Field-based and laboratory monitoring tools in aerobic gymnastics: a scoping review of measurement properties, physiological relevance, and change following training or competitive exposure.

OBJECTIVE: To map field- and laboratory-based assessment and monitoring methods in aerobic gymnastics and summarize their measurement properties, physiological and biomechanical relevance, formal responsiveness evidence, and observed change following training or competitive exposure. METHODS: This systematic scoping review included studies of aerobic gymnasts reporting eligible monitoring tools and outcomes. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched through 15 June 2026. Methodological appraisal used Cochrane RoB 2 for randomized trials, design-specific Joanna Briggs Institute checklists for non-randomized studies, an adapted COSMIN-informed framework for measurement-property evidence, and PROBAST for prediction-model and algorithmic components. Findings were descriptively synthesized, and the evidence map was generated from unique report-cell contributions across predefined assessment or exposure groups and outcome domains. RESULTS: Fifty eligible reports representing 49 study families were included. Evidence concentrated on strength-power and physical-fitness assessment, physiological/metabolic monitoring, and biomechanical, technical, and landing-load analysis. Balance, flexibility, anthropometry, psychophysiological testing, and digital or wearable systems formed smaller, fragmented domains. Training studies generally reported improvements in aerobic, anaerobic, jump, strength, or functional outcomes, whereas congested training was associated with adverse power and landing-load responses. Several studies reported changes in performance, physiological, functional, or biomechanical outcomes following training, rehabilitation, competitive preparation, or congested exposure. However, no included report provided sufficient evidence to establish formal responsiveness as a measurement property. The SAGAT had the most complete preliminary sport-specific evidence, including test-retest reliability, a minimal detectable change estimate, and convergent associations with anaerobic-performance measures, together with observed change across training phases. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment and monitoring in aerobic gymnastics are multidimensional, but most methods remain incompletely validated, and practical application should be considered provisional and decision-specific. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://osf.io, identifier p8m4x.