A Warm-up Exercise Regimen Reduces Risk of Girls’ Soccer Injuries

Abstract

Epidemiology| April 01 2009 A Warm-up Exercise Regimen Reduces Risk of Girls’ Soccer Injuries AAP Grand Rounds (2009) 21 (4): 46. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.21-4-46 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation A Warm-up Exercise Regimen Reduces Risk of Girls’ Soccer Injuries. AAP Grand Rounds April 2009; 21 (4): 46. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.21-4-46 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All PublicationsAll JournalsAAP Grand RoundsPediatricsHospital PediatricsPediatrics In ReviewNeoReviewsAAP NewsAll AAP Sites Search Advanced Search Topics: soccer, warm-up exercises, cumulative trauma disorders Source: Soligard T, Myklebust G, Steffen K, et al. Comprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young female footballers: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2008;337:a2469; doi:10.1136/bmj.a2469 Investigators from Norway, Switzerland, and California conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of a structured warm-up program in reducing soccer-related injuries among adolescent girls. Soccer clubs throughout Norway that had teams for 15- to 16-year-old girls in 2007, practiced at least twice weekly, and played matches were invited to participate. The 125 clubs who agreed to participate were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention teams implemented a warm-up program consisting of eight minutes of running exercises, 10 minutes of strength and balance exercises, and two minutes of running. Control teams continued to use the teams’ standard warm-up practices. Coaches reported injuries and hours of participation in training and matches for each player weekly. Injuries were classified by study personnel blinded to the players’ warm-up method using predetermined definitions. Additional information was collected directly from injured players. Data collection included type, location, and severity of injury. The final sample included 1,055 players on 52 intervention-group clubs and 837 players on 41 control-group clubs; 32 additional clubs (13 intervention, 19 control) were randomized but failed to participate. The intervention clubs performed the warm-up program at a mean of 44 (range, 11–104) sessions (77%) throughout the season. Overall 301 girls (16% of the total) sustained 376 injuries, of which 299 (80%) were acute and 77 (20%) were overuse injuries. There were 8.1±0.5 injuries per 1,000 hours of match play and 1.9±0.2 injuries per 1,000 hours of practice time. While the two groups did not differ significantly with regard to risk of lower extremity injury (intervention group:control group injury rate ratio = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.49–1.03; P=.07), the intervention group experienced a lower risk of injury overall (0.68; 95% CI, 0.48–0.98), overuse injury (0.47; 95% CI, 0.26–0.85), and severe injury (0.55; 95% CI, 0.35–0.83) relative to the control group. The authors concluded that the intervention program reduced overall risk of injury by about one-third, and overuse injury and severe injury by about one-half. Dr. Woods has disclosed no financial relationship relevant to this commentary. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device. Soccer is the most popular team sport worldwide, and the number of women participating in the sport is increasing rapidly. As with many sports, playing soccer entails risks of acute and overuse injuries, especially of the lower extremities.1 Female players experience overall injury rates similar to males, but the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injuries is three to five times higher among girls than boys.2 The observed reductions in overall (32%) and serious injuries (45%) from a relatively simple 20-minute warm-up program are noteworthy. The warm-up intervention was multifaceted and consisted of evidence-based components that focused on improving positional (proprioceptive) awareness and neuromuscular control while standing, running, planting, cutting, jumping, and landing. The program also emphasized proper knee... You do not currently have access to this content.