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Open research questions in Sports Performance and Training

2,276 gap statements mined from Sports Performance and Training papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 8,832 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The original sRPE scale may not capture the complexity of team sports training. There is a need for a more comprehensive tool to assess training exertion.

    A comparison of agreement between coaches and professional volleyball players on perceived training exertion in original and novel sRPE scales · 2026 · DOI

  • Prior research has often examined isolated indicators in male or sub-elite cohorts. There is a lack of integrated assessment of anthropometry, running vertical jump reach, upper-body explosive power, and lateral movement in high-level female samples.

    Anthropometric, reach jump, medicine-ball throw and lateral movement differences among elite female volleyball players: a field-based assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • We pooled conceptually related outcomes using SMDC to reflect broader aerobic and repeated-sprint performance domains, but the heterogeneity of these measures remains an important limitation requiring cautious interpretation.

    Comparison of the Linear versus Non-Linear Repeated Sprint Training on Lower Limb Sports Performance Tasks in Team Sport Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • First, we could not assess speed endurance using a measure that was fully independent of MSS. Therefore, future longitudinal and intervention studies involving well-trained runners are warranted to further elucidate the relationships between SL characteristics and 800-m performance.

    Speed endurance, maximal sprint speed, and stride characteristics in well-trained 800-m runners · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies should explore the “perceptual gap” between staff and players, as a mismatch in performance assessment could lead to friction in TL acceptance and overall team dynamics.

    Is Coaches’ Perceived Team Performance Associated with Training Load and Fatigue in Spanish Semi-Professional Soccer? · 2026 · DOI

  • Several limitations of the present study should be acknowledged. First, the assessment of change-of-direction performance was limited to a single planned COD test (Illinois test), which does not include reactive or perceptual–cognitive components of agility; therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to reactive agility performance.

    Acute Effects of a 30 s Maximal Anaerobic Cycling Test on Change-of-Direction Performance During Recovery · 2026 · DOI

  • That sentence reveals some misunderstanding of the energetic significance of lactate accumulation, suggesting that our previous discussions and analyses of anaerobic metabolism were not clear enough about the energetic role of lactate, and thus not sufficiently convincing (di Prampero 1981; di Prampero and Ferretti 1999; Ferretti 2015).

    A reassessment of the energetic significance of blood lactate accumulation during exercise · 2026 · DOI

  • Further, the current MuDo-PD model has only been evaluated in cycling, and its transferability to other endurance sports like rowing or running remains unclear. Therefore, further investigation is needed to assess the model’s accuracy over shorter durations within each respective domain.

    From diagnostics to prediction: development and validation of a multi-domain power-duration model · 2026 · DOI

  • Future work should examine whether subjective, behavioural, physiological, neuromuscular, sleep, and neurocognitive markers identify the same fatigue state or capture different components of post-match readiness.

    Exploring a Mental Fatigue Signal Hidden in GPS Data: Acute Pre-to-Post-Match Psychomotor Performance and Exploratory Associations with External Load in Professional Soccer · 2026 · DOI

  • One of the main limitations of this study is the smaller number of female participants classified as having high and very high aerobic fitness compared with their male counterparts, which may have reduced the statistical power to detect differences between performance levels in women.

    Towards Accurate Reference Values for Heart Rate and Speed Zones by Aerobic Fitness and Sex in Long-Distance Runners · 2026 · DOI

  • This method has not been tested against match performance metrics, which would provide valuable insights into if the MDSA method relates to match performance. Additional studies within and across specific sporting codes are warranted to aid the development of normative values for the MDSA.

    A New Method of Analysing Sprint, Deceleration, and Change of Direction Abilities in Trained Athletes · 2026 · DOI

  • Therefore, players’ physical fitness capabilities, which may have stronger correlations and/or predictive ability of in-match HSR and/or SPR distance, remain to be established. Further research, including larger sample sizes and additional tests of physical fitness distinct from the YYIRTs, is warranted.

    Relationship Between the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test and Match Running Performance in Canadian Male Professional Soccer Players · 2026 · DOI

  • Given that the Output Capture unit is a relatively new device to the market with limited research, the results of this study will provide practitioners with some indicative data on RSI reliability, which can be used when determining what device may be of use to them in the monitoring of data with field-based athletes.

    Reliability of the Output Sports Inertial Measurement Unit in Measuring a Reactive Strength Index from the Drop Jump and 10-5 Rebound Jump Test · 2026 · DOI

  • The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between upper-body load–velocity profile characteristics (F0, V0, and Pmax), critical velocity, and anaerobic capacity in competitive swimmers as there was a lack of evidence regarding whether theoretical F0, V0, or higher maximal power associated differently to the aerobic (critical velocity) and anaerobic components of swimming performance.

    Relationships Between Dry-Land Load—Velocity Parameters and In-Water Bioenergetic Performance in Competitive Swimmers · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the neural mechanisms underlying these adaptations and potential age-related differences remain unclear. Furthermore, a longer intervention period and/or larger sample size may be necessary to observe changes in BMD in this population and warrants further investigation.

    Strength and Conditioning Society (SCS) 8th Annual Meeting, Oslo, Norway, 2025 · 2026 · DOI

  • Although maturation status was considered, the very small pre-PHV subgroup represents an important limitation, reducing the robustness and interpretability of maturation-related comparisons.

    Interrelationships Among Physical Fitness, General Motor Coordination, and Soccer-Specific Technical Skills in Youth Soccer Players · 2026 · DOI

  • Given the lack of data from elite athletes in the sports science literature, the Tokyo 2021 macrocycle may serve as a perspective for coaches preparing elite 50 m specialists.

    One Sprinter, Two Olympic Preparations: A Single-Athlete Longitudinal Observational Study of Training-Intensity Distribution and Implications for Future 50 m Events · 2026 · DOI

  • The FV relationship has relevant implications for muscle and exercise physiology, yet it remains unclear how different resistance-training set configurations influence the full FV spectrum, particularly in untrained limbs.

    Examining the Cross-Education Phenomenon in Lower Limbs: Insights from the Force–Velocity Profile · 2026 · DOI

  • Our earlier study was performed in a younger age group, limited by a small sample size and could not explore sex-based differences; this study aims to address that gap.

    Sex-Based Differences in Fatigue During Repeated Sprinting in 9- to 14-Year-Old Children Are Task- and Metric-Dependent · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should examine the longer-term evolution of inter-limb asymmetries using controlled experimental designs, including interventions that combine strength-based training with sport-specific technical and cognitive demands. Future studies incorporating longer follow-up periods, controlled interventions, and multidimensional outcome measures are warranted.

    Assessing Strength Asymmetries with Rotational Inertial Technology: Exercise-Specific Patterns and Temporal Changes in Professional Male Soccer Players · 2026 · DOI

  • With n = 16, this non-significant result neither establishes equivalence nor excludes a small effect; generalisability is further limited by the exclusively adolescent N-type male cohort.

    The Influence of Time of Day on Critical Swimming Speed in Chronotype-Screened (Neither-Type) Well-Trained Male Swimmers · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research should be conducted to validate the novel sRPE scale in different sports and teams, - Research should investigate the long-term effects of using the novel sRPE scale on athlete performance, - Studies should examine the feasibility of implementing the novel sRPE scale in real-world training…

    A comparison of agreement between coaches and professional volleyball players on perceived training exertion in original and novel sRPE scales · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research could investigate the relationship between anthropometric and performance measures in other populations - Studies could examine the effects of position-specific training on physical and physiological…

    Anthropometric, reach jump, medicine-ball throw and lateral movement differences among elite female volleyball players: a field-based assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • Aiming at the problem that squats easily cause sports injuries in daily training because of non-standard postures (like hip and knee coordination disorder, not enough squat depth), this paper proposes a lightweight squat detection method based on MediaPipe and a geometric statistical model.

    Non-Standard Squat Posture Detection Method Using Human Skeleton · 2026 · DOI

  • Change the bed lamp to a low-wattage globe Manipulate the room temperature to 19–20 C Avoid consuming caffeine or any supplements from 17:00 Have the last large meal at least two to three hours before sleep Consume a glass of lukewarm milk before going to bed Consume a glass of chamomile tea before going to bed Take a warm bath or shower before going…

    A 14-Day Sleep Hygiene Intervention Improves Aerobic Performance and Reduces Anticipatory Cortisol in University Soccer Players · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Sports Performance and Training

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a need for a more comprehensive tool to assess training exertion (“A comparison of agreement between coaches and professional volleyball players…”, 2026); (2) There is a lack of integrated assessment of anthropometry, running vertical jump reach, upper-body explosive power, and lateral movement in high-level female samples (“Anthropometric, reach jump, medicine-ball throw and lateral movement…”, 2026); (3) Future longitudinal and intervention studies involving well-trained runners are warranted to further elucidate the relationships between SL characteristics and 800-m performance (“Speed endurance, maximal sprint speed, and stride characteristics in…”, 2026); (4) Future studies should explore the “perceptual gap” between staff and players, as a mismatch in performance assessment could lead to friction in TL acceptance and overall team dynamics (“Is Coaches’ Perceived Team Performance Associated with Training Load and…”, 2026); (5) The current MuDo-PD model has only been evaluated in cycling, and its transferability to other endurance sports like rowing or running remains unclear (“From diagnostics to prediction: development and validation of a multi-domain…”, 2026). 2,276 gap statements have been mined from Sports Performance and Training papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 8,832 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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