Bibliometric analysis of the effects of mental fatigue on athletic performance from 2001 to 2021

Mental Fatigue and Sports Performance of Athletes: Theoretical Explanation, Influencing Factors, and Intervention Methods

Mental fatigue is an important factor affecting athletes' performance. Explaining the effects of mental fatigue on sports performance from a theoretical point of view can help us deeply understand the interconnection between mental fatigue and sports performance and conduct effective interventions based on this. Combining the relevant literature in China and abroad reveals that the current academic theories on the mechanism of sports fatigue include motivational control theory, underload theory, neural waste disposal hypothesis, and resource depletion theory. The effects of mental fatigue on performance are reflected in aerobic endurance, sports decision-making, tactical performance, and technical performance. Current coping strategies for mental fatigue include physiological coping strategies based on nutrition (caffeine), odor, and noninvasive neuromodulation techniques and psychological and behavioral coping strategies based on music and positive thinking.

Objective assessment of cognitive fatigue: a bibliometric analysis

Aim

The objective of this study was to gain insight into the nature of cognitive fatigue and to identify future trends of objective assessment techniques in this field.

Methods

One thousand and eighty-five articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. R version 4.3.1, VOSviewer 1.6.20, CiteSpace 6.2.R4, and Microsoft Excel 2019 were used to perform the analysis.

Results

A total of 704 institutes from 56 countries participated in the relevant research, while the People's Republic of China contributed 126 articles and was the leading country. The most productive institute was the University of Gothenburg. Johansson Birgitta from the University of Gothenburg has posted the most articles (n = 13). The PLOS ONE published most papers (n = 38). The Neurosciences covered the most citations (n = 1,094). A total of 3,116 keywords were extracted and those with high frequency were mental fatigue, performance, quality-of-life, etc. Keywords mapping analysis indicated that cognitive fatigue caused by continuous work and traumatic brain injury, as well as its rehabilitation, have become the current research trend. The most co-cited literature was published in Sports Medicine. The strongest citation burst was related to electroencephalogram (EEG) event-related potential and spectral power analysis.

Conclusion

Publication information of related literature on the objective assessment of cognitive fatigue from 2007 to 2024 was summarized, including country and institute of origin, authors, and published journal, offering the current hotspots and novel directions in this field.

Race analysis in swimming: understanding the evolution of publications, citations and networks through a bibliometric review

The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping and bibliometric review of swimming articles related to race analysis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to identify relevant studies. Articles on race analysis in swimming published between 1984 and December 31, 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. 366 records were screened and a total of 74 articles were retained for analysis. Until 2012, there were some time intervals with no or few publications. From 2012, there was a clear upward trend in publications and citations. This theme was led by the United States of America, Australia, and Spain. Australia and Spain maintain their status as the countries with the most publications. The analysis of author collaborations revealed two clusters with Spanish authors, and the remaining clusters are composed of Portuguese, Swiss, and Australian authors. With this bibliometric review, it has been possible to understand the evolution of the articles published on race analysis in swimming, the countries and the authors that have contributed most to this topic over the years. The prediction model shows that the number of articles and citations on this topic will continue to increase over the next 10 years (until 2034).

Relationship between Athletes' Big Five Model of Personality and Athletic Performance: Meta-Analysis

Academic interest in athletic performance is ongoing. To examine the correlation between athletic performance and athletes' personality types, data extraction in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was completed in October 2021, and a meta-analysis was performed using 180 data from 18 selected papers using the "meta" package version 4.8-4 of R Studio 3.3.3. As a result, these selected studies proved to have reliable quality in proceeding with this study via quality assessment. The overall effect of personality on athletic performance (AP) was ESr = 0.124, p < 0.01. Furthermore, only conscientiousness (ESr = 0.178, p < 0.001) and extroversion (ESr = 0.145, p < 0.01), among the five personality types, showed statistically significant results, and these two personality types had a positive correlation with performance. In the publication bias test, this study found that (a) agreeableness had a publication bias; but, with an additional test using trim-and-fill, (b) the effect was not significant enough to be considered. In addition, the analysis of the moderating effects was conducted in four aspects, and all moderating effect analyses showed statistically significant differences between the groups, demonstrating the heterogeneity of this study. Therefore, this study found a significant relationship between personality and athletic performance and showed the importance of conscientiousness and extroversion.