Injury Risk In Soccer Research Articles

Team's average acute:chronic workload ratio correlates with injury risk in NCAA men's soccer team.

Research in multiple sports has shown that an individual's acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) correlates with injury. However, tailoring team trainings to each individual's ACWR is technically challenging and has not been found to decrease injury risk. To establish a more feasible method of utilizing the ACWR for injury prevention in soccer. In a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's soccer team, we assessed whether the team's average ACWR, as opposed to that of each individual, correlated with injuries sustained throughout the season. Injury and workload data were retrospectively evaluated for all players (n= 23) of an NCAA men's soccer team during one 18-week season. Workload data for five global positioning system (GPS)-derived workload variables (total distance, high-speed distance, accelerations, player load, and average velocity) were used to calculate the team's average daily acute and chronic workloads (accumulated load for each variable during the past 3 and 28 days, respectively), and uncoupled ACWRs (acute workload divided by chronic workload for each variable). A retrospective cohort design was used to compare the team's workloads and ACWRs on days where ≥1 injury occurred versus days where zero injuries occurred using binary logistic regression models. Trainings/games with injuries had higher acute workloads, lower chronic workloads, and higher ACWRs for all five workload variables. In multivariable analysis, risk factors for injury included a low chronic workload for total distance (odds ratio [OR] 7.23, p= .024) and an ACWR >1.4 for accelerations (OR 4.34, p= .029). The team's injury risk was greater with low distance accumulation during the chronic period and with an elevated ACWR for accelerations. Future intervention-based studies aimed at using ACWR load-management principles as a method of decreasing injury risk in soccer can consider tracking the team's average values with the goal of maintaining a consistent chronic workload for total distance and avoiding elevations in the ACWR for accelerations.

Paper 22: Increased Lower Extremity Injury Associated with Player Load and Distance in Collegiate Women’s Soccer

Objectives:High cumulative workloads and spikes in player workloads have been associated with an increased risk of injury in soccer and other sports. These studies, however, have all been conducted with data from male soccer players or male athletes in other sports, with few studies investigating female athletes. Using metrics collected from GPS units to monitor cumulative load and distance may be valuable for injury prevention. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between injury risk and workload as collected from wearable GPS units in NCAA Division I women’s soccer players.Methods:Lower extremity injury incidence and GPS workload data (player load, total distance, and high-speed distance) of 65 NCAA Division I women’s soccer players were collected over 3 seasons. Accumulated 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-weekly loads and acute: chronic workload ratios (ACWR) were classified into discrete ranges by z-scores. ACWR was calculated using rolling averages and exponentially weighted moving averages (EWMA) models. Binary logistic regression models were used to compare the 7:28 rolling average and EWMA ACWRs between injured and non-injured players for all GPS/accelerometer variables. The prior 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-weekly accumulated loads for all GPS/accelerometer variables were compared between the injured and uninjured cohorts using two-sample t-tests with an alpha level of 0.05 set as significant.Results:There were a total of 53 lower extremity injuries that resulted in lost time recorded (5.76/1000 hours ‘on-field’ exposure time; 34 non-contact and 19 contact injuries). The prior 2-week (7,242 vs 6,613; p=0.02), 3-week (10,533 vs 9,718; p=0.02), and 4-week (13,819 vs 12,892; p=0.04) accumulated player loads and 2-week (62.40 vs 57.25 km; p=0.04), 3-week (90.97 vs 84.10 km; p=0.03), and 4-week (119.31 vs 111.38 km; p=0.05) accumulated total distances were significantly higher for injured players compared to non-injured players during the same timeframes. There were no significant differences in player load, total distance, or high-speed distance ACWR between injured and non-injured players for both the rolling averages and EWMA calculations.Conclusions:Higher accumulated player load and total distance, but not ACWR, are associated with injury in women’s soccer players.

Injury risk among athletes on artificial turf: a review of current literature

Artificial turf is used commonly as an alternative to natural grass for athletic playing surfaces, primarily for its ease of maintenance, multi-use capability year-round, and cost. Prior studies have demonstrated increased biomechanical stresses at the shoe-surface interface on artificial turf when compared to natural grass. However, there is debate whether the altered shoe-surface interface confers additional risk for injury to athletes. The purpose of this study was to review the current literature on injury risk associated with artificial turf among various sports played on turf. The present study was a clinical review of the current literature regarding injury risk on artificial and natural turf. While playing surface generally does not appear to impact overall injury risk in soccer and rugby players, data is inconclusive among American football athletes. Lower-extremity injuries, in particular knee and ankle injuries, more commonly occur on artificial turf in comparison to natural grass. Surface and sport-specific shoes, third-generation artificial turf, and routine monitoring and maintenance have all been shown to reduce the risk of injury on artificial turf. When athletes must play on artificial turf, surface-specific strategies may be implemented to reduce their risk of injury. Future studies should be conducted to evaluate further these risk reduction strategies. Level of Evidence: Level V.

The Influence of Playing Surface on the Loading Response to Soccer-Specific Activity.

The influence of playing surface on injury risk in soccer is contentious, and contemporary technologies permit an in vivo assessment of mechanical loading on the player. To quantify the influence of playing surface on the PlayerLoad elicited during soccer-specific activity. Repeated measures, field-based design. Regulation soccer pitches. Fifteen amateur soccer players (22.1 [2.4]y), injury free with ≥6 years competitive experience. Each player completed randomized order trials of a soccer-specific field test on natural turf, astroturf, and third-generation artificial turf. GPS units were located at C7 and the mid-tibia of each leg to measure triaxial acceleration (100Hz). Total accumulated PlayerLoad in each movement plane was calculated for each trial. Ratings of perceived exertion and visual analog scales assessing lower-limb muscle soreness were measured as markers of fatigue. Analysis of variance revealed no significant main effect for playing surface on total PlayerLoad (P = .55), distance covered (P = .75), or postexercise measures of ratings of perceived exertion (P = .98) and visual analog scales (P = .61). There was a significant main effect for GPS location (P < .001), with lower total loading elicited at C7 than mid-tibia (P < .001), but with no difference between limbs (P = .70). There was no unit placement × surface interaction (P = .98). There was also a significant main effect for GPS location on the relative planar contributions to loading (P < .001). Relative planar contributions to loading in the anterioposterior:mediolateral:vertical planes was 25:27:48 at C7 and 34:32:34 at mid-tibia. PlayerLoad metrics suggest that playing surface does not influence mechanical loading during soccer-specific activity (not including tackling). Clinical reasoning should consider that PlayerLoad magnitude and axial contributions were sensitive to unit placement, highlighting opportunities in the objective monitoring of load during rehabilitation.

A Review of Field-Based Assessments of Neuromuscular Control and Their Utility in Male Youth Soccer Players

Read, PJ, Oliver, JL, Croix, MS, Myer, GD, and Lloyd, RS. A review of field-based assessments of neuromuscular control and their utility in male youth soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 33(1): 283-299, 2019-Lower-extremity injuries in male youth soccer are common and equate to a substantial time loss from training and competitions during the course of a season. Extended periods of absence will impact player involvement in skill and physical development activities, as well as participation in competitive match play. Neuromuscular risk factors for lower-extremity injury in male youth soccer players can be categorized into quadriceps dominance, leg dominance, ligament dominance, trunk dominance, and reduced dynamic stability. Valid screening methods to identify risk factors that are practically viable are needed for youth athletes who may be at a greater risk of injury in soccer. Although field-based tests of neuromuscular control provide a reliable option for the assessment of injury risk in adults and females, less data are available in male youth soccer players, and further research is required to examine their ability to predict injury risk. This article provides a review of the current literature pertaining to field-based screening tests and critically appraises their suitability for use with male youth soccer players. Currently, the only method that has been validated in male youth soccer players is the landing error scoring system. Asymmetrical anterior reach measured during the Y-Balance test may also be considered because of its strong predictive ability in male youth basketball players; however, further research is required to fully support its use with soccer players.

Investigating the influence of intraindividual changes in perceived stress symptoms on injury risk in soccer.

Research has shown that high levels of stress and stress responsivity can increase the risk of injuries. However, most of the research that has supported this notion has focused on between-person relationships, ignoring the relationships at the within-person level. As a result, the objective of this study was to investigate if within-person changes in perceived stress symptoms over a 1-month time period could predict injury rates during the subsequent 3months. A prospective design with two measurement points (Time 1-at the beginning of the season and Time 2-1month into the season) was utilized. A total of 121 competitive soccer players (85 males and 36 females; Mage =18.39, SD=3.08) from Sweden and the United States completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (KPDS) and a demographic sheet at Time 1. The KPDS was also completed at Time 2, and all acute injuries that occurred during the subsequent 3-month period were recorded. A Bayesian latent change scores model was used to determine whether within-person changes in stress symptoms could predict the risk of injury. Results revealed that there was a credible positive effect of changes in stress symptoms on injury rates, indicating that an increase in reported stress symptoms was related to an increased risk for injury. This finding highlights the importance of creating caring and supportive sporting environments and relationships and teaching stress management techniques, especially during the earlier portion of competitive seasons, to possibly reduce the occurrence of injuries.

Effects of treadmill versus overground soccer match simulation on muscle strength markers of anterior cruciate ligament injury risk

Background: Muscle strength and in particular imbalance between hamstring and quadriceps strength has been identified as a potential marker of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk in soccer. Several studies have attempted to investigate the effect of soccer match play on these muscle strength markers through match simulations, either using treadmill or overground protocols. However, no previous studies have investigated the differences induced by each type of simulation. This study aimed to investigate whether treadmill and overground match simulation similarly affected muscular strength markers of ACL injury risk.

Influence of Cleats-Surface Interaction on the Performance and Risk of Injury in Soccer: A Systematic Review.

Objective To review the influence of cleats-surface interaction on the performance and risk of injury in soccer athletes. Design Systematic review. Data Sources Scopus, Web of science, PubMed, and B-on. Eligibility Criteria Full experimental and original papers, written in English that studied the influence of soccer cleats on sports performance and injury risk in artificial or natural grass. Results Twenty-three articles were included in this review: nine related to performance and fourteen to injury risk. On artificial grass, the soft ground model on dry and wet conditions and the turf model in wet conditions are related to worse performance. Compared to rounded studs, bladed ones improve performance during changes of directions in both natural and synthetic grass. Cleat models presenting better traction on the stance leg improve ball velocity while those presenting a homogeneous pressure across the foot promote better kicking accuracy. Bladed studs can be considered less secure by increasing plantar pressure on lateral border. The turf model decrease peak plantar pressure compared to other studded models. Conclusion The soft ground model provides lower performance especially on artificial grass, while the turf model provides a high protective effect in both fields.

Evaluating injury risk in first and second league professional Portuguese soccer: muscular strength and asymmetry.

Strength imbalances between the hamstrings and quadriceps are an essential predictor for hamstring strain in soccer. The study aimed to investigate and compare the muscle strength imbalances of professional soccer players of different performance levels. One hundred and fifty nine senior male professional soccer players from first (n = 75) and second league (n = 84) Portuguese clubs participated in this study. Muscle strength was evaluated with a REV9000 isokinetic dynamometer. Maximal peak torque data were used to calculate quadriceps and hamstrings strength during concentric and eccentric actions, bilateral asymmetry, conventional strength ratios and dynamic control ratios. Second league athletes produced slightly lower conventional strength ratios in the right and left legs (ES = 0.22, p = 0.17 and ES = 0.36, p = 0.023, respectively) compared to the first league athletes. No significant differences were found in dynamic control ratios or in bilateral asymmetry among first and second league athletes. These findings do not show a clear link between the competitive level and injury risk in soccer players. However, some of the differences found, particularly in conventional strength ratios, highlight the importance of performing off-season and pre-season strength assessments to prescribe and adjust individual strength training programs among professional soccer players.

Differences Between Sexes in Lower Extremity Alignment and Muscle Activation During Soccer Kick

Injury risk in soccer varies by sex. Female soccer players face a greater risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury and patellofemoral problems, while male players are more likely to experience sports hernia symptoms. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that females have different lower-extremity alignment and muscle activation patterns than males during the soccer kick. Thirteen male and twelve female college soccer players underwent three-dimensional motion analysis and electromyography of seven muscles (iliacus, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius) in both the kicking and the supporting lower extremity and two additional muscles (hip adductors and tibialis anterior) in the kicking limb only. Five instep and five side-foot kicks were recorded for each player. Muscle activation was recorded as a percentage of maximum voluntary isometric contraction. The male soccer players had significantly higher mean muscle activation than their female counterparts with respect to the iliacus in the kicking limb (123% compared with 34% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction; p = 0.0007) and the gluteus medius (124% compared with 55%; p = 0.005) and vastus medialis muscles (139% compared with 69%; p = 0.002) in the supporting limb. The supporting limb reached significantly greater mean hip adduction during the stance phase of the kick in the females compared with that in the males (15 degrees and 10 degrees, respectively; p = 0.006). Differences between the sexes in lower extremity alignment and muscle activation occur during the soccer instep and side-foot kicks. Decreased activation of the hip abductors and greater hip adduction in the supporting limb during the soccer kick in female athletes may be associated with their increased risk for anterior cruciate ligament injury.