Abstract / Summary
Background: Sustainable gymnastics training requires a balance between performance development, injury prevention, workload management, athlete health, psychological well-being, and long-term participation. This focused narrative review aimed to synthesize selected evidence on training optimization, technological applications, athlete health and injury prevention in gymnastics. Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. The literature search covered publications issued between 1 January 2005 and 30 September 2025, with the final search performed on 30 September 2025. English-language publications retrieved through three predefined Topic searches in the Web of Science Core Collection were considered. The searches covered the period from 1 January 2005 to 30 September 2025 and were restricted to the Sport Sciences category. No additional publications were identified through reference-list screening. Three complementary thematic searches addressing gymnastics training models, technological applications, and injury prevention identified 485 records. After applying the eligibility criteria, removing duplicates, assessing full texts, and excluding ineligible or retracted publications, 140 publications were included in the narrative synthesis. No formal risk-of-bias assessment was performed. Results: The reviewed evidence emphasized progressive and individualized training, workload monitoring, recovery, physical preparation, age-appropriate development, and early identification of pain, fatigue, and other health-related concerns. Injury occurrence was associated with biomechanical loading, rapid growth, training exposure, previous injuries, insufficient recovery, menstrual dysfunction, psychological factors, and discipline-specific technical demands. Wearable sensors, video analysis, biomechanical modelling, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and digital learning platforms supported movement assessment, technical feedback, training monitoring, and education. Evidence for several emerging technological applications, particularly artificial intelligence and automated assessment, remains preliminary and requires further validation in gymnastics-specific and real-world settings. However, substantial differences in study designs, populations, technologies, outcome measures, and methodological characteristics limited direct comparison across studies. Coaching communication, athlete motivation, psychological well-being, and access to validated technologies also influenced the sustainability of gymnastics training. Conclusions: Sustainable gymnastics training may benefit from an interdisciplinary and athlete-centered approach integrating individualized load management, injury prevention, health monitoring, recovery, educational coaching practices, and appropriately validated technologies. The evidence identified in this review highlights converging themes suggesting the potential value of combining these components to support safe performance development and long-term participation. However, more longitudinal, discipline-specific, and methodologically consistent research is needed.