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Sports-related muscle injuries represent a major challenge in both recreational and professional sports, accounting for a substantial proportion of time-loss injuries and frequently leading to recurrent episodes. The aim of this narrative review was to analyze the biomechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms involved in the occurrence of muscle injuries and to synthesize evidence-based prevention strategies reported in the scientific literature. The literature search was conducted in the Web of Science database using the keyword “muscle injury prevention”, focusing on studies published between 2010 and 2025. The analyzed literature indicates that muscle injuries are strongly associated with eccentric contractions at long muscle lengths, neuromuscular fatigue, strength imbalances, impaired lumbopelvic stability, and inadequate load management. Preventive strategies based on biomechanical principles, particularly eccentric strength training, neuromuscular training programs, and core stability exercises, have demonstrated consistent effectiveness in reducing injury incidence and recurrence rates across multiple sports disciplines. In addition, emerging technological approaches, including wearable sensors and machine learning models, show promising potential for injury risk prediction and individualized prevention strategies.

Background: Polyphenols—bioactive compounds abundant in plant-based foods—are increasingly recognised for their capacity to modulate the gut microbiota. As the gut microbiome plays a central role in metabolic regulation, immune function, and disease prevention, understanding how specific polyphenol subclasses influence microbial diversity and functionality remains essential. Despite growing evidence of their benefits, the precise effects of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins on gut microbial composition are not yet fully clarified. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary polyphenols on gut microbiota composition and function, with a particular focus on the abundance of Bifidobacterium, a key beneficial genus associated with metabolic and immune health. It was hypothesised that polyphenol-rich interventions were associated with increases in Bifidobacterium abundance and enhance overall microbial diversity. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Human intervention studies published between January 2015 and February 2025 were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. A predefined PICO framework guided study selection. Twenty-two studies were synthesised using thematic analysis, and four of these were eligible for quantitative meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was performed in R (version 4.4.1) using the metafor and meta packages, calculating standardised mean differences (SMD) under a random-effects model to account for heterogeneity. Extracted data included study design, population characteristics, polyphenol subclass, intervention type, microbiome assessment method, and key outcomes. Results: Across the 22 reviewed studies, polyphenols—particularly flavonoids and phenolic acids from foods such as berries, grape pomace, and green tea—consistently increased beneficial microbial taxa including Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, and Lactobacillus. These microbial shifts were associated with improved metabolic markers, reduced inflammation, and enhancements in gut barrier integrity. Polyphenol-rich dietary patterns also showed benefits in conditions such as NAFLD, prediabetes, and depression. However, findings were influenced by interindividual variability, short intervention durations, and inconsistent methodologies. The meta-analysis revealed a significant positive effect of polyphenol intake on Bifidobacterium abundance (SMD = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.18–1.44; p = 0.0114), corresponding to a moderate-to-large effect size. Substantial heterogeneity (I² = 77.4%) suggested considerable variation in intervention types, dosage, study design, and microbiome analysis methods. Conclusions: Polyphenol-rich diets were associated with increased Bifidobacterium abundance and favourable modulation of gut microbiota composition, supporting their potential as a nutritional strategy to enhance gut and metabolic health. However, interstudy variability highlights the need for more standardised, long-term, and mechanistically focused human trials. Future research should incorporate multi-omics approaches, personalised nutrition frameworks, and consistent microbiome analysis methods to better understand the pathways linking polyphenol intake and host health outcomes.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in various processes, including brain plasticity, learning and memory, neuronal development, nociception, inflammation, appetite regulation, digestion, metabolism, energy balance, motility, and regulation of stress and emotions. Physical exercise (PE) is considered a valuable non-pharmacological therapy that is an immediately available and cost-effective method with a lot of health benefits, one of them being the activation of the endogenous cannabinoids. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are generated as a response to high-intensity activities and can act as short-term circuit breakers, generating antinociceptive responses for a short and variable period of time. A runner’s high is an ephemeral feeling some sport practitioners experience during endurance activities, such as running. The release of eCBs during sustained physical exercise appears to be involved in triggering this phenomenon. The last decades have been characterized by an increased interest in this emotional state induced by exercise, as it is believed to alleviate pain, induce mild sedation, increase euphoric levels, and have anxiolytic effects. This review provides information about the current state of knowledge about endocannabinoids and physical effort and also an overview of the studies published in the specialized literature about this subject.

JOMH is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that covers all aspects of men’s health.

Introduction. The relationships among variables are important in medicine and sport, and the most common approaches use linear correlation for optimization and prediction. Material and method. We propose to o novel usage of a known method (the genetic programming algorithm) to construct a nonlinear model in a practical case for rehabilitation find out the mathematical formula for a relationship among many variables . This study seeks to find a mathematical function to estimate the current state of the patient: healthy, affected by Pubalgia. Results and discussions. In the proposed application, a mathematical relationship is sought for five variables that express a state of health for patients, plantar footprint, plantar footprint – right, plantar pressure, plantar pressure – right and the surface of the body weight center. Conclusions. In this article, genetic programming has been proposed to construct a mathematical function to estimate the patient's condition possibly affected by Pubalgia. Keywords: e-health, rehabilitation, genetic algorithm,fitness function,