Editorial: Advances in Sport Science: Latest Findings and New Scientific Proposals

Abstract

Although sport as an activity has been practiced for much of modern history, sports sciences were not considered a discipline of academic tradition until the 20th century (Fernández and García, 2018). The purpose and function of sport sciences are to investigate questions about motor behavior and performance, which must be solved on a scientific basis. According to data from PubMed, scientific research on sport sciences has increased in the last 10 years. Specifically, it is possible to affirm that more scientific studies were published in the 2010-2020 decade than in the entire previous period (1945-2009) (Maneiro, 2021). This brings us closer to the idea that this area of knowledge is in full expansion and apogee, in which sports scientists have a fundamental role. Analyzing more specifically the different fields of study, it is possible to affirm that some fields have more robust growth, while in others their growth is more moderate. Specifically, areas such as rehabilitation, exercise, or biomechanics show very notable growth, while others such as sports injuries, motor behavior analysis, performance analysis, or strength training show less notable growth (González et al., 2018). This special Research Topic entitled 'Advances in Sport Science: Latest Findings and New Scientific Proposals' began with a double objective: on the one hand, to offer a space where scientists can continue to delve into the most consolidated scientific disciplines; and on the other hand, to open a path where those areas that still need more research could have a place. As a result, the great impact it has had on the community is noteworthy, to the extent that 27 articles have been published by 130 authors, and with a total global impact of almost 61,000 visits from multiple different countries, which has increased and improved knowledge on the following topics: performance analysis in individual and team sports (15 articles), the impact of COVID-19 on performance (3 articles), executive functions and physical fitness at an early age (3 articles), physical activity in older people (1 article), and psychological profiles in performance athletes (6 articles).