Advances in Health, Education and Athletic Performance in Paralympic Sport

Over the years, practices related to Paralympic sport have been continuously reevaluated, particularly due to increased visibility of these sports, scientific advancements, greater societal awareness of disability, as well as the promotion, infrastructure, and professionalization of the field. This reflects the fact that over the past 20 years, new sports have been added to the Paralympic Games to help build a solid and sustainable sports structure. Thus, the most recent sports to be added to the Summer Paralympic Games program were Para-rowing in Beijing 2008, Para-canoeing and Para-triathlon, which debuted in Rio 2016, and Para-badminton and Para-taekwondo in 2020, which were included for the first time in the Tokyo Games. Meanwhile, the most recent sports included in the Winter Paralympic Games have been Wheelchair Curling at Turin 2006 and Para Snowboarding at Sochi 2014.

This Research Topic aims to highlight the scientific processes currently underway in relation to the study of health, education, and performance in Paralympic sport. It seeks to approach Paralympic sport from a broad and in-depth perspective of the disciplines that study it, understanding sport as a sociocultural phenomenon that evolves with the incorporation of new technologies, the development of theoretical frameworks, and the efforts of institutions and researchers to highlight a practice in constant evolution. Unlike approaches that focus primarily on physiological or biomechanical dimensions, this Research Topic foregrounds health promotion, educational frameworks, and equity as central analytical lenses.

To explore this topic in depth from a critical perspective, the scope of this research focus includes:

The health and well-being of para-athletes, with particular attention to nutritional, social, and educational processes and their relationship to physiological and physical outcomes

Analyzing the social determinants of health and education in Paralympic sport

Recognizing the perceptions of coaches and para-athletes regarding the training process from a social perspective

Understanding discourses on disability and their relationship to Paralympic sport and adapted sport

Identifying pedagogical and methodological advances with a gender perspective

Characterizing the variables that determine the performance of para-athletes and exploring new perspectives on training, assessment, and monitoring in Paralympic sport, with emphasis on methodological, educational, and social approaches

Assessing emerging trends in pedagogical and methodological approaches to athletic training and performance evaluation in Paralympic sport

Studying the risks of injury and withdrawal from sports participation in Paralympic and adapted sports

Determining the contextual and tactical variables that shape athletic success in Paralympic sport

Analyzing data mining with machine learning to develop predictive models of performance in Paralympic sport

Validating instruments for assessing health and/or performance in Paralympic sport

Researchers worldwide are invited to contribute studies addressing the needs of this evolving socio-sporting phenomenon, fostering debate, reflection, and the continuous improvement of practice in Paralympic sport.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: sports and disability, adapted sports, Paralympics, paraathlete.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.