Neuromuscular Performance: Insights for Athletes and Beyond

Dear Colleagues,

Neuromuscular performance plays a crucial role in human movement and athletic achievement. It encompasses the intricate interplay between the nervous and muscular systems, enabling force production, coordination, and adaptability to various physical demands. In recent decades, research has significantly advanced our understanding of the physiological and biomechanical mechanisms underlaying neuromuscular function that influence performance, recovery, and long-term adaptation.

Over the past few decades, much progress has been made in clarifying the physiological, neurological, and biomechanical bases of neuromuscular function. From motor unit recruitment patterns and synchronization, which have implications for motor performance, to the role of neuromuscular plasticity in acquisition of skills and fatigue resistance, past studies have illumined how the body adapts to acute and chronic stimuli. Additionally, developments in advanced technologies, such as high-density electromyography, aquatic electromyography motion capture systems, and imaging techniques, have provided researchers with unprecedented precision with which to study neuromuscular performance.

This Special Issue aims to compile the latest evidence and innovative methodologies in this field, discussing topics including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Mechanisms of acute neuromuscular responses and long-term adaptations to diverse methods and technologies for enhancing neuromuscular function, sport, and athletic performance.
2. Mechanisms of neuromuscular fatigue and recovery: How fatigue affects performance and how recovery strategies offer optimal recovery protocols in different populations.
3. Adaptations to resistance, plyometric, and neuromuscular training: How training protocols affect motor control, muscle architecture, and overall function.
4. Neuromechanics of injury prevention and rehabilitation: The role of neuromuscular function in preventing injuries and in informing how rehabilitation should be structured.
5. Innovation in the assessment of neuromuscular performance: Uses of artificial intelligence, wearable sensors, and advanced technologies to monitor and enhance performance in neuromuscular ways.
6. Age-related changes in neuromuscular function: What does it mean for how neuromuscular performance changes over the course of the lifespan and how do those changes impact health-outcomes, quality of life, and independence?

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue which aims to advance our understanding of neuromuscular performance by exploring its physiological, biomechanical, and functional aspects across diverse populations. This Special Issue seeks to highlight innovative research on assessment techniques, training interventions, and recovery strategies that can optimize performance, mitigate health challenges, and promote long-term adaptability.

This Special Issue aims to bridge gaps in knowledge and foster the development of tailored approaches to enhance performance and quality of life.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Iván Chulvi Medrano
Guest Editor

Dr. Diego Alexandre Alonso-Aubin
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• strength
• training, youth
• neuromuscular
• performance
• force plates
• force
• velocity
• muscle