Collegiate Soccer Athletes Research Articles

Musculoskeletal Soreness Location and Intensity in Soccer Athletes Across Multiple Seasons.

To compare soreness location and intensity between male and female soccer athletes across 2 competitive seasons. Descriptive Cohort Study. Collegiate Sports Medicine Facility. Forty male and 42 female collegiate soccer athletes. Season-long soccer trainings and games. Athletes reported perceived soreness location and intensity daily. χ2 analysis and linear mixed effect models were used to compare soreness locations and intensities by sex. Male and female soccer athletes reported similar number of soreness instances, but male soccer athletes reported soreness more frequently at the ankle, foot, hip, pelvis, and posterior thigh. Female soccer athletes reported soreness more frequently at the anterior leg, anterior thigh, and knee. There was no significant difference in soreness intensity between sexes at any body location (P = 0.86). When collapsed across sex, the frequency of anterior thigh soreness was higher at preseason (7.49%, CI: 5.46-9.52) than at midseason (4.55%, CI: 2.52-6.57; t = -2.94, P = 0.023) and at postseason (3.00%, CI: 0.76-5.23; t = -3.74, P < 0.001). There was also a significant difference in hip soreness frequency between the preseason (2.35%, CI: 1.32-3.33) and the postseason time points (0.52%, CI: -0.73% to 1.67%; t = -2.68, P = 0.023). Male and female athletes differ in the locations of their lower extremity soreness. However, lower extremity soreness intensity does not differ between sexes. Soccer athletes report soreness more frequently during the preseason and midseason than during the postseason. With tools to measure daily soreness location and intensity, clinicians could create targeted interventions to reduce soreness and limit its negative affect.

Eversion Force Control and Neural Drive to the Peroneus Muscles in Male Collegiate Soccer Athletes With and Without Perceived Ankle Instability

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether individuals with perceived ankle instability (PAI) exhibited lower force control capacity and higher neural drive variability during ankle eversion force control tests compared to individuals without PAI. DESIGN: Cross-sectional case-control study. METHODS: We included male collegiate soccer athletes with ( n = 16) and without PAI ( n = 11). Force steadiness and accuracy tests were performed at 10%, 30%, and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction. Neural drive to the peroneal muscles was calculated using high-density surface electromyography. We analyzed force error, force complexity, and force and neural drive variability. RESULTS: Eversion strength was higher in the PAI group (0.36 ± 0.1 N m/kg) ( P = .03). Force error (mean difference [MD], 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.31, 0.21), force complexity (approximate entropy) (MD, 0.08; 95% CI: − 0.34, 0.50), force (MD, 0.20; 95% CI: −1.77, 1.36), and neural drive (MD, 1.75; 95% CI: −2.48, 5.91) variability at 10% maximal voluntary contraction did not differ between groups ( P&gt;.05). There were no significant differences between groups in other intensities and variables ( P&gt;.05). CONCLUSION: Eversion force control and neural drive to the peroneal muscles in male collegiate soccer athletes with PAI did not differ from those in athletes without PAI. JOSPT Open 2024;2(4):315-321. Epub 15 July 2024. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2024.0360

Relationship between fat-free mass index and nutrient intake in protein supplement user among Japanese collegiate soccer athletes.

Protein supplements are widely used by athletes, prompting the scrutiny of their impact on low energy availability. This study investigated whether habitual protein supplement use is linked to physical characteristics and nutrient intake in Japanese university soccer athletes. In addition, an attempt was made to examine the differences in physical characteristics and nutrient intake according to muscle mass in protein supplement users using the fat-free mass index (FFMI), which reflects muscle mass. A dietary survey, physical activity survey, and measurement of the physical characteristics of 38 Japanese collegiate soccer players were conducted. The habitual protein supplement utilization rate among the participants was 50%, and the participants exhibited an FFMI of 19.2 ± 1.3 kg/m2. Significant disparities between the two groups were noted in exercise energy expenditure (p = 0.023); carbohydrates (p = 0.039); copper (p = 0.003); and vitamins B1 (p = 0.016), B2 (p = 0.040), B6 (p = 0.003), C (p = 0.012), and D (p = 0.033), with higher levels observed in the protein-consuming cohort compared to the non-consuming cohort. Protein supplement users (n = 15) were stratified into two groups based on the median FFMI of the entire population (18.9 kg/m2). While the energy balance ratios were comparable between the groups, the high FFMI group tended to exhibit elevated energy intake (p = 0.169), consumption (p = 0.076), and carbohydrate consumption (p = 0.092), compared to the low FFMI group. These findings suggest that adequate carbohydrate and protein intakes are crucial for preserving or augmenting muscle mass in young Japanese soccer athletes, including those consuming protein supplements.

Relationship between Workload, Psychological State and Recovery in Female Soccer Athletes.

This study assessed the multifaceted relations between measures of workload, psychological state, and recovery throughout an entire soccer season in female collegiate soccer athletes (19.8±1.2 yrs, 132±12.3 lbs, 63±3.2 in). A prospective longitudinal study was utilized to measure workload (GPS training load, Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), psychological state (mental stress, mental fatigue, and mood), and recovery (sleep duration, sleep quality, and soreness), during 90 observations (59 training sessions and 21 games). Separate linear-mixed effect models were used to assess outcomes of RPE, soreness, and sleep duration. A linear mixed-effects model explained 59% of the variance in RPE following each session. Specifically, each standard deviation increase in GPS load and mental stress in the morning prior to training increased RPE by 1.46 (SE=0.08) and 0.29 (SE=0.07), respectively, following that day's training. Furthermore, a significant interaction was found between several predictor variables and chronological day in the season while predicting RPE. Specifically, for each standard deviation increase in GPS load, RPE went up by 0.0055 per day during the season suggesting that load had a higher impact on RPE as the season progressed. In contrast, the interaction of day by mental stress, sleep duration, and soreness continued to be stronger as the season progressed. Each linear mixed-effect model predicted a larger amount of variance when accounting for individual variations in the random effects.

Neural Mechanisms Associated With Postural Control in Collegiate Soccer and Non-Soccer Athletes.

Sport-specific training may improve postural control, while repetitive head acceleration events (RHAEs) may compromise it. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying postural control may contextualize changes due to training and RHAE. The goal of this study was to determine whether postural sway during the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is related to white matter organization (WMO) in collegiate athletes. Collegiate soccer ( N =33) and non-soccer athletes ( N =44) completed BESS and diffusion tensor imaging. Postural sway during each BESS stance, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) were extracted for each participant. Partial least squares analyses determined group differences in postural sway and WMO and the relationship between postural sway and WMO in soccer and non-soccer athletes separately. Soccer athletes displayed better performance during BESS 6, with lower FA and higher MD in the medial lemniscus (ML) and inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP), compared to non-soccer athletes. In soccer athletes, lower sway during BESS 2, 5, and 6 was associated with higher FA and lower MD in the corticospinal tract, ML, and ICP. In non-soccer athletes, lower sway during BESS 2 and 4 was associated with higher FA and lower MD in the ML and ICP. BESS 1 was associated with higher FA, and BESS 3 was associated with lower MD in the same tracts in non-soccer athletes. Soccer and non-soccer athletes showed unique relationships between sway and WMO, suggesting that sport-specific exposures are partly responsible for changes in neurological structure and accompanying postural control performance and should be considered when evaluating postural control after injury.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A472 ).

Sex Differences in Wellness Scores in Collegiate Athletes

Subjective wellness scores reflect athlete responses to training, fatigue, personal experiences, and recovery, and evidence suggests these scores may differ between athletes based on sex. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in daily wellness scores between sexes in collegiate soccer, swimming, and basketball athletes. Athletes (n = 294, 63% female) completed daily wellness surveys for energy, health status, mood, muscle readiness, sleep quality, sleep duration, stress, diet, and overall wellness. Variables were evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale, except sleep duration, quantified in hours. Repeated measures, mixed linear models, repeated measures, and ordinal logistic models were used to assess sex differences in wellness outcomes. In basketball, females have 0.30 times the odds (95% CI 0.19, 0.48) of males of a worse health status score. For soccer, females have 2.45 times the odds (95% CI 1.32, 4.44) of males with a worse stress wellness score. In swimming, females, on average, slept 0.40 more hours of sleep per night (95% CI 0.02, 0.79) as compared to males. These data suggest that differences in wellness subcomponents are nuanced by sport. This information can be used to provide targeted programming for athletes to improve wellness and reduce stress, which may subsequently enhance mental health, academic performance, and sports performance.

Residual Effects of Same Day Lower Extremity Strength Training on Countermovement Jump Performance in Collegiate Women Athletes.

Balancing of strength programming intensity with sport demands is necessary to avoid excessive workloads that could inhibit performance. To expand previous jump height focused literature, this study evaluated whether countermovement jump (CMJ) movement strategies, including eccentric characteristics, might reveal CMJ execution strategy shifts to achieve similar afternoon CMJ height following a morning resistance training session (RTS). Fifteen collegiate women's soccer and volleyball athletes (18-24 years, 73.6 ± 8.4 kg, 1.74 ± 0.19 m) participating in an offseason RTS completed five CMJs during two afternoon sessions (48 h apart), one 4-6 h post morning RTS, and one on a rest day. The RTS consisted of 2 sets of 10 repetitions at 70-80% 1RM for the back squat, the front squat, and the forward lunge. Vertical ground reaction forces were recorded from which 13 outcome measures describing elements of the eccentric and concentric CMJ phases were computed. No significant differences in jump height (p = 0.427, d = 0.17) or outcome measures (p = 0.091-0.777, d = -0.07-0.21) between sessions with exception of a significant concentric phase time decrease (p = 0.026, d = 0.23) following the RTS were identified. Given the magnitude of the mean concentric phase time change (0.01 s), the result likely has limited practical meaning. As these results confirm previous CMJ height literature, practitioners have further evidence that a morning RTS does not interfere or enhance afternoon CMJ performance in athletic women.

Variability in Limb Occlusion Pressures Across Visits and Between Limbs in Collegiate Soccer and Cross Country Athletes

Variability in Limb Occlusion Pressures Across Visits and Between Limbs in Collegiate Soccer and Cross Country Athletes

Training Load and Current Soreness Predict Future Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in Collegiate Female Soccer Athletes.

Delayed onset muscles soreness (DOMS) is an indication of muscle stress and trauma that develops from excessive musculoskeletal loads. Musculoskeletal loads can be measured with wearable devices, but there is limited research on specific training load metrics that most correlate with DOMS after activity. To determine the predictive capabilities of training load variables on the development of lower extremity DOMS in female collegiate soccer athletes throughout an entire season. Prospective Cohort. Twenty-seven collegiate female soccer athletes reported their lower extremity DOMS each day prior to all soccer activity. Participants wore Polar heart rate and global positioning monitors to capture training load measures. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationships between the training load variables and change in DOMS when collapsed across dates. Separate linear mixed models were performed with the following day's DOMS as the outcome variable, training load and the current day's DOMS as predictor variables, and participants serving as random intercepts. All training load variables significantly predicted change in DOMS, with number of decelerations (ρ=0.72, p <0.001), minutes spent at greater than 80% of maximum heart rate (HRmax) (ρ=0.71 , p <0.001), and distance (ρ=0.70 , p <0.001) best correlating with change in DOMS. Linear mixed models revealed a significant interaction of all training load and current day's DOMS on the following day's DOMS (p<0.001), but number of decelerations, HRmax, and total number of accelerations demonstrated the highest coefficient of determination (R2 marginal=33.2% - 29.2% , R2 conditional= 46.9% - 44.8%). Training load variables paired with the current day's DOMS significantly predict lower extremity DOMS in the future, with number of decelerations, accelerations, and HRmax best predicting future DOMS. Although this demonstrates that training load variables predict lower extremity DOMS, future research should incorporate objective measures of strength or jump kinetics to identify if similar relationships exist. Level 3.

Hip Strength Changes In Collegiate Soccer Athletes Across A Competitive Season.

Hip Strength Changes In Collegiate Soccer Athletes Across A Competitive Season.

Differences In Perceived Soreness Between Male And Female Collegiate Soccer Athletes

Differences In Perceived Soreness Between Male And Female Collegiate Soccer Athletes

Hip Strength Changes Over The Course Of 1 Year Between Male And Female Collegiate Soccer Athletes

Hip Strength Changes Over The Course Of 1 Year Between Male And Female Collegiate Soccer Athletes

Protein Intake in NCAA Division 1 Soccer Players: Assessment of Daily Amounts, Distribution Patterns, and Leucine Levels as a Quality Indicator

Dietary protein is required to support recovery and adaptation following exercise training. While prior research demonstrates that many athletes meet total daily protein needs, intake seems to be predominantly skewed toward the evening meal. An even distribution of protein doses of ≥0.24 g/kg BW consumed throughout the course of a day is theorized to confer greater skeletal muscle anabolism outcomes compared to a skewed pattern of intake. Protein quality is also an important dietary consideration for athletes, with the amino acid leucine seemingly serving as the primary driver of the postprandial anabolic response. The present study investigates protein consumption characteristics among a cohort of NCAA D1 soccer players and evaluates differences between male and female athletes. Athletes were instructed to complete 3-day food diaries, which were subsequently analyzed and compared to UEFA expert group-issued nutrition guidelines for soccer players. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner accounted for 81.4% of the total daily dietary protein intake. Most athletes (77.8%) ingested optimum amounts of protein at dinner but not at breakfast (11.1%) or lunch (47.2%). In addition, statistically significant sex-based differences in daily dietary protein intake, meal-specific protein amounts, and protein quality measures were detected. Findings indicate suboptimal dietary protein intake practices among the collegiate soccer athletes.

The Moderating Role of Sociability and Social Connection for the Relationship between Soccer Participation and Teamwork Ability among Chinese College Students

In order to provide empirical evidence for soccer's promotion of teamwork ability and to examine whether sociability and social connection have an effect on this promotion, we explored the relationship between soccer participation (volume, duration), teamwork ability and sociability and social connection (SSC). Using the method of stratified sampling, a questionnaire survey was carried out in four universities in Shanghai. All the respondents are undergraduate students, which include the specially recruited soccer athletes and the soccer participants from ordinary college students. The findings from this study indicate that participating in soccer can positively predict the teamwork ability of college students, and SSC can negatively moderate the effect of soccer participation on teamwork ability. The effect of soccer participation on teamwork ability was different in the collegiate soccer athletes and collegiate soccer participants groups. An important value of soccer, which is often overlooked, is the help it provides college students, who have insufficient sociability and social connections, in better integrating into the team and in improving their teamwork ability. We highly recommend that college students participate in soccer to improve their teamwork skills in study and work and to better prepare for their careers.

Exploring the Effects of a Neck Strengthening Program on Purposeful Soccer Heading Biomechanics and Neurocognition.

BackgroundCervical (neck) strengthening has been proposed as an important factor in concussion prevention. The purpose of the study was to determine if a six-week cervical strengthening program affected neurocognition and purposeful soccer heading biomechanics. The hypothesis was that the neck strengthening program would improve strength, maintain neurocognition, and alter purposeful soccer heading biomechanics.Study DesignRandomized controlled trial.MethodsTwenty collegiate soccer athletes (8 males, 12 females, age=20.15±1.35 years, height=171.67±9.01 cm, mass=70.56±11.03 kg) volunteered to participate. Time (pre, post) and group (experimental, control) served as the independent variables. Four composite scores from the CNS Vital Signs computer based neurocognitive test (CNSVS; verbal memory, visual memory, executive function, reaction time) and aspects of heading biomechanics from inertial measurement units (xPatch; peak linear acceleration, peak rotational acceleration, duration, Gadd Severity Index [GSI]) served as the dependent variables. Each athlete completed a baseline measure of neck strength (anterior neck flexors, bilateral anterolateral neck flexors, bilateral cervical rotators) and CNSVS after heading 10 soccer balls at two speeds (11.18 and 17.88 m/s) while wearing the xPatch. The experimental group completed specific cervical neck strengthening exercises twice a week for six weeks using a Shingo Imara™ cervical neck resistance apparatus while the control group did not. After six weeks, the participants completed the same heading protocol followed by measurement of the same outcome variables. The alpha value was set to p<0.05 a priori.ResultsThe interaction between time and group was significant for visual memory (F1,17=5.16, p=0.04, η2=0.23). Interestingly, post hoc results revealed visual memory decreased for the control group from pretest (46.90±4.46) compared to posttest (43.00±4.03; mean difference=3.90, 95% CI=0.77-7.03, p=0.02). Interactions for all other dependent variables were not statistically significant (p>0.05).ConclusionsThe cervical neck strengthening protocol allowed maintenance of visual memory scores but did not alter other neurocognitive measures or heading biomechanics. The link between cervical neck strengthening and concussion predisposition should continue to be explored.Level of EvidenceLevel 1b

Absence of Injury Is Not Absence of Pain: Prevalence of Preseason Musculoskeletal Pain and Associated Factors in Collegiate Soccer and Basketball Student Athletes.

Unlike musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries, MSK pain is rarely studied in athletes. In this study, we examined the prevalence of preseason MSK pain in apparently healthy collegiate soccer and basketball players and its relationship with previous injuries (1-year history), among other factors. Ninety-seven eligible student athletes (mean age: 20.1 (SD: 1.6) years; 43% male; 53% soccer players) completed a baseline questionnaire comprising questions related to demographics, medical and 1-year injury history and any current MSK pain and the corresponding body location. The overall prevalence of preseason MSK pain was 26% (95% CI: 17–36%) and it did not differ by sex or sport. The back (6.2%) and knee (5.2%) regions were reported to be the most frequently affected body parts for preseason MSK pain. Athletes with a previous injury and with perception of incomplete healing had 3.5-fold higher odds (OR: 3.50; 95% CI: 1.28–9.36) of baseline MSK pain compared with those without a previous injury. One in four collegiate soccer and basketball players had preseason MSK pain. Collegiate sports medicine professionals should consider conducting routine preseason evaluations of MSK pain in their athletes and initiate appropriate interventions for the prevention of MSK pain and its potential consequences among athletes.

Analyzing Magnitude and Frequency of Video Verified Head Impacts in Relation to Impact Location in Collegiate Soccer Athletes

Studying head impact location may provide insight on potential preventative efforts. Our objective was to determine magnitudes and frequencies of head impact locations in soccer athletes. 9 men’s (age=18.67±1.00 yr, height=183.57±5.39 cm, mass=80.32±13.50 kg) and 19 women’s (age=19.42±1.43 yr, height=166.17±5.24 cm, mass=64.15±7.23 kg) soccer athletes volunteered to participate. Impact location (back, front, side, top) was the independent variable. We compared linear (g) and rotational (deg/s2) accelerations from xPatch sensors across impact location for video verified head impacts in games and practices using Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Positive Impulse Phase versus Propulsive Impulse Phase: Correlations between Asymmetry and Countermovement Jump Performance.

The relationship between asymmetry and performance is still undetermined in the literature. Methods of assessing asymmetry have been inconsistent and focused on the analysis of jumping asymmetry. Dual ground reaction forces are prevalent in athlete monitoring, though underutilized in asymmetry research. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of countermovement jump (CMJ) impulse asymmetry to performance in collegiate soccer athletes. Male and female athletes were selected from an ongoing athlete research repository database of NCAA D-I soccer athletes. All athletes contributed two maximal effort unweighted (CMJ0) and weighted countermovement jumps (CMJ20) using the mean for calculations. Propulsive phase asymmetry scores (PrPAS) and positive impulse asymmetry scores (PIAS) were calculated to determine the magnitude of asymmetry for each prospective phase. Statistically significant correlations were found between CMJ0 jump height and unweighted PIAS (r = −0.43) in females. Males had statistically significant correlations between CMJ20 jump height and weighted PIAS (r = −0.49). Neither unweighted PrPAS nor weighted PrPAS produced statistically significant correlations (r < 0.26) to their prospective jump heights. When assessing CMJ asymmetry, it is recommended to conduct both weighted and unweighted CMJ testing, utilizing PIAS as the metric to be assessed.

Examining the Dynamic Nature of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Factors in Women's Collegiate Soccer.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a common and devastating injury in women's soccer. Several risk factors for ACL injury have been identified, but have not yet been examined as potentially dynamic risk factors, which may change throughout a collegiate soccer season. Prospective cohort study. Nine common clinical screening assessments for ACL injury risk, consisting of range of motion, movement quality, and power, were assessed in 29 Division I collegiate women's soccer players. Preseason and midseason values were compared for significant differences. Change scores for each risk factor were also correlated with cumulative training loads during the first 10weeks of a competitive soccer season. Hip external rotation range of motion and power had statistically significant and meaningful differences at midseason compared with preseason, indicating they are dynamic risk factors. There were no significant associations between the observed risk factor changes and cumulative training load. Hip external rotation range of motion and power are dynamic risk factors for ACL injury in women's collegiate soccer athletes. Serial screening of these risk factors may elucidate stronger associations with injury risk and improve prognostic accuracy of screening tools.

Examining the Relationship Between a Neuromuscular Control Baseline Battery for Sport-Related Concussion and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk

To examine the relationship between the m-CTSIB and Landing Error Scoring System in a sample of collegiate female athletes. Recent literature has linked concussion and neuromuscular deficits in the lower extremity after injury. Neuromuscular control is frequently assessed using balance measures for concussion, but also dynamically to identify anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) risk via jump-landing movement screening. Thirty-nine healthy, collegiate female soccer (n = 22) and volleyball (n = 17) athletes completed the modified-Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction of Balance (m-CTSIB) and the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). Measures consisted of total m-CTSIB sway index scores on individual conditions (firm surface eyes open [condition 1] and eyes closed [2], foam surface eyes open [3] and eyes closed [4]), m-CTSIB overall score, and total LESS errors. LESS scores were also categorized into a low (0-4 errors) and high (5 + errors) risk to determine if athletes with worse neuromuscular control on the LESS has worse balance on the m-CTSIB. A Spearman's rank-order correlation was conducted to determine the strength of the relationship between LESS and m-CTSIB performance. A series of Mann-Whitney U test were performed to determine differences between low and high LESS performance on m-CTSIB performance. There was a weak, negative correlation between LESS and m-CTSIB performance (rs(37) = -0.153, p = 0.35). Further, there were no differences between the low and high risk LESS groups on sway index scores on conditions 1 (U = 158.5, p = 0.39), 2 (U = 156.0, p = 0.36), 3 (U = 165.5, p = 0.51), or 4 (U = 128.5, p = 0.08), as well as overall m-CTSIB scores (U = 150.5, p = 0.28). There appears to be a lack of relationship between the LESS and m-CTSIB tests, revealing the independence of static and dynamic lower extremity neuromuscular function. Athletes who may be more at risk for ACL injury due to abnormal jump-landing biomechanics, do not differ from low-risk athletes on baseline balance assessment.