Abstract
PurposeAnkle sprain injury rate is reported to be higher towards the end of a football match. Muscle fatigue may contribute to the delayed muscle reaction and subsequent injury. This study investigated the ankle muscle reaction time during a simulated, prolonged football protocol.MethodsSeven amateur female football players participated in a 105-min simulated, prolonged football protocol. An ankle muscle reaction test was conducted with a pair of ankle sprain simulators at a scheduled interval every 15-min. The reaction times of peroneus longus, tibialis anterior, and lateral gastrocnemius were collected using an electromyography system sampling at 1000 Hz. Repeated measures one-way multivariate analysis of variance with post-hoc paired t-tests were conducted to evaluate if the reaction time at each time point significantly differed from baseline. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 level.ResultsReaction times started from 40.5–47.7 ms at baseline and increased to 48.6–55.7 ms at the end. Reaction times significantly increased in all muscles after the first 15 min except for the dominant lateral gastrocnemius. Increased reaction times were seen in the non-dominant limb after 60 min for tibialis anterior, after 75 min for peroneus longus, and after 90 min for the lateral gastrocnemius.ConclusionsDelayed reaction time of the ankle muscles were found after the first 15 min and in the final 45 min of a simulated prolonged football protocol. Strategies for injury prevention should also focus on tackling the delayed ankle muscle reaction time in the acute phase (the first 15 min), in addition to the latter minutes in the second half.Level of evidenceControlled laboratory study, Level V.
Highlights
World-wide participation rates in women’s football increased dramatically from 2010 to 2020 and are projected to double by 2026 [1]
We aimed to study the ankle evertor muscle fatigue in a realistic simulation of a football match to better understand the aetiology of ankle sprain injury
For the non-dominant limb, a longer reaction time was found after 15 min for all three muscles, and subsequently at 60 min on the tibialis anterior, at 75 min on the peroneus longus, and at 90 min on the lateral gastrocnemius
Summary
World-wide participation rates in women’s football increased dramatically from 2010 to 2020 and are projected to double by 2026 [1]. Injury incidence has been high in women’s football [2] and remains so today [3]. A recent systematic review suggested that recreational football practice is medicine – it is beneficial for cardiovascular and bone health, body composition, type 2 diabetes, and prostate cancer [7]. Previous research has demonstrated that greater attention to injury prevention can mitigate injury risk, allowing athletes to fully benefit from football practice. In this scenario, additional gaps need to be fulfilled regarding excessive ankle inversion caused by incorrect landing posture [8], muscle fatigue during prolonged football exercise [9] and delayed peroneal muscle reaction time [10]. If we can understand the cause of injuries better and introduce appropriate injury prevention strategies, we can ensure that footballers enjoy the health benefits of the game rather than suffer negative consequences
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