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Who will win the Olympic gold medal in handball this year? Mathematicians from the University of Luxembourg have developed an artificial intelligence model to predict and explain the results of the handball tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games. This is the first time a scientific method has been proposed to predict the final results.

Researcher Marine Carpentier (Laboratoire de physiologie cardio-respiratoire à l'effort) tackles a blind spot in motor science research: the influence of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception on sports performance. On this International Women's Rights Day, she shares her findings, initial hypotheses and research prospects with us .

Many young people struggle with somber feelings, stress or anxiety symptoms. In a large-scale study, with support from the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) and in the context of Red Noses Day (now "Jez!"), KU Leuven investigated whether mindfulness at school could help. For eight weeks, several class groups in eleven Flemish secondary schools followed mindfulness training.

Sports scientists from KU Leuven are attending the Tour de France on the second rest day. They will test the Soudal Quick-Step riders and analyse the physical impact of the efforts exerted over the past few weeks. Using blood and urine samples, they gain insight into how the riders' metabolism adapts during the Tour and which protein fluctuations are or aren't beneficial for sustained performance.

Sports and fitness apps, such as Strava, are gaining in popularity year after year. They have also often become true social networks. You share some very personal data there, and sometimes unknowingly your home or work location as the starting point for your sports activities too. Apps usually allow you to hide those locations, but researchers from the imec-DistriNet research group at KU Leuven discovered that, in many cases, this option gives a false sense of security.

Sports fitness apps, such as Strava, are gaining popularity year after year. They have also often become true social networks. You share very personal data there, and sometimes unknowingly also your home or work location as the starting point of your sports activities. The apps usually allow you to hide those locations, but researchers from the imec-DistriNet research group at KU Leuven discovered that in many cases that option gives a false sense of security.

Researchers from the Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel have shown that physical fatigue affects an athlete's brain when performing a functional balance test. The accuracy with which a representative group of recreational athletes responded to a novel reactive balance test was measured, alongside their response time.

The coronavirus pandemic has the world in its grip. Worldwide, more than 265 million cases of Covid-19 have been registered, and more than 5.2 million people have died from it. About 14% of people infected with Covid-19 end up in hospital and some require intensive care. These patients face lung problems, neurological disorders, reduced physical capacity, muscle weakness and psychological and cognitive impairment.

Why are Ghent University researchers studying the motor skills of sports journalist Maarten Vangramberen? Much has to do with the matter of how world records are made.

Researchers at KU Leuven and data intelligence company SciSports have developed a new algorithm to assess football players' on-the-ball actions. Their model goes beyond traditional player statistics like the number of goals and assists, offering a more complete assessment of a player's performance and contribution to his team.

Kipchoge broke the record thanks to a special arrangement of runners, among other things. Professor Bert Blocken (KU Leuven/TU Eindhoven) confirmed the superior performance of this formation with wind tunnel tests and computer simulations. Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge has become the first person to ever complete a marathon within two hours.

Professional football players need to keep a cool head during a match, but some are better at this than others. Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be immune to pressure, while Neymar's performance crumbles under it. It's one of the remarkable findings of a study conducted by KU Leuven and data intelligence company SciSports.