Paper: ‘Digital tracking and developmental challenges: GPS technology in adolescent elite football’Author: Serdar Solmaz et alJournal: Scientific Reports (2026) The study by Solmaz et al. (2026) explores how continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking impacts the psychological well-being, motivation, and identity…
Research: ‘Effects of Strength Training on Cognitive Function, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 in Highly-Trained Young Female Soccer Players’Author: Mariem Bousselmi et alJournal: Sports Medicine – Open (2026) In modern women’s soccer, heavy demands are placed on…
Article: ‘Understanding working conditions in elite women’s football: a scoping review’Author: Christina Le, et al (2026)Journal: Science and Medicine in Football This summary is designed to provide technical directors, managers, coaches, and stakeholders with a clear overview of the current…
In Episode 278 of the Slimmer Presteren Podcast on motor learning with Peter Beek, one of the sports world’s fundamental dogmas is turned on its head: the notion that there is a single “ideal technique” that can be mastered through…
As wearable fitness technology has evolved, checking morning metrics has become a daily ritual for millions. Waking up and immediately glancing at a wrist-worn device to see a “sleep score” feels like the ultimate biohacking tool. However, a growing body…
Research: “Hitting the metrics, missing the angles: closing the directional gap in run-based compensatory training”Author: Sagarra et al., 2026Journal: Sport Performance & Science Reports In modern elite football, non-starting or low-minute players require post-match compensatory training to maintain match readiness…
Paper: ‘Understanding working conditions in elite women’s football: a scoping review’Author: Le, C. Y., Culvin, A., Brown, F., Okholm Kryger, K., Gledhill, A., Gouttebarge, V., & Emmonds, S.Journal: Science and Medicine in Football, 1–22 (2026) Women’s football has experienced explosive…
Research: Mechanisms and situational patterns of anterior cruciateligament injuries in professional women’s football(soccer): A systematic video analysis across 25 leagues(2022–2024)Author: Wyatt Hampstead, et alJournal: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy (KSSTA) – 2026; 1-18 Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in elite women’s…
Ever wonder how elite athletes sustain peak performance under immense pressure—and how those exact same principles apply to your everyday life, career, and training? In this episode of the Performance Edge Podcast, host Tanya Arnold sits down with legendary performance…
One sentence from a recent conversation with Professor Franco Impellizzeri really stayed with me: “The data tell you that something happened — not exactly what happened and why.” And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons for everyone…
Are traditional tracking systems telling you the whole story? On July 9, 2026, Hudl highlighted a critical discussion from a Sportsmith Live Roundtable featuring three titans of sports science: Andrew Gray (Founder, ADI), Martin Buchheit (renowned applied sports scientist), and…
Today, we are deep-diving into an insightful episode of the Football Fitness Federation Podcast featuring two elite sports science practitioners from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA): Bram (Senior Men’s Sport Scientist) and Stephen (Health and Performance Manager). With the…
Original article: Carstens R., Deshpande R., Esteve P. et al.Journal: Nature (2026) Hello science and sports fans! Today on the blog, we are diving into a fascinating new paper published in Scientific Reports titled “Evolution of spatial structure, passing network…
This webinar features a discussion with Christian Clarup, a performance expert with extensive experience in elite European football (including roles at FC Midtjylland, Sparta Prague, VfL Wolfsburg, and the Danish national team). The conversation centers on his pragmatic philosophy regarding…
Key Takeaway: Good news for practitioners managing daily load. According to a new 2026 study by Martin Buchheit and A. Lopez Sagarra, modern GPS 3.0 mechanical metrics (Mechanical Work and Power) derived solely from position and velocity are highly reliable…
In high-performance football, tracking data has become standard practice. We measure every meter covered, every high-intensity sprint, and every change of direction. However, as sports performance specialists, we must acknowledge a critical truth: external metrics only tell half the story.…
Author: Daniel Snape et alJournal: SportRixv (2026) Traditional international tournaments are typically held within a compact geographical footprint, exposing competing squads to uniform weather patterns and minimal environmental variation. The 2026 FIFA World Cup completely disrupts this norm. Spanning three…
FIFA has established its Female Health & Performance Project as an evidence-informed framework designed to fundamentally shift how stakeholders — from players and grassroots volunteers to high-performance practitioners and retailers—understand and train the female athlete. The baseline reality driving this…
As sports performance specialists at Vortex-sport.nl, we are constantly tracking how the boundaries of human endurance are pushed at the absolute highest levels. Firstbeat Global recently hosted an incredible masterclass webinar featuring two legendary heavyweights of the football sports science…
Author: Julen Castellano et al.Journal: Sensors (2026) Every Monday morning, coaches and physical trainers face the same mountain of GPS data. We look at total distance, high-speed running (HSR), and sprint counts. But as we recently discussed, evaluating these physical…
