Application of Natural Language Processing to the Development of Sports Biomechanics in China: A Literature Review of Journal Abstracts in Chinese Between 1980 and 2022

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the field of sports biomechanics in China between 1980 and 2022 in terms of key developments, hot research topics, integration with other disciplines in kinesiology, and future trends by using text mining and natural language processing to analyze abstracts published in Chinese journals. Over 1,400 research paper abstracts were selected and processed, focusing on specific terms, significance, word-cloud analysis, co-occurrence, and network analysis. Results showed that sports biomechanics research focused on sports technical analysis, application of sports biomechanical principles to athletic training, and sport-injury prevention and rehabilitation. The research areas are multidimensional but well balanced with other disciplines such as physical education, sports training, and motor skill acquisition. Integration with fields like biomedical engineering, computer software and applications, and medical aspects of specific environments suggesting sports biomechanics has a promising future as it continues to develop as a discipline interwoven with other disciplines.