Core training protocols varied widely in type, frequency, length and training setting, and a number provided insufficient details

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the limitations and future work of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 3 journals.

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• Effects of core training on physical performance in team-sport athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2026) · BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi

  Thirdly, core training protocols varied widely in type, frequency, length and training setting, and a number provided insufficient details on session length or training adherence; therefore, current evidence does not allow identification of the optimal training strain in terms of training volume and intensity or exercise dose. Their applicability to female athletes remains uncertain, especially given possible sex-related differences in lower-limb mechanics, injury risk, and neuromuscular control.

  generallimitations
  Keywords: training length thirdly core protocols varied widely type frequency setting number provided insufficient details session
• Effectiveness of eccentric hamstring training in preventing sports-related injuries: a systematic review (2026) · Physiotherapy Quarterly · doi

  1. Dose–response trials contrasting explicit volume/ROM progressions and in-season maintenance schedules [17–22, 25–32, 34]. 2. Modality comparisons (NHE vs flywheel vs long-length Romanian deadlift (RDL) variants) with matched workloads and shared endpoints (architecture, strength, exposure-ad- justed injury) [7, 32, 37]. 3. Mechanistic studies linking in-vivo architecture changes, neuromuscular control, and tissue-scale mechanics during sprinting [2–4, 31]. 4. Under-studied populations: women, youth in court/ice sports, and elite sprint groups [14, 20, 35]. 5. Implementation science: pragmatic trials testing adher- ence strategies under match scheduling congestion and travel [18, 25].

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: trials architecture dose response contrasting explicit volume progressions season maintenance schedules modality comparisons flywheel long
• Effectiveness of injury prevention programmes in female team sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis of hierarchical injury outcomes, training dose–response relationships, and adherence (2026) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi

  Future research should address these limitations and refine implementation in three main areas. First, adequately powered randomised trials are needed that prioritise hip/groin, hamstring, non-contact, and match-related injuries as primary outcomes and include sufficient numbers of adult and elite female athletes. Second, upcoming studies should adopt harmonised injury defini- tions, systematically measure and report exposure, training dose, and adherence, and present these data in a standardised form to enable more robust dose–response and effect-modifier analyses. Third, embedding IPP evaluations within implementation science frameworks will be essential to understanding how programmes can be scaled, adapted, and sustained in real-world training envi- ronments (42).

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: implementation training dose future address limitations refine three main areas first adequately powered randomised trials
• Effectiveness of injury prevention programmes in female team sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis of hierarchical injury outcomes, training dose–response relationships, and adherence (2026) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi

  Exercise-based IPPs appear to reduce injury risk in female team sports, with the most consistent evidence for ACL and ankle injuries. Study-level analyses suggested larger effects with greater weekly train- ing exposure, although evidence for an adherence threshold was less consistent. These findings may inform implementation while high- lighting uncertainty for severe, match-related, and non-contact inju- ries and for adult and elite athletes. meta-regression was not significant. These findings should be inter- preted as exploratory implementation signals rather than causal thresholds.

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: consistent evidence implementation exercise based ipps appear reduce injury risk female team sports ankle injuries

Questions about this gap