Comparing the Anthropometrics, Body Composition, and Strength Performance of Male and Female Italian Breaking Athletes: A Pilot Study.

Breaking is a performative art that has recently undergone a process of sportification, developing into an aesthetic sport included in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Despite its growing worldwide popularity, there is a lack of research on Breaking. Accordingly, this pilot study's aim was twofold: (a) to provide an initial understanding of the anthropometric measures, body composition data, somatotype profiles, and strength performance of male (B-boys) and female (B-girls) Italian Breakers divided into elite (international) and sub-elite (national) levels and (b) to guide further research on the area, providing the methodological approach for future investigations. A total of 24 B-boys (elite n = 5; sub-elite n = 19) and 9 B-girls (elite n = 3; sub-elite n = 6) were included in this study. Descriptive analyses revealed that B-boys and B-girls displayed low height and weight (1.70 m (63.8 kg) and 1.58 m (54.2 kg), respectively), low levels of body fat percentages (10.3% and 17.6%, respectively), and a balanced mesomorph somatotype (2.28-4.64-2.69 and 2.34-5.16-2.38, respectively), revealing a marked development of muscular mass. Due to the small sample size, Welch's test and correlation analyses did not report any elite vs. sub-elite difference. It was hypothesized that Breakers' morphological profiles result from the selection procedures and training regimens related to Breaking aesthetic, athletic, and physiological demands.

Gender differences in instep soccer kicking biomechanics, investigated through a 3D human motion tracker system.

BACKGROUND: This study aims at describing and comparing each other male and female soccer players kicking instep a stationary ball. The different measures we collected by the 3D motion capture system Movit G1 and the High-Speed Camera (240 fps) were considered as dependent variables, whereas the gender was considered as the independent one. METHODS: Twenty soccer well trained non-professional players: 10 men (age: 25.3±6.5 yrs; height 1.80±0.07 m; body mass 76.9±13.2 kg) and 10 women (age: 19±3.34 yrs; height 1.64±0.07 m; body mass 58.2±7.2 kg) volunteered to participate in the study. RESULTS: Gender differences were found, with a statistical significance (P<0.05) or interesting magnitude (Cohen d>0.5). The most relevant ones were the differences in hip extension of the kicking leg when the foot of the supporting one touches the ground, just before the impact on the ball (independent sample t-Test; P=0.03; Cohen d=1.64) and the speed of the ball, reached immediately after kicking (P<0.001;d=1.23). CONCLUSIONS: These results, together with the greater pelvic acceleration shown by men compared to women, highlight the need to develop a gender-differentiated training model, in order to customize the kicking technique in women and to reduce the likelihood, currently higher than for men, of kicking related injuries.

Injuries Among Italian DanceSport Athletes: A Questionnaire Survey.

During training and competition, athletic dancers perform complex artistic movements that can lead to stress on the musculoskeletal system, making them subject to high risk of injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, location, and nature of musculoskeletal injuries among dancesport athletes and to identify potential risk factors for injury. This cross-sectional study was performed at several national dancesport meetings in Italy. All 168 dancesport athletes who participated at the meetings were invited to complete a questionnaire related to injuries they may have suffered during the previous year; other information collected included demographic data (age, sex, height, weight), dance participation (discipline, categories), training (training duration, years since starting to dance), and injury (location, etiology). Of the 168 dancers, 153 completed the questionnaire. Of the 102 injuries reported, 73 athletes (47.7%) reported at least 1 injury. The locations of the injuries were the lower limbs (n=75, 73.5%), upper limbs (8, 7.8%), and spine (19, 18.7%). Significant differences were found in the injury location (p<0.01) as well as the nature of the injury (p<0.01). No significant differences were found between injured and non-injured athletes in demographic data, dance participation, and training variables (p>0.05). The results indicate that about half of the dancers reported at least 1 injury, with these being located particularly in the lower limbs and predominantly strain and sprain injuries. To reduce the prevalence of injuries, a prevention program may be indicated, with future research needed to identify appropriate strategies to prevent injuries.