance
The Effects of Goal Setting on Athletic Achievement
The Psychological Impact of Sports Injuries on Athletes
The Role of Self-Talk in Enhancing Sports Performance
Coping Strategies for Dealing with Failure in Sports
The Effects of Coaching Styles on Athlete Motivation and Performance
The Role of Mindfulness in Sports Performance Enhancement
The Psychological Differences Between Individual and Team Sports
The Impact of Parental Pressure on Youth Athletes
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Sports Leadership
The Influence of Crowd Behavior on Athlete Performance

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Exercise physiology research paper topics

If you decide to choose this category, then you can write about exercise and aging, exercise physiology for disabled people , dangers of sprains, physical exercises that alleviate autism symptoms, etc.

The Effects of Exercise on Aging and Longevity
Exercise Physiology Adaptations in Disabled Athletes
The Impact of Strength Training on Bone Density in Older Adults
Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: Causes and Recovery Strategies
Cardiovascular Benefits of Aerobic Exercise in Obese Individuals
The Role of Physical Exercise in Alleviating Autism Symptoms
Physiological Responses to High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
The Dangers of Sprains: Prevention and Rehabilitation Strategies
Exercise Physiology and Its Role in Managing Type 2 Diabetes
The Effects of Altitude Training on Athletic Performance
The Impact of Regular Physical Activity on Immune Function
Exercise Physiology in Heat and Cold Environments: Adaptation Mechanisms
The Role of Physical Exercise in Managing Anxiety and Depression
The Effects of Resistance Training on Metabolic Rate
Exercise Physiology and the Impact of Hydration on Performance

Sports medicine research paper topics

Here, you can choose to write about the differences and similarities of various heart assessment rates, the effects of yoga classes on women during menopause, the effects of sports on individuals with heart sicknesses, etc.

The Role of Sports Medicine in Preventing Overuse Injuries in Athletes
Rehabilitation Techniques for ACL Injuries in Athletes
The Impact of Concussion Management Protocols in Contact Sports
Advances in Stem Cell Therapy for Sports Injuries
The Effectiveness of Cryotherapy in Sports Injury Recovery
Sports Medicine Approaches to Managing Chronic Tendonitis
The Role of Sports Medicine in Enhancing Recovery Time After Surgery
The Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections in Treating Athletic Injuries
Preventive Strategies for Hamstring Strains in Professional Sports
The Impact of Nutrition on Sports Injury Recovery and Prevention
Sports Medicine Techniques for Managing Stress Fractures
The Role of Biomechanics in Sports Injury Prevention
The Effectiveness of Kinesiology Tape in Treating Sports Injuries
The Impact of Sleep on Recovery and Performance in Athletes
The Role of Sports Medicine in Treating Heat-Related Illnesses in Athletes

Sports management research paper topics

Having chosen this one, you can write about sports marketing, community awareness of sports, sponsorship`s effect on the sports business, and more.

The Role of Leadership Styles in Sports Team Success
The Impact of Digital Marketing Strategies on Sports Team Branding
Managing Financial Challenges in Professional Sports Organizations
The Influence of Athlete Management on Career Longevity and Performance
Sports Event Management: Best Practices for Planning and Execution
The Role of Sports Agents in Negotiating Contracts and Endorsements
Gender Diversity in Sports Management: Challenges and Opportunities
The Impact of Sponsorship Deals on Sports Team Finances
Crisis Management in Sports: Case Studies of Public Relations in Sports Scandals
The Role of Technology in Enhancing Fan Engagement and Experience
Managing Athlete Performance Data: Ethical and Privacy Concerns
The Influence of Media Rights on Sports Revenue and Viewership
Sports Facility Management: Trends and Innovations
The Role of Analytics in Decision-Making for Sports Teams
The Impact of Internationalization on Sports Management Practices

Athlete performance enhancement research paper topics

If you opt for this category, you can write about tactics for pushing athletes to enhance their performance, the best ways to congratulate athletes on a good performance, effective methods for helping athletes deal with a prolonged stretch of poor performance, etc.

The Role of Nutrition in Enhancing Athletic Performance
The Impact of Sleep Optimization on Sports Performance
The Effectiveness of Mental Training Techniques on Athletic Success
The Role of Strength and Conditioning Programs in Performance Enhancement
The Use of Altitude Training to Improve Endurance in Athletes
The Impact of Recovery Modalities on Post-Exercise Performance
The Role of Sports Psychology in Enhancing Athlete Focus and Motivation
The Effects of Plyometric Training on Speed and Power Development
The Influence of Hydration Strategies on Athletic Performance
The Use of Wearable Technology for Monitoring and Enhancing Performance
Legal and Ethical Implications of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports
The Effectiveness of Periodization in Athletic Training Programs
The Role of Biomechanics in Optimizing Sports Techniques
The Impact of Caffeine as a Performance Enhancer in Endurance Sports
The Role of Flexibility and Mobility Training in Injury Prevention and Performance

Sports injuries research paper topics

Here, you can write about the types of weightlifting, bodybuilding, and powerlifting, specific treatment for sports injuries in adolescents and children, and methods of prevention of injuries in basketball and volleyball, and more.

The Most Common Sports Injuries and Their Prevention Strategies
The Impact of ACL Injuries on Athletes and Rehabilitation Techniques
Concussion Management and Prevention in Contact Sports
The Role of Biomechanics in Understanding and Preventing Sports Injuries
Treatment and Recovery of Rotator Cuff Injuries in Overhead Athletes
Stress Fractures in Athletes: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
The Effectiveness of Physical Therapy in Post-Surgical Sports Injury Recovery
The Role of Nutrition in Injury Recovery and Prevention
Rehabilitation Approaches for Hamstring Strains in Athletes
Psychological Impact of Sports Injuries on Athlete Performance and Recovery
Tendonitis in Sports: Risk Factors, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options
Injury Prevention Programs for Youth Athletes: An Empirical Study
The Role of Kinesiology Tape in Sports Injury Management
Overuse Injuries in Endurance Sports: Causes and Prevention Strategies
The Use of PRP ( Platelet-Rich Plasma ) Therapy in Sports Injury Treatment

Doping in sports research paper topics

In this category, you can choose anything from sports doping tests that should be utilized and the consequences of doping for athletes to types of tests used for doping control and analysis of major concepts of the World Anti-Doping Code.

The History and Evolution of Doping in Competitive Sports
The Impact of Doping Scandals on the Integrity of Professional Sports
The Role of Anti-Doping Agencies in Preventing Drug Use in Sports
Psychological Factors Influencing Athletes to Engage in Doping
The Effects of Anabolic Steroids on Athletic Performance and Health
Doping Detection Methods: Challenges and Advancements in Testing
The Legal and Ethical Implications of Doping in Sports
Comparing the Doping Policies of Major International Sports Organizations
The Influence of Doping on Youth Athletes: Prevention and Education Strategies
The Role of Gene Doping in the Future of Performance Enhancement
The Impact of Doping on Athlete Health: Short- and Long-Term Effects
The Effectiveness of Bans and Penalties in Deterring Doping in Sports
Public Perception of Doping in Sports: Media Influence and Athlete Reputation
The Use of Blood Doping in Endurance Sports: Methods and Consequences
Evolving Trends in Performance-Enhancing Drug Use Among Athletes

Sports sociology research paper topics

Here, you can choose topics related to ethnicity in sports, aggression in sports, how transgender affects sporting activities, ideology and sports, and more.

The Role of Sports in Promoting Social Integration and Community Building
Gender Inequality in Sports: A Sociological Perspective
The Impact of Media on the Public Perception of Athletes
Race and Ethnicity in Sports: Barriers, Stereotypes, and Representation
The Influence of Sports on Youth Development and Socialization
The Role of Sports in Shaping National Identity and Patriotism
The Sociology of Fan Behavior: Exploring Hooliganism and Spectator Violence
The Commercialization of Sports and Its Impact on Athlete Identity
The Role of Sports in Addressing Social Issues and Promoting Social Change
Exploring the Dynamics of Power and Authority in Sports Organizations
The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Access to Sports Participation
The Sociology of Sports Fandom: Identity, Loyalty, and Community
The Effect of Sports on Body Image and Social Expectations
Sports as a Platform for Political Statements and Activism
The Sociological Implications of Performance-Enhancing Drug Use in Sports

Youth sports research paper topics

These topics should be related to younger sportsmen , such as encouragement of young people to take part in sports, everyday bad habits among young athletes, improving coordination in young female athletes who enjoy doing sports, and scholarships for career advancement availability for excellent young athletes.

The Impact of Youth Sports Participation on Social Skills Development
The Role of Parental Involvement in Youth Sports: Benefits and Challenges
The Effects of Specialization vs. Multi-Sport Participation in Youth Athletes
Injury Prevention Strategies for Young Athletes
The Psychological Benefits of Team Sports for Youth Development
The Influence of Coaching Styles on Youth Athlete Motivation and Performance
Addressing Burnout in Youth Sports: Causes and Solutions
The Role of Youth Sports in Promoting Physical Health and Fitness
Gender Differences in Youth Sports Participation and Performance
The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Access to Youth Sports Programs
The Effects of Early Sports Participation on Academic Achievement
Youth Sports and Mental Health: Addressing Anxiety and Pressure
The Role of Technology in Enhancing Youth Sports Training
The Impact of Youth Sports on Leadership Skills and Self-Confidence
Addressing Bullying and Negative Behavior in Youth Sports Teams

If you pick the wrong topic for your sports and exercise science research paper , you will struggle during the writing process . Therefore, you need to brainstorm various areas to find a topic that best suits your interests. Then, you need to narrow down your issues to choose a more specific topic while following the guidelines provided by your professor. As soon as you pick a good topic, you are ready to write a research paper and use the proper structure for the research topic assignments .

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490 Sports Research Topics & Good Ideas

Icon Calendar 25 September 2024
Icon Page 5525 words
Icon Clock 25 min read

Sports research paper topics encompass many interesting themes, each captivating in its own field. Some themes span from physical performance enhancement, delving into nutrition, training regimes, and physiological limits, to the mental aspects of sports psychology, focusing on motivation, team dynamics, and coping with pressure. Then, sociocultural implications are equally significant, examining gender equality, racial representation, and the societal impacts of sporting events. Another intriguing area is sports economics, discussing team franchise values, player salaries, and the economic effects of sports tourism. Finally, people have the domain of sports technology, exploring how advancements, like wearables, analytics, and virtual reality, are revolutionizing the field. The spectrum of sports research paper topics is vast and multidimensional, a reflection of the dynamic nature of sports itself.

What Is a Sports Research Topic and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a sports research paper topic is a specific theme or question within a broader field that seeks to explore, analyze, or understand particular aspects related to athletic performance, participation, health, or sociocultural dynamics surrounding a given subject. For example, the main purpose for selecting a sports research paper topic is to contribute to an existing body of knowledge by addressing unanswered questions, evaluating trends, or proposing innovative solutions to challenges within a given sector (Wallwork, 2023). Basically, some ideas can range from the biomechanics of human movement to psychological aspects of competition, impacts of sports on community development, and economics of sports industries. Further on, engaging in such research fosters critical thinking and promotes evidence-based practices that can enhance performance, inform policy decisions, and encourage healthier lifestyles among populations (Tannheimer, 2023). In principle, an entire exploration of sports research topics can illuminate issues of diversity, inclusion, and a role of sports in societal change, thereby providing a broader context for understanding an actual significance of sports in contemporary culture. Moreover, these research themes not only advance academic discourse but also have practical implications for athletes, coaches, administrators, and policymakers striving for excellence and equity in a sporting world (Skinner et al., 2024). As such, by engaging with these topics, researchers can help to shape a future of sports and promote a culture of informed decision-making.

How to Choose

Choosing a good sports research paper topic requires a careful consideration of ideas and a systematic approach to ensure relevance, originality, and feasibility. Initially, students should identify personal interests within a particular realm of sports, as such as passion for a subject often enhances an entire research process (Jones, 2022). In this case, they should conduct a preliminary literature review to assess existing research and identify gaps or underexplored areas that warrant further investigation. Further on, this step aids in formulating specific research questions or hypotheses that are both meaningful and innovative (Evans et al., 2021). Essentially, an entire consideration of an availability of resources, including data, funding, and time, is essential because selecting a relevant sports research paper topic that can be adequately researched within these constraints is crucial for success. On the other hand, collaboration with mentors or peers can also provide valuable insights and new ideas to refine a chosen subject further (Lebel et al., 2021). Additionally, focusing on contemporary issues within sports, such as an impact of technology on performance or some implications of sports for social change, can enhance a topic’s relevance. In turn, some steps for picking a good sports research paper topic include:

Identify Personal Interests: Begin by considering areas or ideas of sports that genuinely intrigue you because such a passion can significantly enhance your motivation and engagement in an entire research process.
Conduct a Preliminary Literature Review: Review existing literature to identify gaps or underexplored areas in sports research, helping to formulate relevant and innovative research questions.
Evaluate Resource Availability: Assess an overall accessibility of necessary resources, including data, funding, and time, to ensure your chosen sports research paper topic can be realistically researched within your constraints.
Consult With Mentors or Peers: Engage with academic advisors or fellow researchers for some feedback and insights, which can refine your subject and provide different perspectives on its significance.
Focus on Contemporary Issues: Consider selecting a sports research topic that addresses current trends or challenges in a given field, as this move enhances an actual relevance and potential impact of your study.

Best Sports Research Topics

Influence of Nutrition on Athletic Performance: An In-Depth Study
Doping in Sports: The Persistent Moral Dilemma
Roles of Sports Psychology in Enhancing Player Performance
The Impact of Concussions on American Football
Dissecting the Relationship Between Sports and Nationalism
Effects of Technological Advancements on Modern Sports
Unveiling the Economic Aspects of Major League Sports
Gender Inequality in Professional Sports: A Comprehensive Analysis
The Paradox of Violence in Contact Sports
Performance Anxiety Among Young Athletes: Causes and Solutions
The Role of Media in Shaping Sports Culture
eSports Phenomenon: A Sociological Perspective
Long-Term Health Consequences of High-Intensity Sports
Underrepresentation of Minority Groups in Major Sports Leagues
Benefits of Physical Activity for Children’s Mental Health
Cultural Factors Influencing Popular Sports in Different Countries
Steroids in Bodybuilding: Unveiling the Hidden Dangers
Roles of Sports in Promoting Inclusive Societies
Challenges and Successes in Women’s Professional Football
Ethical Implications of Genetic Engineering in Sports
Olympic Games: The Evolution of Modern Sportsmanship
Economic Impact of Hosting Mega Sporting Events
Extreme Sports and Risk-Taking Behavior: A Psychological Perspective
Professional Athletes as Role Models: A Societal Impact Analysis
Impacts of Climate Change on Outdoor Sports

Easy Sports Research Topics

How Do Sports Influence Youth Development and Social Skills?
Comparative Analysis of Training Techniques in Different Sports
Rehabilitation Techniques in Sports Medicine: A Detailed Review
Social Issues in Sports: Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia
Evolution and Impact of Sports Marketing
Exploring the Concept of ‘Home Advantage’ in Sports
Impacts of Globalization on the Sports Industry
Sports Law and Its Implications: A Comprehensive Review
Fan Culture in Sports: The Influence on Players’ Performance
Roles of Innovation in Sports Equipment Design
Psychological Resilience in Elite Athletes: Unveiling the Secrets
Sports Sponsorships: The Impact on Brand Awareness
Examining the Effects of Nutrition on Athletic Performance
Investigating Coaching Strategies for Optimal Athlete Development
Analyzing Environmental Sustainability Practices in Sports
Assessing Changes in Fan Engagement in Professional Sports
Understanding Mental Resilience and Performance Under Pressure
Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Sports Marketing
Understanding the Paralympic Movement: History and Evolution
Emergence and Growth of Mixed Martial Arts: An Analysis
Effects of Physical Training on Mental Well-Being
Roles of Video Technology in Modern Sports Adjudication
Importance of Good Sleep Habits for Athlete Performance
Assessing the Sustainability of Major Sports Events
Science Behind Hydration and Sports Performance
Dealing With Injuries: Mental Health of Athletes
Sports Careers: Beyond Being an Athlete

Interesting Sports Research Paper Topics

Comparative Study of Traditional and Online Sports Betting
Advent of Virtual Reality in Sports Training
Stress Management Strategies for High-Performance Athletes
Analysis of Leadership Styles in Sports Coaching
Sociocultural Impact of Sports on Community Development
The Future of Sports Broadcasting: Trends and Predictions
Transformation of Public Perception Toward Female Athletes
Examining the Role of Ethics in Sports Journalism
Impacts of High Altitude Training on Athlete Performance
Sports-Based Rehabilitation Programs for Incarcerated Individuals
Examining the Phenomenon of Superstition in Sports
Youth Sports Specialization: Risks and Benefits
Comparative Study of Fan Loyalty in Different Sports
Roles of Mental Imagery in Enhancing Athletic Performance
Effects of Climate Conditions on Athlete Performance
Impacts of Sports-Based Interventions in Conflict Resolution
Aging Athletes and Longevity in Professional Sports
The Impact of Family Support on Young Athletes
Sports Tourism: Its Economic and Social Effects
Cognitive Skills Development through Competitive Sports: A Study
Emerging Trends in Sports Nutrition: A Health Perspective
Roles of Strength and Conditioning in Injury Prevention
The Influence of Music on Athletic Performance

Academic Level Difference

Academic level differences in sports research paper topics significantly influence an entire complexity, depth, and scope of inquiry. At an undergraduate level, common ideas emphasize foundational knowledge, exploring broad themes, such as basic physiological effects of exercise, introductory sports psychology, or roles of sports in community development (Jones, 2022). Basically, these studies aim to establish a solid understanding of key concepts while encouraging students to develop critical thinking skills. In contrast, graduate-level research covers more specialized and nuanced areas, requiring a comprehensive review of existing literature and a sophisticated methodological approach (Evans et al., 2021). As such, some ideas might include advanced analyses of performance metrics, socioeconomic impacts of sports on specific demographics, or ethical implications of sports management practices. At a Ph.D. level, sports research paper topics demand a high degree of originality and contribute significantly to a given field, often addressing complex issues, like an intersection of technology and sports, comprehensive policy analysis, or extensive longitudinal studies on athlete health (Skinner et al., 2024). As a result, an entire distinction in academic levels shapes key expectations for research rigor, theoretical frameworks, and practical applications, thus ensuring that each level fosters a valid development of expertise and contributes meaningfully to a broader discourse within sports research.

Sports Research Topics on History

Evolution of the Olympic Games: From Ancient Greece to Modern Era
Impacts of World Wars on the Progression of Sports
Rise of Women’s Participation in Competitive Sports: A Historical Perspective
Transformation of Boxing: From Bare-Knuckle Bouts to Regulated Matches
Analysis of the FIFA World Cup: Its Origins and Influences
Pivotal Moments in the History of American Baseball
The Socioeconomic Influences of Football’s Popularity in Europe
Development and Evolution of Motor Racing Sports
Cricket’s Journey: From the British Empire to Global Phenomenon
Integration of Technology in Sports: A Retrospective Review
Influential Figures in the Growth of Basketball: A Historical Analysis
Cultural Shifts in Traditional Martial Arts: East Meets West
Impacts of Racial Segregation on the History of American Sports
Modernization of the Paralympic Games: Overcoming Adversity
Expansion of the National Hockey League: A Century-Long Journey
Golf’s Transformation: From Elitist Leisure Activity to Global Sport
Rise of Extreme Sports in the Late 20th Century
Influence of Rugby on Global Sports Culture
Tennis: The Evolution of the Modern Game
Historical Shifts in the Perception of Physical Fitness and Bodybuilding
Roles of Professional Wrestling in Pop Culture: An Historical Overview
Cycling’s Journey: From Basic Transportation to Competitive Sport

Psychology Sports Research Topics

Psychological Impact of Injuries on Athletes: A Comprehensive Study
Embracing Defeat: Mental Resilience in Professional Sport
Roles of Sports Psychology in Enhancing Team Performance
Influence of Mental Conditioning on Athletes’ Success Rates
Gender Differences in Competitive Stress Responses
Sports Psychology: Applications in Youth Development Programs
Cognitive Processes Underlying Decision-Making in Team Sports
Understanding the Psychological Preparation of Olympic Athletes
Impacts of Spectator Behavior on Athlete Performance: An Exploration
Motivational Strategies in Professional Sports Coaching
Mindfulness and its Role in Athletes’ Stress Management
Exploring Psychological Trauma in Retired Athletes
Impacts of Psychological Interventions on Athletic Injury Recovery
Psychological Factors Contributing to Athlete Burnout
Roles of Self-efficacy in Athletic Performance: A Detailed Study
Analysis of Personality Traits Among Successful Athletes
Stressors in Elite Sports: An Examination of Coping Mechanisms
Influence of Team Dynamics on Individual Performance in Sports
Exploring the Psychology of Endurance Sports
Impacts of Coach-Athlete Relationships on Athlete Psychology
Mental Health in Sports: Stigma, Support, and Solutions

Research Paper Topics About Women in Sports

Pioneering Female Athletes: A Historical Perspective
Challenges and Opportunities in Women’s Professional Basketball
Advancements in Women’s Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
Intersectionality of Gender, Race, and Culture in Women’s Sports
Achieving Parity: An Analysis of Pay Inequality in Women’s Sports
Evolution of Women’s Roles in the Olympics: 1896 to Present
Impacts of Title IX on American Women’s Sports Participation
Female Sports Representation in Media: Progress and Remaining Challenges
Investigating Sociocultural Barriers to Women’s Sports Participation Worldwide
Psychological Impacts of Competitive Stress on Female Athletes
Understanding Body Image Issues Among Female Athletes
Analysis of Leadership Roles: Women in Sports Management
Biomechanical Differences Between Male and Female Athletes: Implications for Training
Role Models and Mentoring in Women’s Sports: A Comparative Study
Promoting Inclusion: The LGBTQ+ Community in Women’s Sports
Influence of Female Athletes on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends
Advancement in Equipment and Gear Designed Specifically for Female Athletes
A Study on the Prevalence and Prevention of Eating Disorders in Women’s Sports
Exploring the Notion of ‘Femininity’ in the Context of Women’s Sports
Women’s Participation in Extreme and Non-Traditional Sports: A Growing Trend
Effects of Maternity Leave Policies on Professional Female Athletes’ Careers
Recognizing the Unsung Heroes: Contributions of Women in Sports Science

Sports Research Topics on Training

Exploring the Impacts of High-Intensity Interval Training on Athletic Performance
The Role of Strength Training in Injury Prevention for Athletes
Effectiveness of Sport-Specific Training vs. Generic Training Programs
Nutrition and Training: Understanding the Link in Athletic Performance
Influence of Altitude Training on Endurance Sports Performance
Mental Training and Its Effects on Sports Performance: A Comprehensive Review
The Role of Cross Training in Enhancing Skills of Multi-Sport Athletes
Periodization in Training: A Modern Approach for Optimizing Athlete Performance
Sleep’s Impacts on Athletic Recovery and Performance
Diving Into the Science of Flexibility Training for Athletes
Understanding the Biochemical Responses to Resistance Training in Athletes
The Importance of Balance Training in the Prevention of Sports Injuries
Ergogenic Aids in Training: The Science and the Ethics
How Does Overtraining Affect Athlete Performance and Health?
The Role of Plyometric Training in Improving Power and Agility in Athletes
Techniques for Mental Toughness Training: Impact on Athlete Success
Roles of Core Training in Enhancing Athletic Performance
Hydration Strategies in Training and Performance: A Critical Review
Neurological Adaptations to Sports Training: A Deeper Dive
Optimizing Interval Training for Enhanced Cardiovascular Fitness in Athletes

Research Paper Topics on Sports Science

The Impact of High-Intensity Interval Training on Endurance Performance in Soccer Players
Evaluating the Effects of Nutrition Interventions on Muscle Recovery in Weightlifters
Investigating the Role of Biomechanics in Enhancing Golf Swing Performance
Analyzing the Effects of Plyometric Training on Vertical Jump Height in Basketball Players
Exploring the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Athletic Performance in Elite Athletes
Effects of Altitude Training on Oxygen Utilization in Distance Runners
Examining the Impact of Sports Psychology Techniques on Mental Toughness in Tennis Players
Investigating the Influence of Sports Supplements on Muscle Strength and Power in Rugby Players
Analyzing the Effects of Heat Acclimatization on Performance and Thermoregulation in Marathon Runners
Exploring the Role of Visual Perception and Reaction Time in Baseball Batting Performance
Effects of Cold-Water Immersion on Muscle Recovery in Soccer Players
Analyzing the Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Agility Performance in Football Players
Exploring the Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Stress and Performance in Athletes
Analyzing the Relationship Between Vitamin D Levels and Muscular Strength in Athletes
Exploring the Influence of Mental Imagery Techniques on Skill Acquisition in Divers
Examining the Impact of Gender on Injury Patterns in Collegiate Soccer Players
Investigating the Relationship Between Personality Traits and Motivation in Team Sports
Analyzing the Effects of Music Tempo on Performance and Perceived Effort in Cyclists
Exploring the Influence of Biofeedback Training on Heart Rate Variability in Swimmers
The Impact of Recovery Strategies on Fatigue and Performance in Triathletes
Investigating the Role of Genetic Factors in Athletic Performance and Injury Susceptibility

Sports Research Paper Topics on Exercise

Comparative Analysis of Different Training Methods for Enhancing Strength and Power in Athletes
Investigating the Relationship Between Sports Injuries and Exercise Techniques
The Impact of Nutrition and Hydration on Endurance Training
Exploring the Psychological Benefits of Regular Physical Exercise in Sports
Evaluating the Role of Stretching Exercises in Injury Prevention for Athletes
Analyzing the Effectiveness of CrossFit Training Programs in Enhancing Overall Fitness
Investigating the Role of Physical Exercise in Enhancing Cognitive Function in Athletes
The Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Athletic Performance in Sports
Benefits of Plyometric Training in Enhancing Explosive Power for Athletes
Evaluating the Influence of Sports Supplements on Muscle Recovery and Performance
Analyzing the Impact of Exercise Intensity and Duration on Weight Loss in Sports
Effects of Resistance Training on Bone Density and Injury Prevention in Athletes
Investigating the Role of Yoga and Pilates in Improving Flexibility and Balance for Athletes
Analyzing the Impact of Altitude Training on Endurance Performance in Athletes
The Effects of Sport-Specific Training on Skill Acquisition and Performance Enhancement
Examining the Influence of Gender on Athletic Performance in Different Sports
Investigating the Effects of Sports Massage on Muscle Recovery and Performance
Evaluating the Effects of Different Cooling Strategies on Exercise Performance and Recovery
The Relationship Between Exercise and Aging: Implications for Sports Performance
Analyzing the Effects of Heat Acclimation on Exercise Tolerance and Performance

Athletic Sports Research Topics

The Power of Sports Psychology in Enhancing Athlete Performance
Nutrition’s Impact on Athletic Endurance: A Comprehensive Study
High-Intensity Interval Training: Boosting Athletic Performance
Unraveling the Connection Between Sleep and Athletic Recovery
Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports: Examining Efficacy
Weather Conditions and Outdoor Sporting Events: Exploring the Relationship
Cross-Training: Maximizing Athletic Abilities and Potential
Age: Its Influence on Athletic Performance and Injury Risk
Genetics and Athletic Performance: Unveiling the Link
Gender’s Roles in Sports Performance and Participation: An Investigation
Psychological Factors in Injury Rehabilitation: A Critical Analysis
Virtual Reality in Athletic Training and Performance: An Innovative Approach
Biomechanics: Enhancing Athletic Technique and Performance
Sports Massage: An Effective Tool for Recovery and Performance
Athlete Burnout: The Psychological Impact on Performance
Mindfulness and Meditation: Enhancing Athlete Well-Being and Focus
Altitude and Endurance Performance: An In-Depth Study
Sports Analytics: Optimizing Performance through Data Analysis
Coach-Athlete Relationships: Impact on Athletic Success
Pre-Competition Rituals: Their Effectiveness in Enhancing Performance
Strength and Conditioning Programs: Benefits for Athletes

Sports Management Research Topics

The Impact of Data Analytics on Sports Management
Enhancing Fan Engagement Strategies for Sports Management
Sustainable Practices in Sports Facility Management
Leveraging Social Media for Sports Marketing and Management
The Role of Sports Agents in Athlete Management
Leadership in Sports Team Management
Ethical Issues in Sports Management
Effective Sponsorship Strategies in Sports Management
Technology in Sports Event Management
Enhancing Athlete Performance Through Sports Science Management
Economic Impacts of Major Sporting Events on Local Communities
Diversity and Inclusion in Sports Management
Evolution of Sports Broadcasting and Its Impact on Management
Challenges of Sports Facility Operations and Management
Roles of Sports Psychology in Athlete Management
Risk Management Strategies in Sports Organizations
Sports Law and Regulations in Management Practices
Branding and Merchandising in Sports Management
Roles of Sports Medicine in Athlete Management
Financial Management in Sports Organizations

Marketing Sports Research Topics

The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Sports Sponsorships
Evaluating Athlete Endorsements in Sports Marketing Effectiveness
Analyzing the Role of Branding in Sports Merchandise Marketing
Exploring Fan Engagement and Its Relationship With Sports Marketing Strategies
Investigating the Influence of Sports Events on Local Economic Development
Examining the Use of Influencer Marketing in the Sports Industry
Assessing Sports Marketing Campaigns Targeting Gen Z Effectiveness
Data Analytics in Sports Marketing and Fan Engagement
Athlete Personalities and Their Impact on Sports Marketing Success
Analyzing Sports Marketing Strategies’ Use of Gamification
Fan Loyalty Programs’ Role in Sports Marketing
Evaluating Sports Sponsorship Activation Strategies’ Effectiveness
Investigating Sports Advertising Influence on Consumer Behavior
Fan Communities’ Role in Sports Marketing and Brand Building
Analyzing the Use of Virtual Reality for Enhanced Sports Marketing Experiences
Examining Sports Celebrity Endorsements’ Influence on Consumer Buying Decisions
eSports Impact on Traditional Sports Marketing Strategies
Assessing Cause Marketing Effectiveness in the Sports Industry
Augmented Reality in Enhancing Sports Marketing Engagement
Analyzing Emotional Branding in Sports Marketing Campaigns
Investigating Sports Betting’s Influence on Sports Marketing Strategies

Research Paper Topics on Sports Theory

The Influence of Psychological Factors on Performance in Competitive Sports
Motivation’s Role in Sports Performance: A Theoretical Perspective
Personality Traits’ Impacts on Sports Success
Analysis of Effective Sports Training Methods for Skill Acquisition
Leadership Styles’ Effect on Team Performance in Sports
The Application of Sports Psychology in Injury Rehabilitation
Evaluating Sports Nutrition’s Impacts on Athlete Performance and Recovery
Understanding Sports Biomechanics’ Role in Enhancing Athletic Performance
Mental Imagery’s Effects on Sports Performance and Skill Execution
Effects of Pre-Competition Rituals on Sports Performance
Communication Between Coach and Athlete and Its Relationship With Team Cohesion
The Impact of Sports Technology on Performance Enhancement
Psychological Skills Training and Athletes’ Mental Toughness
The Role of Sports Sociology in Shaping Sporting Cultures
Sports Injuries and Psychological Well-Being: Exploring the Relationship
Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Their Effects on Sports Performance
Gender’s Roles in Sports Participation and Performance
Environmental Factors and Their Influence on Sports Performance
The Effect of Goal Setting on Athlete Motivation and Performance
Sports Specialization and Long-Term Athletic Development

Research Paper Topics About Sports Sociology

The Impact of Gender Roles on Sports Participation and Performance
Media Influence on the Perception of Athletes and Sports Culture
Social Class and Its Effects on Sports Opportunities and Success
Racial Inequality in Professional Sports: Challenges and Progress
The Role of Sports in Building Social Networks and Communities
Sports and National Identity: Exploring the Connection
Education and Sports: Examining the Benefits and Challenges
The Role of Sports in Promoting Health and Well-Being in Society
Sociology of Sports Fandom: Identity, Rituals, and Belonging
Sports and Youth Development: Socialization and Empowerment
Disability and Inclusivity in Sports: Breaking Barriers and Challenging Stereotypes
Deviance in Sports: Examining the Relationship Between Rule-Breaking and Social Order
Activism in Sports: Exploring Social Movements Within Athletic Contexts
Commercialization of Sports: Impacts on Athletes, Fans, and Society
Politics and Sports: Analyzing the Intersections and Controversies
Influence of Sports on Body Image and Self-Esteem
Sports and Aging: Promoting Healthy Aging and Social Engagement
Construction of Heroes and Villains in Sports
Sports and Religion: Exploring the Connections and Conflicts
Sociology of Sports Injury: Understanding Recovery and Rehabilitation Processes
Nationalism and Sports: Examining the Role of Sports in Shaping Patriotism

Nutrition Sports Research Topics

The Impact of Protein Supplementation on Athletic Performance
The Role of Carbohydrates in Post-Exercise Recovery
Assessing the Effects of Hydration on Endurance Athletes
Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Sports Performance
Analyzing the Impact of Caffeine on Exercise Endurance
Investigating the Effects of Antioxidants on Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress
Evaluating the Influence of Vitamin D on Muscle Strength and Power
Understanding the Importance of Electrolyte Balance in Sports Nutrition
Exploring the Role of Pre-Workout Supplements in Enhancing Performance
Analyzing the Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training in Fat Loss and Muscle Gain
The Relationship Between Nutrition and Bone Health in Athletes
Examining the Use of Probiotics for Gut Health in Sports Performance
Investigating the Impact of Plant-Based Diets on Athletic Performance
The Role of Micronutrients in Immune Function for Athletes
Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Fiber on Digestive Health in Athletes
Analyzing the Benefits of Branched-Chain Amino Acids for Muscle Recovery
Understanding the Impact of Iron Deficiency on Female Athletes
The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Strength and Power in Athletes
Assessing the Role of Glycogen in Endurance Exercise Performance
Exploring the Effects of Sports Drinks on Hydration and Performance

Sports Research Topics on Medicine

The Impact of Sports-Related Concussions on Brain Health: An In-Depth Analysis
Evaluating the Efficacy of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports Medicine
The Role of Sports Medicine in Preventing and Treating Musculoskeletal Injuries
Exploring the Effects of Exercise on Mental Health and Well-Being in Athletes
Enhancing Performance through Sports Nutrition: A Comprehensive Review
Examining the Relationship Between Sports Participation and Cardiovascular Health
The Role of Sports Medicine in Managing and Preventing Chronic Diseases
Analyzing the Impact of Sports Medicine on Female Athletes’ Health and Performance
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programs in Sports Medicine
The Use of Biomechanics in Sports Medicine: Advancements and Applications
Investigating the Benefits of Sports Massage Therapy in Injury Recovery and Performance Enhancement
Assessing the Role of Sports Medicine in Preventing and Managing Overuse Injuries
Understanding the Role of Sports Medicine in Enhancing Respiratory Health in Athletes
Examining the Impact of Exercise on Metabolic Disorders and Obesity
The Use of Sports Medicine in Optimizing Performance for Elite Athletes
Exploring the Role of Sports Medicine in Youth Sports: Injury Prevention and Health Promotion
Investigating the Effectiveness of Cryotherapy in Sports Medicine
Analyzing the Impact of Sports Medicine on Psychological Factors in Athletes
The Role of Sports Medicine in Managing and Preventing Exercise-Induced Asthma
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sports Medicine Programs in Enhancing Flexibility and Mobility
Understanding the Benefits and Risks of Sports Supplements in Athletes

Sports Research Topics About Injuries

Exploring Gender Disparities in ACL Injuries Among Collegiate Soccer Players
Assessing Preventive Measures to Reduce Baseball Pitching-Related Injuries
Comprehensive Evaluation of Basketball Injuries and Rehabilitation Techniques
Long-Term Consequences of Head Injuries in Youth Ice Hockey: An Investigation
Tennis Elbow among Professional Players: Prevalence and Causes
Effectiveness of Protective Equipment in Minimizing Combat Sports Injuries
Psychological Rehabilitation of Athletes Following Sports-Related Injuries: An Analysis
Roles of Nutrition in Promoting Healing and Recovery From Sports Injuries
Incidence of Ankle Sprains in High School Basketball Players: A Study
Overtraining and Musculoskeletal Injuries in Marathon Runners: Analyzing the Relationship
Impacts of Environmental Factors on Heat-Related Illnesses in Outdoor Sports
Rehabilitation Programs for Shoulder Injuries in Baseball Pitchers: Evaluating Efficacy
Mechanisms and Risk Factors of Hamstring Injuries in Soccer Players: An Investigation
Artificial Turf and Knee Injuries in Football: Examining the Relationship
Psychological Effects of Season-Ending Injuries on Professional Athletes: Analysis and Implications
Prevalence and Prevention of Volleyball-Related Ankle Injuries: A Comprehensive Study
Biomechanics and ACL Tears in Female Athletes: Assessing the Risk
Effectiveness of Sport-Specific Conditioning Programs in Reducing Injuries: An Evaluation
Equipment Design and Head Injuries in Snowboarding: Analyzing the Relationship
Physiotherapy in Treating Tennis-Related Shoulder Injuries: Evaluating Efficacy

Sports Research Topics on Doping

Impacts of Performance-Enhancing Drugs on Athletic Performance
Ethics of Doping in Professional Sports
Long-Term Health Effects of Doping on Athletes
Effectiveness of Anti-Doping Policies in Sports
Roles of Drug Testing in Preventing Doping in Athletics
Psychological Factors Driving Athletes to Dope
Use of Designer Drugs in Sports
Influence of Doping on Gender Equality in Athletics
Economic Implications of Doping in Professional Sports
Relationship Between Doping and Sports Sponsorship
Impacts of Doping Scandals on Athletes’ Legacies
Roles of Athlete Education in Preventing Doping
Influence of Social Media on Doping Culture in Sports
Use of Doping in Amateur and Youth Sports
Roles of Coaches and Trainers in Encouraging or Discouraging Doping
Effectiveness of Doping Detection Methods in Sports
Influence of Peer Pressure on Doping Practices
Roles of Sports Organizations in Combating Doping
Relationship Between Doping and Sports Injuries
Impacts of Doping on Fair Play and Sporting Integrity
Use of Gene Doping in Enhancing Athletic Performance

Argumentative Sports Research Topics

Impacts of Performance-Enhancing Drugs on Athletes’ Long-Term Health
Ethics of Using Genetic Engineering in Enhancing Athletic Abilities
Inequality in Prize Money Distribution in Male and Female Sports
The True Cost of Hosting the Olympic Games: An Economic Analysis
Should eSports Be Recognized as Legitimate Competitive Sports?
Dangers of Early Specialization in Youth Sports: A Comprehensive Review
How Does Media Coverage Affect Female Athletes’ Perception?
Analyzing the Effect of Mental Health on Athletic Performance
Collegiate Athletes and Compensation: Should They Be Paid?
Evolution of Technology in Sports: Boon or Bane?
The Role of Race and Racism in Professional Sports
The Influence of Role Models in Sports on Youth Development
Exploring the Connection Between Sports Participation and Academic Achievement
Violence in Sports: Societal Implications and Solutions
Effects of Sponsorship on Athletes’ Performance and Branding
Importance of Fair Play in Sports: A Philosophical Perspective
Understanding the Impact of Climate Change on Outdoor Sports
Professional Athletes’ Wages: Justified or Overrated?
Doping Controls in Sports: Are Current Methods Effective?
Roles of Sports in Promoting Social Inclusion and Unity
Impacts of Sports-Related Concussions on Cognitive Functioning
Perspectives on Body Image Issues Among Female Athletes

Sports Research Paper Topics About Running

Enhancing Long-Distance Running Performance Through Endurance Training
Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Sprint Performance in Runners
Psychological Factors Influencing Marathon Running Performance
Nutrition and Hydration: Key Factors in Running Performance
Age and Running Performance: A Comparative Analysis of Masters Athletes
Strength Training: Improving Running Efficiency
Altitude Training and Its Impact on Endurance Running Performance
Genetics: A Determining Factor in Running Ability and Performance
The Influence of Running Surfaces on Injury Risk and Performance
Power Development in Runners: The Role of Plyometric Training
Warm-Up and Cool-Down Protocols: Impact on Running Performance
Psychological Strategies of Elite Runners: Performance Enhancement Techniques
Sleep, Recovery, and Running Performance: Exploring the Connection
Footwear Technology: Effects on Running Performance and Injury Prevention
Cross-Training: Enhancing Running Performance Through Variation
Anaerobic Capacity in Runners: Effects of Interval Training
Running Economy and Performance: An Analysis of Distance Runners
Stretching and Flexibility Training: Influence on Running Performance
Physiological Adaptations in Long-Term Endurance Running Training
Fatigue and Overtraining in Runners: Contributing Factors

Water Sports Research Topics

The Impact of Water Sports on Physical Fitness and Health
Exploring the Economic Benefits of Water Sports Tourism
Environmental Conservation in Water Sports: Practices and Challenges
Investigating the Psychological Benefits of Water Sports
The Role of Gender in Water Sports Participation and Performance
Exploring the History and Evolution of Water Sports
Analyzing the Safety Measures in Water Sports Activities
The Influence of Technology on Water Sports Performance
Assessing the Social and Cultural Impacts of Water Sports Events
Understanding the Physiology of Water Sports Athletes
Investigating the Role of Nutrition in Enhancing Water Sports Performance
Exploring the Role of Coaching in Water Sports Training
The Effect of Water Sports on Cognitive Function and Mental Well-Being
Analyzing the Economic Viability of Water Sports Facilities
Investigating the Environmental Effects of Water Sports Equipment and Gear
The Impact of Water Sports on Coastal Ecosystems and Marine Life
Understanding the Psychological Challenges Faced by Water Sports Athletes
Exploring the Influence of Water Sports on Youth Development
Assessing the Role of Media in Promoting Water Sports
Analyzing the Cultural Significance of Traditional Water Sports
The Influence of Weather Conditions on Water Sports Activities

Soccer Sports Research Topics

Soccer Tactics Evolution: Analyzing the Impact of Formations on Team Performance
Influence of Home Field Advantage in Soccer: A Statistical Analysis
Roles of Mental Training in Enhancing Soccer Performance: A Case Study of Professional Players
Player Positioning and Goal-Scoring Efficiency in Soccer: An Analytical Study
Effectiveness of Different Training Methods for Developing Soccer Skills
Impacts of Playing Surface on Soccer Performance and Injury Rates: A Comparative Study
Psychological Factors Affecting Penalty Shootout Performance in Soccer: An Analysis
Nutrition and Diet: Enhancing Soccer Players’ Performance and Recovery
Relationship Between Soccer Team Diversity and Success: A Case Study of Professional Leagues
Impacts of Weather Conditions on Soccer Matches: A Comparative Analysis
Influence of Managerial Styles on Team Performance in Soccer: Exploring the Link
Technology’s Role in Enhancing Soccer Fan Engagement and Experience: An Overview
Economic Impacts of Major Soccer Events on Host Countries: Analyzing the Effects
Impact of Player Transfers on Team Performance in Professional Soccer: An Investigation
Relationship Between Soccer and National Identity: A Comparative Study
Soccer-Specific Physical Conditioning Programs: Effectiveness in Injury Prevention
Role of Soccer Academies in Player Development: A Comparative Analysis
Effectiveness of Video Analysis in Improving Soccer Tactics and Strategy: A Study
Impacts of Fan Behavior on Soccer Match Atmosphere and Player Performance: An Examination
Influence of Soccer Broadcasts on Fan Engagement and Support: Analyzing the Effects

Extreme Sports Research Topics

Exploration: Psychological Benefits of Extreme Sports
Analysis: Impact of Extreme Sports on Physical Fitness
Examining the Role of Risk-Taking in Extreme Sports
Investigating the Evolution of Equipment in Extreme Sports
Understanding the Sociocultural Significance of Extreme Sports
Exploring the Environmental Impact of Extreme Sports
Assessing the Role of Technology in Extreme Sports
Analyzing Economic Aspects of the Extreme Sports Industry
Investigating the Relationship Between Gender and Extreme Sports Participation
Examining the Influence of Extreme Sports on Youth Culture
Role of Media in Promoting Extreme Sports
Analyzing the Impact of Sponsorship in Extreme Sports
Physiology of Athletes in Extreme Sports
Understanding Roles of Fear and Adrenaline in Extreme Sports
Examining the Role of Extreme Sports in Overcoming Personal Challenges
Investigating the Impact of Extreme Sports on Mental Well-Being
Analyzing Cultural Appropriation in Extreme Sports
Exploring the Relationship between Extreme Sports and Natural Landscapes
Examining Safety Measures and Risk Management in Extreme Sports
Investigating the Impact of Extreme Sports on Tourism
Exploring Ethics of Extreme Sports

Evans, A. B., Barker-Ruchti, N., Blackwell, J., Clay, G., Dowling, F., Frydendal, S., Gliemann Hybholt, M., Hausken-Sutter, S. E., Lenneis, V., Malcolm, D., Phoenix, C., Smith, B., Svendler Nielsen, C., Wilcock, L., Williams, O., & Winther, H. (2021). Qualitative research in sports studies: Challenges, possibilities and the current state of play. European Journal for Sport and Society , 18 (1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2021.1899969

Jones, I. (2022). Research methods for sports studies . Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Lebel, K., Mumcu, C., Pegoraro, A., LaVoi, N. M., Lough, N., & Antunovic, D. (2021). Re-thinking women’s sport research: Looking in the mirror and reflecting forward. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living , 3 , 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.746441

Skinner, J., Smith, A., Read, D., Burch, L. M., & Mueller, J. (2024). Research methods for sport management . Routledge.

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Wallwork, A. (2023). English for writing research papers . Springer.

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20+ Good Sports Research Paper Topics and Ideas

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by Antony W

June 6, 2024

You can write a sports research paper on anything you want if your professor has given you the freedom to choose a topic. While you such an abundance of freedom, figuring out what to write can be a big challenge.

From American football and Superbowl to Commonwealth Games and everything in between, what topic should you write on exactly?

Ultimately, it’s up to you. However, you should choose a topic that doesn’t just fascinate you. Pick a topic that lets you find gaps in existing knowledge, so you can contribute new information to what we already know.

It’s fine if you don’t have a topic in mind yet, or if you find brainstorming and topic research process a pain in the chest. Below are some sports research paper topics and ideas that you might find interesting enough to explore.

Sports Research Paper Topics and Ideas

Here are some research paper topics in sports that you might find interesting to explore:

Athletics Training Research Paper Topics

An analysis of the function of clinical examination and diagnosis for athletes before, during, and after athletic training
Why there should be an immediate and emergency treatment facility at every sporting venue
What function does the electrotherapy section play in a sports training facility?
How to avoid injuries by utilizing anatomical knowledge
Examining why it’s critical to administer first aid to a hurt athlete

Sports Psychology Research Topics

How does a team’s performance change as they prepare for a game?
Analyze the mental impact of extended training sessions.
How do feelings affect a person’s ability to excel in sports?
Describe the many societal influences on sports involvement.
Techniques for evaluating sports athletes’ mental health
Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral traits of athletes

Controversial Sports Science Topics

Does a sportsperson’s performance depend on genetics?
Should people play sports like badminton or volleyball?
The effects of gambling on the effectiveness of sporting events
Does the educational curriculum successfully accommodate sports activities?
Why should women play football more frequently than men should?
Analyze the prevalence of coronavirus infection in athletes.
What impact does racism have on American sports?

Sports Exercise Research Topics

Examining the reasons why so many individuals choose jogging in the morning
Is a certified coach required while engaging in personal physical activity?
What results may we expect from the TV-aired workout programs?
Determining whether it’s necessary to consult doctors before selecting a physical fitness program
Examine several medical disorders that call for regular exercise.

Sports Medicine Research Paper Topics

How do physical therapists aid athletes in their rehabilitation from injuries?
The function of nutritionists’ nutritional recommendations to athletics
How do physical activities affect weight growth and loss?
What impact can ripped muscles or shattered bones have on an athlete’s health?
Resistance training’s effects on athletes’ body composition
Analyze the benefits of skeletal muscle aerobic and strength training.
What impact does Ramadan’s intermittent fasting have on athletes?

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What Makes a Good Sports Research Paper?

You do want to complete your sports research paper on time, but there is more to it than just meeting then deadline. Your project has to be a comprehensive as possible, as your teacher will look at whether you’ve done thorough research and exhausted your topic.

Here are some pointers on what makes a good research paper in sports:

1. Demonstrate In-depth Research

Show that you conducted intensive research to detail the background of the topic. For example, a topic that touches on the American Football stadium must touch on the psychological and social factors of the game.

2. Use Sports Terms

Sure, your professor will more than likely buy into how simple and clear your research paper is. However, it will be a fail if you don’t use sports related terms in your project.

Include command terms in your work, explain them for clarity, and use them throughout your writing to demonstrate that you understand the topic.

Don’t hesitate to use examples for illustrations and clarity.

3. Write in a Friendly Tone

A research paper in sports doesn’t require creative writing . However, the tone shouldn’t be as robotic and complex as for a scientific paper.

We strongly recommend that you use a more relaxing and entertaining tone. However, don’t veer away from the rules of academic writing.

4. Ensure You Structure Your Work

A research paper in sports is a long project. Think of it like a storybook with different chapters that build on each other. In this respect, your work must have a clear structure that organizes your research in a logical order.

Check out our guide on how to structure a research paper if you don’t know how to do that yet.

5. Cite Your Sources

Your research paper will be nothing more than just pages with words if you don’t cite your sources .

Remember, your professor will assess whether you engaged in research. The way they do that is to check the appendix section to see if you’ve listed the source you used.

So, ensure you don’t overlook this as you write, and make sure you use the recommended citation format before you submit your work for review.

If you notice during the brainstorming stage that a topic won’t allow you to meet these criteria, drop it and pick another one. There’s no point trying to work on a sports topic that will outright fail.

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140 Exciting Sports Research Topics You Can Investigate

Physical activities have taken deep root in the young generation. As a result, more and more students decide to study sport as a subject to learn all peculiarities in this field.

How to Make a Choice of Sports Topics for Research Paper

Sports subject has a wide range of topics to write about, and that’s why it might be challenging enough to pick up the specific one. Stick to the following flow to get the right issue for your paper.

Make the list of sports related research paper topics you are interested in.
Don’t pick up a topic that requires long-lasting and in-depth study. You can lose focus and go the wrong way.
Make sure your topics meet the assignment requirements.
Conduct initial research to find out how broad or narrow this topic is.
Consult with your academic advisor to get to know if the issue has any limits. He could advise you to narrow your scope or suggest some good ways to conduct your research in the right direction.
Make up your research questions and ensure that your questions are answerable.
Make a research plan.

How to Structure Your Paper in Sports?

Most non-expert students make mistakes by writing a research paper without adhering to the structure and setting a clear goal. Each research work should have a clear structure, making it understand and follow the main point better.

Introduction. The opening part explains why you have chosen this topic about sport.
Methods and Materials. In this section, you present what ways you used to fill the knowledge gaps.
Results. State objective outcomes and provide supportive data and statistics.
Discussion. This part interprets your results and answers the questions to fill your gaps in knowledge.
Conclusions. Bring all you mentioned above in your paper together and report what goals you have achieved by researching the current issue.

140 Interesting Sports Research Paper Topics to Draft an Academic Report

Sports management paper topics.

Risk Management in Doing Professional Sports
Leadership Approaches in Coaching
Ethics in Sports
The Role of Gender in Sports
How to Avoid Violence in Sports?
Coaching as a Male Occupation
Women in Coaching
Safety Issues in Sports
How to Prevent Steroids in Sports?
The Development of the Olympic Games
Ways to Manage Risks in Ice Hockey
Golf Industry and Its Development Today

These topics cover the basic questions in managing a sports career. Do you want to figure out the current sports issues like coaching, arguing about genders, and high risks? The list of controversial sports topics makes you investigate the subject you’re interested in.

Exciting Sports Science Research Topics

Doping Influence on Athletes’ Brains
What Is Neuroplasticity?
The Influence of Biological Age on Sports Achievements
Why Monitor Fatigue
Hydration Testing in Sports
Relative Age Effect
How to Develop Agility in Young Athletes
Sleep and Its Impact on Competition Outcomes
How Infographics Can Improve Coaching Skills
Tech Ways to Fight Doping in Sports
Innovative Ways to Train Power
Stamina Development in Young Football Players

Science is moving forward with seven-league steps, and sports is not outside this process. If you are willing to know all the scientific innovations in sports, it’s high time to compose a sports science paper.

Sports Schools Topics to Write About

Top 5 Sports Schools to Study
How to Enroll in a Sport School
Pros and Cons of Sports School
History of Cranbrook School
Outstanding Graduates of Sun Valley Community School
What to Choose: Sports School vs. State College
How Do Sports Schools Instil the Importance of Sports for Teenagers?
How to Choose the Best Sports School?
Discipline or High Grades: Values of Sports Colleges
Must-Have Sports Facilities for Every College Gym
Sports Institutions Build Character
Successful Athletes as Teacher in Sports Colleges
What a Sports School Teaches Young Sportsmen

Famous athletes are thankful for their success, not only hard work and a stubborn streak. Most of these sportsmen are graduates of sports schools. Instead of reading school reviews, you could write your own research paper.

Sports Research Topics on Basketball, Hockey, Football

History of Football
Why Do We Call Rugby “Football”?
Cheerleading as a Sport
Appropriate Age to Start a Career in Hockey
Hockey vs. Football: Which One is the Most Profitable?
Hockey Inventions We Use Every Day
The World’s Best Hockey Teams
Basketball Tactics: How to Win
The Most Brilliant Basketball Players Ever
Ice Hockey vs. Grass Hockey
Can Adults Start Playing Basketball and Succeed in It?
Football as a Lifestyle: Role of Sports on Social Mobility of the UK
Basketball Schools in the United States
The Moment When Basketball Became a Sports Topic for Essays

Some kinds of sports, like football and hockey, have become a huge part of our lives. The theoretical and athletic training research topics in basketball, football, and hockey will give you a clear understanding of their modern pace.

Fitness Research Paper Topics

Ways to Determine Strength
Fitness in Sports Centers Is More Effective Than Home Fitness
Peculiarities of Fitness for Middle-Aged People
The Importance of Daily Fitness Exercises
How Does Fitness Generate Willpower?
Strict Rules Cause Stress
Fitness Selfies and Safety
Up-to-Date Society: Fitness Industry Analysis
Why Can Multitasking Become a Barrier in Fitness Achievements?
Fitness Improves Mental Health: Myth or Reality?
Fitness as a Business
Hidden Benefits From Doing Home Fitness
Fitness Programs Created by Celebrities
How to Get Used to Sports?
Male and Female Fitness
Peculiarities of Fitness for Children

Fitness includes not only exercises to keep fit, but it also includes a scope of healthy diet principles and mental attitude to workouts. Want to support or contradict this idea? The range of sports argument essay topics will make your choice easier.

Topics About Sports Nutrition

The Significant Role of Nutrition in Sports
How Do High Carb Intake Impact Athletics Performance?
Ketogenic Diet for Sportsmen
How to Calculate Carb, Protein, and Fat for Healthy Diet
Does Protein Overconsumption Lead to Diseases?
Empty Stomach Cardio Reduces Fat Faster: Myth or Fact?
Why Do Athletes Need Cheat Meals?
Food You Should Eat for Cheat Meals
The Impact of Energy Drinks on Sports Performance
Why Investigate and Write the Benefits of Physical Activity and Healthy Nutrition Paper in Schools?
Simple and Complex Carbs: How to Distinguish
Balanced Diet Is a Key to High Sports Results
How Does Nutrition Influence Hormones in the Body?

What’s the necessary nutrition in sports? This question could be argued endlessly, and you can add your point of view in an argumentative topic sports paper. Every athlete knows that only the right balance between sports and nutrition gives a positive result and helps achieve success.

History Sports Research Topics for College Students

History of the Olympic Games
Sports in the Medieval Period
The Top 5 Important Sports Events in History
Sports in the USA: How Did It Establish?
The Great Female Coaches in History
Evolution of Baseball
History of Wrestling
The Top 10 Failed Football Games in History
The Best Male Bodybuilding Competitions
Sports Events That Became Movie Plots
The Youngest Winners in Ice Skating
Hockey History in Canada

Sports has a captivating flow of history. Picking up a sports presentation topic will immerse you in past events and teach what mistakes you might avoid in the cruel sports world.

Interesting Topics on Sports Psychology

Psychological Pressure on Athletes
Psychological Gender Problems in Gymnastics
How Does Neuro-Linguistic Programming Improve Sports Results?
Doping as a Result of Psychological Problems
Psychological Traumas and Their Consequences
Ways to Control Emotions in Sports
Psychological Motivation of Young Sportsmen
Psychological Aspects of Sports Trophies That Raise Self-Esteem
What Psychological Barriers Can a Young Athlete Have on His Way to Winning?
Ways to Avoid Psychological Pressure
Psychological Safety in the Team
Methods of Psychological Recovery

Being a sports team member or watching any sports movie, you can’t help but notice the inside psychological climate. Choosing and creating a draft on one of the essay topics about sports helps determine the necessity of psychological safety.

Research Topics on Sports Sociology

Sports as a Serious Career
What Causes Increased Sexual Activity in Athletes?
Transgender People in Sports: Who Should Be Their Competitors?
How Do Sports Prevent Juvenile Delinquency?
The Sports Impact on Academic Performance
Is Doing Sports a Tribal Behavior?
Sports Idol Is Better Than a Pop Star
Why Do Sports Discipline Us?
Sports as One of the Ways to Stay Socialized
Physical Education as a Mandatory Subject in Schools
Men and Women Perceive Sports Differently: Reasons
Popular Bias About Doing Sports

Even if you deal with sports activity as a leisure pastime, you might pick up one of the research topics in recreation and leisure and its impact on life’s social aspects.

Sports Marketing Research Ideas

How to Promote a Sports Event
Ways to Sell Sports Tickets Worldwide
Using Sports Data to Sell Facilities for Gym
The Most Expensive Items for Olympic Games
How to Attract People to a New Sports Center
How to Advertise Sports Events on Social Media
Products Banned to Advertise by Athletes
The Most Remarkable Sports Ads for the Last Two Decades
Football as a Money-Making Source
Motivational Sports Ads
The Most Successful Cases of Sports Marketing in the UK

Sporting activities have become a huge field for earning money. Investigating sports related research topics will help you realize how sports products and celebrities could become income-generating sources.

Medicine and Injuries in Sports

Methods to Help Recover After a Sports Trauma
Types of Injuries in Sports
How to prevent Athletic Varicose Disease?
Medicines Allowed in Sports
Consequences of Taking Painkillers
Pros and Cons of Caffeine
Yoga for Women’s Health
How Can Elastic Therapeutic Tape Treat Tennis Injuries?
Drugs Prohibited in Sports
Athletic Exercises Can Help to Overcome Asthma
Why Are Some Drugs Considered as Doping?
Is It Safe to Practice Sports With Heart Diseases?
Ways to Prevent Muscle Fatigue

Sports are connected with injuries, and it’s vital to know how to prevent or treat different kinds of injuries. If you are going to get involved in physical activities, you have to be aware of the medications you can take while practicing sports.

Since you have chosen a sports argumentative essay topic, you can start working on following a few certain steps:

Find and study all the background information.
Structure the data into several sections: introduction, methods and materials, results, discussion, and conclusions.
Start writing a research paper outline focusing on the main point. You might even start writing from the middle, for example, from methods and materials, or discussion proceeding from that.
Check and polish your paper to get rid of mistakes and typos.

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References:

How to Write a Research Paper on Sports
5 Steps to Write a Sports Paper
Youth Injuries in Sports
Science of Sleep and Sports Performance
Drinking Energy Drinks While Doing Sports
Sports Among Children and Adults
Sports Betting Research

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188 Sports Research Topics

If you are assigned to write a research paper about sports, you should know that choosing a great topic is the first step in crafting a great assignment. It is easier to brainstorm several sports topics by listing your interests, opinions, and points of view on things you already have some background in and want to learn more about.

Sports research topics ideas, athletic training research topics, sports management research topics, sports nutrition topics for research, sports medicine research paper topics, sports psychology research topics, interesting sports research paper topics, controversial sports research paper topics, current sport science research topics.

You should always consider your assignment’s requirements and limitations. While your professor will want you to conduct in-depth research using trustworthy academic and government resources, you may not have access to all the resources you need to adequately address your topic. Try not to make your project more difficult than it has to be by mistakenly choosing from a list of ideas that are either too broad or too narrow. Stick with something you know a little bit about and can find ample background information with an online search.

In many cases, a student will wait until the last minute to start researching and writing an assignment. No matter what school one attends, turning in a poorly written paper will get flagged immediately and likely increase your chances of earning a poor grade in your class. Many students want to buy college papers for assistance in researching and writing a thesis about sports. Choosing a reputable service that has been around for years and guarantees top-level support is the best choice. Students should do their due diligence when considering options. A reputable service like ours can provide you with several sports topics to write about and take your choice to craft an excellent paper for every level and situation.

The field of athletic training deals with the optimization of strength and endurance associated with regular exercise programs. When it comes to athletes in training or those who want to go specialize in this area of sports science will find the following exercise research paper topics interesting:

How an athletic director or supervisor can impact training schedules in college sports.
Examine different approaches for efficient injury recovery and alternative training.
Analyze the effects of having caffeine before training or exercising routines.
Describe the negative effects that are caused by weight training too much.
The dangers of two-a-days training regiments in professional football players.
PED use among professional athletes during off-season recovery and training.
Evaluate the best training routines to develop lower body strength and speed.
Compare and contrast outdoor training activities and indoor training activities.
Analyze the different training techniques that prevent shoulder-related injuries.
Effective treatment methods for athletes with knee injuries.
Analyzing the causes of varicose disease in professional athletes.
Better training techniques to minimize injury risk in American football.
The impact yoga and stretching have on a pro athlete’s flexibility.
Effective methods to treat acute and chronic muscle overstrains in athletes.
Analyze the effectiveness of strength training water exercises.
Limiting training routines for athletes under concussion protocols.
The effectiveness of a lengthy warm-up to prevent injuries.
Explain the relationship between aerobic exercise and belly fat.
The positive and negative bodily effects on women that weight train.
The life-long benefits of regular exercise starting from an early age.
Steroid use among professional athletes and its effect on exercise regimens.
Safe exercise regimens for retired athletes that want to stay in shape.
Compare training methods of American football players and European rugby players.
Describe the ways training methods have evolved due to technological advances.

This is a field of business that deals with sports involving a combination of skills including planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and budgeting within an organization or business in the sports world. It is a popular discipline that offers a lot of professional opportunities upon graduation. Here are some research topics in sport you should consider if this field interests you:

Explain how the sports agent’s role has changed in the last 25 years.
Describe the role media has in advancing sports to a world population.
In what ways has the role of the sports lawyer changed in the last two decades.
Pros and cons of promoting female executives in professional male sports teams.
The negative impact of providing incentives to college-athletes.
The importance of implementing hard salary caps across all professional sports.
Describe the impact the U.S. Women’s Soccer team has had on the equal pay movement.
The best way to market the Olympics to athletes in a post-Covid world.
The negative impact that violence in sports has on society.
Evaluate different approaches to managing risk in professional sports.
Examine the role national politics have played a part in sports.
An effective way to market extreme sports for successful consumption.
The need to strike local television contracts and sponsorships to ensure a team’s success.
Describe the most important leadership approaches necessary for effective team management.
Explain the qualities a high school coach must have to enrich the lives of student-athletes.
The importance of a good sports agent on an athlete’s off-field success.
Tax rules in Canada and the opportunities it gives to major sports teams.
Explain the impact opening sports academies in every county would have on athletes.
The role colleges and universities have in paying players for their performance.
The impact sports for the disabled have had on providing moral support.
Examine the effect increased safety regulations in the NFL have had on fan support.
Explain the ethical concerns with players that have insured their bodies.
List the most important reasons why athletes need a sports manager.
The impact that super-max deals have had on free agency.

Sports nutrition plays an important role in the athletic success and is in constant change due to new data that comes to light through clinical research studies. There are numerous professional opportunities in this area and the following sports research topics are great places to start if you need to write an academic assignment in this area:

How DNA outline can help create customized nutrition plans.
The impact of nutritional product placement in fitness centers.
The most effective method of developing a balanced diet for football linemen.
Analyze specific nutritional support qualities for high school athletes.
The role of supplements in professional athletes’ diets.
A comparison of plant-based and animal-based protein foods.
Different responses of different athletes across sports.
Evaluating caloric intake after intensive training sessions.
Effects of prolonged malnutrition in female gymnasts.
Compare and contrast the effectiveness of popular nutritional products.
Examine the importance of nutritional variety in an athlete’s diet.
Examine the way athletes respond to different types of diets during the offseason.
The safety of metal chelates and role of microelements in sports nutrition.
The best method for developing customized nutrition plans for athletes.
Managing nutrition during training and recovery periods.
The increasing research that supports the use of curd in sports diets.
Explain how sports nutrition for UFC fighters is different for professional boxes.
List the most important reasons why professional athletes need a private nutritionist.
Explain the pros and cons of popular sports energy drinks to recovery.
Describe the challenges sports nutritionists face with professional athletes.
Evaluate the amount of protein professional athletes need across sports.
Health benefits of a high-carb diet for professional athletes.
The impact of sports nutrition courses for young athletes in high school.
Health benefits of a high-protein and low-carb diet in young athletes.

This branch of medicine deals with physical fitness and the prevention and treatment of injuries that stem from exercise and sports. There are several interesting sports research topics ideas that you will find in the current discussion. We’ve collected some of the best for your consideration:

The effectiveness of topical pain relievers during a game.
How to reduce the instances of cardiac arrests during training sessions.
The positive effect Yoga has on overall athletic performance.
The best way to approach physical trauma from career-ending injuries.
The effectiveness of Yoga in helping women during menopause.
Methods sports medicine can evaluate changes in heart rate.
The long-term risks of taking adrenaline in professional sports.
Fitness practices and their ability to improve stamina in pro athletes.
Adopting a fitness routine after retirement from professional sports.
The prevalence of concussions in the NFL and NHL.
The best recovery methods for athletes with fractured ribs.
The functional state of adolescents can be improved by participating in sports.
Inactivity and obesity and their impact on the health of people aged 30 and up.
Regulating respiratory functions in professional athletes with the use of medication.
The most effective method of rehabilitating adults with brain traumas.
The risks athletes with heart conditions take when playing pro sports.
The effects of caffeine on the overall performance of professional athletes.
Explain how lactic acid affects a professional athlete’s performance.
The most common types of injuries among NFL quarterbacks.
The growing popularity of Ayurvedic medicines for athletes in recovery.
The average recovery time for basketball players suffering from groin injuries.
Changes in an athlete’s respiratory functions during intense training.

This field of psychology uses knowledge and skill to address optimal performance and mental health of athletes. Over the last 2 decades, it has become an integral part of professional and non-professional sports and offers plenty of opportunities to students interested in this area of study. Here are several research topics in sports science related to the field of psychology:

The impact youth sports have in building leadership skills in young people.
College athletes spend too much time on the field instead of learning.
Describe the impact hypnosis has on an athlete’s recovery time.
Examine the mental health of controversial sports athletes from the past.
Psychological impact on young women when female pro sports are covered nationally.
Examine the emotional needs of professional female athletes in sports.
Explain the effectiveness of mental rehearsal in improving a player’s performance.
Explain how the role of the sports psychologist has changed in the last 20 years.
Describe the negative effects the Covid-19 quarantine had on professional athletes.
Examine the psychological and physiological aspects of drug use in pro sports.
Evaluate different methods of psychological post-trauma recovery.
Explain the connection between aggression and dangerous contact sports.
Examine the impact being a professional athlete has on that person’s intelligence.
Explain how team sports create a sense of nationalism in your country.
The impact neuro-linguistic programming has on improving athletic performance.
Describe the effects of cross-gender coaching at the professional level.
Explain the negative impact fame has on a player’s mental health.
Explain the mental health benefits of team recreational sports for disabled people.
Techniques to minimize the negative effects of performance anxiety before a game.
Explain the pressures professional athletes face regarding the vaccine.
The mental effect on female athletes that are underpaid despite better performance.
The impact of watching professional sports as a teenager and mental health.
The impact that social media has had on athletes’ mental health.
Explain the effects corruption in pro sports have on fan loyalty.

Professional writers have long recommended that students choose a topic they are genuinely interested in. A student’s enthusiasm for a topic will come through as better and more engaging writing. Here is a collection of sports issues to write about that can make completing this kind of assignment easier:

Describe the measures that must be implemented to minimize the risk of death during a game.
Examine the relationship between golf and social class in the United States.
Examine how teen sports are making more young people aggressive.
Examine what women should do to regulate their energy expenditure.
Evaluate different methods of post-treatment therapy for injured athletes.
Examine the impact winning championships have on an athlete’s motivation.
Compare the best rehabilitation practices for athletes with knee joint injuries.
Analyze the social aspects of team sports among high school athletes.
Describe the developments of the most recent sport made to encourage the disabled community to play sports.
Sports journalists and their role in reporting crimes committed off the field of play.
Athletic performance after winning a championship in a team sport.
Evaluate different coaching styles and determine which style is the best going forward.
Discuss gender stratification through a study of the U.S.’s national soccer teams.
Discuss how the promise of establishing a legacy motivates professional athletes.
Evaluate the benefits of grain diets in preventing cardiovascular disease.
Analyze the responses to Muslim women entering professional sports.
The quality of education college athletes get during their time in school.

There is no harm in dealing with a little bit of controversy when considering good sports research topics. Writing about something controversial can immediately capture the attention of your readers and make your research paper more memorable:

Explain why anti-inflammatory drugs are not prohibited in professional sports.
Evaluate hygienic practices among professional athletes in team-oriented sports.
Examine the best safety practices for active and inactive athletes.
Evaluate the best practices for developing fine motor skills among young children.
Evaluate the effectiveness of using elastic therapeutic tape on should injuries.
Examine the reasons why teenagers take dangerous selfies while practicing extreme sports.
Examining the aerobic benefits of road cycling among athletes.
Describe what sports trophies can do to boost a player’s self-esteem.
Evaluate training techniques for marathon runners and sprint runners.
Discuss the likelihood of men and women participating in mixed-gender sports.
Analyze the methods professional athletes use to avoid illegal drug use detection.
Discuss knee injury risk for marathon runners with short training periods.
The rise of doping cases in professional cycling around the world.
Evaluate the use of proper footwear to avoid injury.
Describe how genetics play a role in an athlete’s natural abilities.
Describe the positive effect outdoor sports have on people with depression.
Examine the pay gap between professional male and female athletes.
Specificity of treatment of sports injuries in children and young people.
Diabetes and the prevention of muscle fiber destruction.
Compare and contrast sports traumas among high school athletes.
Examine leadership qualities needed to become a team captain.
Examine how changing diets after an injury can aid athletes to recover faster.
The effectiveness of pet therapy to help older adults recover from injuries.
The most common types of volleyball injuries and the best treatments.
Describe the pros and cons of sports betting in modern society.
Analyze the most likely sports injuries among men and women.
Explain why athletes should be prevented from betting on sports.

One of the reasons students decide to write about a current topic is because there is plenty of information available on the web and in the news. It allows them to take that information into one of several directions. These sports thesis topics are great for anyone wanting to write about something that is fresh and new:

Describe what governing sports bodies can do to prevent the use of PEDs.
Alternative medicines and their effect on athletic performance.
Describe the connection between pro sports and the U.S. economy.
Technological improvements to headgear to prevent concussions.
The impact long-distance running has on joint health.
Evaluate the safest exercises for adults with disabilities.
Examine the prevalence of mental disorders in high-contact sports.
Evaluate how different sports owners approach sponsors to raise money.
The false narrative behind sports injuries and a player’s motivation.
Using social media to respond to news that is spread in the mainstream media.
Examine the ceiling that exists to prevent women from advancing a career in sports.
Compare and contrast European soccer leagues and American soccer leagues.
Implementing better concussion protocols to improve player safety.
Analyze the way sports owners maximize their profits at the expense of fans.
Analyze the connection between athletic performance and sexual activity.
Examine how students perform better academically when they play sports.
Compare how strength is determined by muscle mass versus the neural system.
Examine the research suggesting that sports help teenagers with ADHD.
Taking time off to improve mental health and the response of fans.
Explain how Europe and U.S. market their pro sports differently.
The importance of building state-of-the-art venues to attract free agents.
Examine the relationship between youth sports and juvenile delinquency.
The ways professional athletes use social media to stir dislike with others.
The negative impact sports lockouts have on fan support.
Examine the impact athletic pharmacology has had in facilitating post-traumatic injury.
The most effective ways athletes can recover after a cold or flu.

Still Need Sports Research Paper Help?

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What are good research topics about sports?

Some good research topics in sports include investigating the root causes of varicose disease in athletes, improving training methods to reduce the chance of injury in American football, and how yoga and stretching affect a professional athlete’s flexibility. Others include practical ways to treat athletes’ acute and chronic muscular injuries.

What are some interesting research topics in sport psychology?

Some interesting research topics in sport psychology include how youth sports help develop young people’s leadership abilities, how college athletes spend much too much time on the field than in the classroom, and the psychological impact on female athletes whose pay is low despite superior performance.

What is research sports science?

Research in sports science is a field of research that focuses on the social effects and contributions of sports. It also highlights the cultural and economic impacts of sports.

Why is research good in sports?

Research is good in sports because it promotes the development of safety practices and educational measures that protect students and athletes. It also ensures best practices are followed in sports.

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