OOIR: Observatory of International Research

Papers

(The TQCC of Sports Medicine is 20. The table below lists those papers that are above that threshold based on CrossRef citation counts [max. 250 papers]. The publications cover those that have been published in the past four years, i.e., from 2021-11-01 to 2025-11-01.)

Article	Citations
Resistance Training as a Countermeasure in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Review of Current Literature and Future Directions	173
Response to Comment on “Effects of Oral Iron Supplementation on Blood Iron Status in Athletes: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Meta-regression of Randomized Controlled Trials”	147
Comment on: “Return to Sports: A Risky Business? A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis of Risk Factors for Graft Rupture Following ACL Reconstruction”	120
Acute Effects of Gait Interventions on Tibial Loads During Running: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	119
Effects of Bed Rest on Physical Performance in Athletes: A Systematic and Narrative Review	116
Advancing Aerobic Exercise Training Intensity Prescription in Health and Disease Beyond Standard Recommendations: A Call to Action	98
Can We Quantify the Benefits of “Super Spikes” in Track Running?	96
Quantifying Exposure and Intra-Individual Reliability of High-Speed and Sprint Running During Sided-Games Training in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	89
Head Games: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Examining Concussion and Head Impact Incidence Rates, Modifiable Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies in Youth Tackle Football	88
Is Visual Reliance Increased in Athletes After ACL Injury? A Scoping Review	86
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Who Should Be Managing Athletes on Matters Related to Sleep?	81
Mitochondria as Nutritional Targets to Maintain Muscle Health and Physical Function During Ageing	77
Pain Perception in Contact Sport Athletes: A Scoping Review	77
The Time Course of Injury Risk After Return-to-Play in Professional Football (Soccer)	75
Comment on “Optimizing Post‑Activation Performance Enhancement in Athletic Tasks: A Systematic Review with Meta‑analysis for Prescription Variables and Research Methods”	75
Inconsistencies and Imprecision in the Nomenclature Used to Describe Primary Periphyseal Stress Injuries: Towards a Better Understanding	75
Effect of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners’ Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	74
Dose–Response Modelling of Resistance Exercise Across Outcome Domains in Strength and Conditioning: A Meta-analysis	72
Dietary Recommendations for Body Mass and Composition Manipulation in Male and Female Athletes: a Scoping Review of Consensus Statements, Position Stands and Practice Guidelines from International Exp	71
Maltodextrin-Based Carbohydrate Oral Rinsing and Exercise Performance: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	70
Causal Association Between Sedentary Behaviors and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mendelian Randomization Studies	68
Sex Differences in Recovery Trajectories of Assessments for Sport-Related Concussion Among NCAA Athletes: A CARE Consortium Study	68
Response to: Comment on “Stepwise Load Reduction Training: A New Training Concept for Skeletal Muscle and Energy Systems”	66
Sports Nutrition Ingredients and Governance, Exercise Training, and Sport Technology	66
Correction to: Attributes of Expert Anticipation Should Inform the Design of Virtual Reality Simulators to Accelerate Learning and Transfer of Skill	66

Response to Comment on: “The Effect of Preterm Birth on Maximal Aerobic Exercise Capacity and Lung Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”	63
Response to Comment on “Premature Death in Bodybuilders: What Do We Know?”	62
Task Specificity of Dynamic Resistance Training and Its Transferability to Non-trained Isometric Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	61
Return to Play and Performance After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review of Recent Evidence	61
Correction to: Comment on “Black Box Prediction Methods in Sports Medicine Deserve a Red Card for Reckless Practice: A Change of Tactics is Needed to Advance Athlete Care”	61
The Acute Demands of Repeated-Sprint Training on Physiological, Neuromuscular, Perceptual and Performance Outcomes in Team Sport Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	60
The Era of Resistance Training as a Primary Form of Physical Activity for Physical Fitness and Health in Youth Has Come	59
Correction to: Using Free-Living Heart Rate Data as an Objective Method to Assess Physical Activity: A Scoping Review and Recommendations by the INTERLIVE-Network Targeting Consumer Wearables	59
Comparative Efficacy and Acceptability of Non-surgical Treatments with or without Exercise for Diastasis Recti Abdominis in Postpartum Women: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials	58
Mechanisms Linking Physical Activity with Psychiatric Symptoms Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review	58
Safety of International Professional Sports Competitions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Association Football Experience	57
Deconstructing the Ergogenic Effects of Photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of its Efficacy in Improving Mode-Specific Exercise Performance in Humans	57
From Tissue to System: What Constitutes an Appropriate Response to Loading?	56
Hypoxia Conditioning for Load-Compromised Athletes: A Narrative Review Exploring Potential Applications in Injury and Disability Management	55
How to Tackle Mental Fatigue: A Systematic Review of Potential Countermeasures and Their Underlying Mechanisms	55
Anatomical Variability of the Soleus Muscle: A Key Factor for the Prognosis of Injuries?	55
The Welsh Institute of Performance Science: A Decade of Integrated Knowledge Translation in Elite Sport	54
Hop to It! A Systematic Review and Longitudinal Meta-analysis of Hop Performance After ACL Reconstruction	54
Carbohydrate Nutrition and Skill Performance in Soccer	53
Response to Comment on “The Effectiveness of Resisted Sled Training (RST) for Sprint Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis”	51
Comment on: “Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness Post‐COVID‐19: A Narrative Review”	51
Judgement and Decision Making in Clinical and Return-to-Sports Decision Making: A Narrative Review	51
What are the Risks of Contact Sport During Pregnancy: a Survey-Based Investigation	50
Correction to: Impact of Exercise Training Interventions on Flow-Mediated Dilation in Adults: An Umbrella Review	49
Running Endurance in Women Compared to Men: Retrospective Analysis of Matched Real-World Big Data	49
Appraising the Methodological Quality of Sports Injury Video Analysis Studies: The QA-SIVAS Scale	48
Optimizing Post-activation Performance Enhancement in Athletic Tasks: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis for Prescription Variables and Research Methods	46
Performance Implications of Force-Vector-Specific Resistance and Plyometric Training: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	46
Data Informing Governing Body Resistance-Training Guidelines Exhibit Sex Bias: An Audit-Based Review	46
Long-Term Development of Training Characteristics and Performance-Determining Factors in Elite/International and World-Class Endurance Athletes: A Scoping Review	46
Submaximal Fitness Tests in Team Sports: A Theoretical Framework for Evaluating Physiological State	44
Relationship between Cognitive Demands and Biomechanical Indicators Associated with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Systematic Review	43
Return to Sports: A Risky Business? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Risk Factors for Graft Rupture Following ACL Reconstruction	43
Challenging Aspects of Research on the Influence of the Menstrual Cycle and Oral Contraceptives on Physical Performance	43
How Priming Exercise Affects Oxygen Uptake Kinetics: From Underpinning Mechanisms to Endurance Performance	43
Comment on “The Effect of Resistance Training on Body Composition During and After Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis”	42
Decoupling of Internal and External Workload During a Marathon: An Analysis of Durability in 82,303 Recreational Runners	42
Response to Comment on: “Attempting to Separate Placebo Effects from Exercise in Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”	41
The Association Between Menstrual Cycle Phase, Menstrual Irregularities, Contraceptive Use and Musculoskeletal Injury Among Female Athletes: A Scoping Review	39
Symptoms of Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome are Common in Community-Dwelling Adults	39
Retraction Note: The Effect of Preterm Birth on Maximal Aerobic Exercise Capacity and Lung Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	39
Ecological Dynamics as an Accurate and Parsimonious Contributor to Applied Practice: A Critical Appraisal	39
Authors’ Reply to Carina Enea et al.’s Comment on “Menstrual Cycle: The Importance of Both the Phases and the Transitions Between Phases on Training and Performance”	39
The Incidence, Cost, and Burden of Concussion in Women’s Rugby League and Rugby Union: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis	38
Performance Adaptations to Intensified Training in Top-Level Football	38
Head Acceleration Event Magnitude and Incidence Rate in Academy Rugby Union: A Comparison Across Club and International Competition	38
Work Demands, Responses, and Coping Strategies for Staff in High-Performance Sport: A Scoping Review	38
Putting “Heavy” into Heavy Slow Resistance	38
Markers of Low Energy Availability in Overreached Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	37
Muscle Oximetry in Sports Science: An Updated Systematic Review	37

Injury Incidence Rate According to Mechanism, Body Location, and Type in Basketball Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	37
Optimising the Dose of Static Stretching to Improve Flexibility: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Multivariate Meta-regression	37
A Systematic Review on Fitness Testing in Adult Male Basketball Players: Tests Adopted, Characteristics Reported and Recommendations for Practice	36
Estimating the Replicability of Sports and Exercise Science Research	36
Menstrual Cycle: The Importance of Both the Phases and the Transitions Between Phases on Training and Performance	36
Individualized Exercise Prescription for Athletes Using a Construct-Based Model	36
Contraception Choice for Female Endurance Athletes: What’s Sport Got to Do With It? A Cross-Sectional Survey	36
Efficacy of Interval Training in Improving Body Composition and Adiposity in Apparently Healthy Adults: An Umbrella Review with Meta-Analysis	36
Comment on: “Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness Post‐COVID‐19: A Narrative Review”	36
Why We Must Stop Assuming and Estimating Menstrual Cycle Phases in Laboratory and Field-Based Sport Related Research	36
Longing for a Longitudinal Proxy: Acutely Measured Surface EMG Amplitude is not a Validated Predictor of Muscle Hypertrophy	35
The Frequency and Determinants of Positive and Negative Officiating Interactions and the Relationships with Mental Ill-Health Symptoms in Sports Officials	35
Accuracy of Resting Metabolic Rate Prediction Equations in Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	35
From Natural Towards Representative Decision Making in Sports: A Framework for Decision Making in Virtual and Augmented Environments	35
Gender-Based Violence is a Blind Spot for Sports and Exercise Medicine Professionals	35
Consideration of Mental Health and Well-Being in High-Level Sport: When Will a Coach-Centred Approach Be Introduced?	35
Dietary Nitrate Supplementation and Exercise Performance: An Umbrella Review of 20 Published Systematic Reviews with Meta-analyses	34
Muscle Protein Synthesis Responses Following Aerobic-Based Exercise or High-Intensity Interval Training with or Without Protein Ingestion: A Systematic Review	34
Proposal of a Selection Protocol for Replication of Studies in Sports and Exercise Science	34
Comment on: “Development of a Revised Conceptual Framework of Physical Training for Use in Research”	34
Technology Innovation and Guardrails in Elite Sport: The Future is Now	34
Intensity Zones and Intensity Thresholds Used to Quantify External Load in Competitive Basketball: A Systematic Review	34
NAD+ Therapeutics and Skeletal Muscle Adaptation to Exercise in Humans	34
Female Tendons are from Venus and Male Tendons are from Mars, But Does it Matter for Tendon Health?	33
Maternal and Fetal Cardiovascular Responses to Acute High-Intensity Interval and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Exercise During Pregnancy: A Randomized Crossover Trial	33
Revisiting the ‘Whys’ and ‘Hows’ of the Warm-Up: Are We Asking the Right Questions?	32
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Pain when Running During Pregnancy: A Survey of 3102 Women	32
Response to Comment on: “No Time to Lift? Designing Time‐Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review”	32
On a Corresponsive Sport Science	32
The Question is Still Open: Is Supplemental Oxygen Enhancing Performance in Professional Athletes at High Altitude or Not?	32
Exogenous Ketone Supplements in Athletic Contexts: Past, Present, and Future	32
Psychological Safety for Mental Health in Elite Sport: A Theoretically Informed Model	32
Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	31
Exploring the Dose–Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions	31
Can I Have My Coffee and Drink It? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis to Determine Whether Habitual Caffeine Consumption Affects the Ergogenic Effect of Caffeine	31
Age of First Concussion and Cognitive, Psychological, and Physical Outcomes in NCAA Collegiate Student Athletes	31
Authors’ Reply to Nevill and Wyon: “Size Exponents for Scaling Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Over 6500 Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis”	31
When to Pull the Trigger: Conceptual Considerations for Approximating Head Acceleration Events Using Instrumented Mouthguards	30
The Acute and Chronic Effects of Implementing Velocity Loss Thresholds During Resistance Training: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Critical Evaluation of the Literature	30
Correction to: Aerobic Exercise Preconditioning Does Not Augment Muscle Hypertrophy During Subsequent Resistance Exercise Training in Healthy Older Adults	29
Limited Evidence is Not No Evidence: A Rebuttal to Fransen, 2024	29
Periodizing Exercise Medicine Prescription for Patients with Cancer: A Narrative Opinion	29
The Respiratory Compensation Point: Mechanisms and Relation to the Maximal Metabolic Steady State	29
Comment on: “Stepwise Load Reduction Training: A New Training Concept for Skeletal Muscle and Energy Systems”	29
Factors Associated with Persisting Post-Concussion Symptoms Among Collegiate Athletes and Military Cadets: Findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium	29
Comment on “Black Box Prediction Methods in Sports Medicine Deserve a Red Card for Reckless Practice: A Change of Tactics is Needed to Advance Athlete Care”	28
Cardiorespiratory Parameters Comparison Between Incremental Protocols Performed in Aquatic and Land Environments by Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	28
The ESA Parastronaut Feasibility Project: Investigating the Need and Contents of Physical Performance Tests for an Inclusive European Astronaut Corps	28
The Effect of Gut-Training and Feeding-Challenge on Markers of Gastrointestinal Status in Response to Endurance Exercise: A Systematic Literature Review	28
A Machine Learning Model for Post-Concussion Musculoskeletal Injury Risk in Collegiate Athletes	28
“Health is Just the Basic Requirement for Optimal Performance and Winning”: Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Testing and Training in Competitive Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding and Freestyle Skiing	28
Characteristics of High-Intensity Interval Training Influence Anthropometrics, Glycemic Control, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Ran	28
Epidemiological Principles in Claims of Causality: An Enquiry into Repetitive Head Impacts (RHI) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)	28
Effects of Different Exercise Interventions on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, as Measured by Peak Oxygen Consumption in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease: An Overview of Systematic Reviews	28
Estimating the Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Novel Lipid Biomarkers: A Systematic Review and Multivariate Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials	27
Impact of Exercise Training Interventions on Flow-Mediated Dilation in Adults: An Umbrella Review	27
A Narrative Review of the Current State of Extended Reality Technology and How it can be Utilised in Sport	27
The Within-Subject Association of Physical Behavior and Affective Well-Being in Everyday Life: A Systematic Literature Review	27
Static Stretch Training versus Foam Rolling Training Effects on Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	27
Correction to: The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale has a Good Test–Retest Reliability in Well-Trained Athletes With and Without Previously Self-Identified Gastrointestinal Complaints	27
The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Psychological and Cognitive Health Outcomes Compared with Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis	27
Evaluating the Impact of Urolithin A Supplementation on Running Performance, Recovery, and Mitochondrial Biomarkers in Highly Trained Male Distance Runners	26
Do Exercise-Based Prevention Programs Reduce Injury in Endurance Runners? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	26
Does Swimming Exercise Impair Bone Health? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Comparing the Evidence in Humans and Rodent Models	26
Investigating the Effect of Return-to-Play Timing After Injury on Performance: Does the Analysis Answer the Research Objective?	26
Muscular Fitness and Cardiometabolic Variables in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review	26
Delaying Tackling in Youth Contact Sports: Moving toward a Safer Future or Softening the Game?	26
Are Trainees Lifting Heavy Enough? Self-Selected Loads in Resistance Exercise: A Scoping Review and Exploratory Meta-analysis	26
Quantifying the Extent to Which Junior Performance Predicts Senior Performance in Olympic Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	25
Effectiveness of Adult Health Promotion Interventions Delivered Through Professional Sport: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	25
Within Session Exercise Sequencing During Programming for Complex Training: Historical Perspectives, Terminology, and Training Considerations	25
Methods to Assess Energy Expenditure of Resistance Exercise: A Systematic Scoping Review	25
Isometric Exercise Training and Arterial Hypertension: An Updated Review	25
Clarifying the Application of HIIT in Oncology Settings: a Response to “High-Intensity Interval Training for Cancer Patients: Taking Training Progression, Feasibility, and Patient Preferences into Acc	24
Influence of Preterm Birth and Low Birthweight on Physical Fitness: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression	24
The Relationship Between Length and Active Force for Submaximal Skeletal Muscle Contractions: a Review	24
Brain Neuroplasticity Related to Lateral Ankle Ligamentous Injuries: A Systematic Review	24
The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale has a Good Test–Retest Reliability in Well-Trained Athletes With and Without Previously Self-Identified Gastrointestinal Complaints	24
High-Intensity Interval Training and Cardiometabolic Health in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials	24
Effects of Wearing a Mask During Exercise on Physiological and Psychological Outcomes in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	24

Authors’ Response to Comment on: “Development of a Revised Conceptual Framework of Physical Training for Use in Research”	24
The Effects of Pre-conditioning on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	24
Physical Fitness Surveillance and Monitoring Systems Inventory for Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review with a Global Perspective	23
Challenges and Solutions to Supporting Physical Literacy within Youth Sport	23
Association Between the c.34C > T (rs17602729) Polymorphism of the AMPD1 Gene and the Status of Endurance and Power Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	23
The Influence of Nutrition Intervention on the P1NP and CTX-1 Response to an Acute Exercise Bout: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	23
Correction: Benchmarking the Physical Performance Qualities in Women’s Football: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Across the Performance Scale	23
Comparison of Weightlifting, Traditional Resistance Training and Plyometrics on Strength, Power and Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis	23
Synthetic Data for Sharing and Exploration in High-Performance Sport: Considerations for Application	23
Epidemiology of Injury in Elite and Amateur Soccer Referees: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	23
From Growth to Greatness: A Leading Article on the Professionalisation, Health and Performance Challenges in Women’s Football	22
Authors’ Reply to Monferrer-Marín J, et al.: Assessment of Metabolic Flexibility by Means of Measuring Blood Lactate, Fat, and Carbohydrate Oxidation Responses to Exercise in Professional Endurance At	22
Response to Comment on: “Black Box Prediction Methods in Sports Medicine Deserve a Red Card for Reckless Practice: A Change of Tactics is Needed to Advance Athlete Care”	22
‘Athletes’, ‘Talents’, and ‘Players’: Conceptual Distinctions and Considerations for Researchers and Practitioners	22
Comment on: “Effects of Oral Iron Supplementation on Blood Iron Status in Athletes: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Meta-regression of Randomized Controlled Trials”	22
Physical Activity and Cognitive Performance in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials	21
What is the Effect of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Ingestion on Exercise Performance? Current Findings and Future Research Directions	21
Fibre: The Forgotten Carbohydrate in Sports Nutrition Recommendations	21
Sex Differences in the Incidence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest/Death in Competitive Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	21
Age of First Exposure Does Not Relate to Post-Career Health in Former Professional American-Style Football Players	21
Effects of Exercise on DNA Methylation: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials	21
Effects of Psychological Interventions to Enhance Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis	20
“An Informed Risk Assessment”: A Qualitative Exploration of Elite Climbers’ Experiences During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period	20
Associations Between Instrumented Mouthguard-Measured Head Acceleration Events and Post-Match Biomarkers of Astroglial and Axonal Injury in Male Amateur Australian Football Players	20
Women at Altitude: Sex-Related Physiological Responses to Exercise in Hypoxia	20
Sports Metaresearch: An Emerging Discipline of Sport Science and Medicine	20
Accelerating Visual Anticipation in Sport Through Temporal Occlusion Training: A Meta-Analysis	20
Head and Neck Characteristics as Risk Factors For and Protective Factors Against Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Military and Sporting Populations: A Systematic Review	20
Impact of Collagen Peptide Supplementation in Combination with Long-Term Physical Training on Strength, Musculotendinous Remodeling, Functional Recovery, and Body Composition in Healthy Adults: A Syst	20
A Response to Appelbaum et al. “Limited Evidence is NOT No Evidence: A Rebuttal to Fransen, 2024”	20
Assessing Head Acceleration Events in Female Community Rugby Union Players: A Cohort Study Using Instrumented Mouthguards	20
Psychological Interventions to Improve Elite Athlete Mental Wellbeing: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis	20