title: Biomechanics of fencing sport: A scoping review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our scoping review was to identify and summarize current evidence on the biomechanics of fencing to inform athlete development and injury prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scoping review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peer-reviewed research was identified from electronic databases using a structured keyword search. Details regarding experimental design, study group characteristics and measured outcomes were extracted from retrieved studies, summarized and information regrouped under themes for analysis. The methodological quality of the evidence was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven peer-reviewed studies were retrieved, the majority being observational studies conducted with experienced and elite athletes. The methodological quality of the evidence was "fair" due to the limited scope of research. Male fencers were the prevalent group studied, with the lunge and use of a foil weapon being the principal movement evaluated. Motion capture and pedabarography were the most frequently used data collection techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elite fencers exhibited sequential coordination of upper and lower limb movements with coherent patterns of muscle activation, compared to novice fencers. These elite features of neuromuscular coordination resulted in higher magnitudes of forward linear velocity of the body center of mass and weapon. Training should focus on explosive power. Sex- and equipment-specific effects could not be evaluated based on available research.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Tony Lin-Wei
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.|The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Duo Wai-Chi
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.|The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Sicong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.|Department of Applied Mechanics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.|The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5404-4098
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*