As previous literature updates, I have performed a PubCrawler search looking for football articles in NCBI Medline (PubMed) and GenBank databases.
Following studies were retrieved for this week:
Reference: Sports (Basel).2024 Apr 9;12(4):103.doi: 10.3390/sports12040103.
Authors: Gabriele Morganti,Paolo Riccardo Brustio,Bruno Ruscello,Gennaro Apollaro,Elvira Padua,Adam L Kelly
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/4/103
Summary: Soccer organizations generally adopt deterministic models within their talent pathways. In this framework, early ability and results are emphasized, leading to selection biases, such as birth advantages (i.e., relative age effects and birthplace effects), which research has shown affect both early developmental experiences and continued sporting involvement. Accordingly, this study aimed to (a) provide further test of birth advantages in Italian youth soccer by exploring the birth quarter (BQ) and birthplace (BP) distribution of 1050 male Italian players born between 1999 and 2001 who competed in the national U17 championship throughout the 2015-16 season and (b) investigate how birth advantages influenced selected players‘ future career status. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests revealed early born players, and players born in North Italy were overrepresented at the youth level (p-values < 0.0001). Successive prospective analysis revealed only 18% of players developed into professional-level soccer players. Chi-square tests of independence indicated that players‘ BP was associated with their future career status (p< 0.0001), whereas their BQ was not (p= 0.459). Odds ratios showed players born in North Italy were five times more likely to complete the youth-to-senior transition than those born in South Italy. These findings highlighted environmental factors influence Italian players‘ early developmental experiences and their future career status.
Reference: Sports (Basel).2024 Apr 2;12(4):102.doi: 10.3390/sports12040102.
Authors: Chad McLean,Andrew P Lavender,Ethan Pereira,Kerry Peek,Paul Davey,Fadi Ma’ayah,Susan Morris,Julia Georgieva
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/4/102
Summary: The purpose of this study is to investigate the acute effects of ball pressure on anticipation timing following a series of purposeful headers in adult football (soccer) players. There is evidence to suggest acute neurophysiological changes to the brain following purposeful heading; this may lead to altered anticipation timing as a result, potentially having future safety implications for players. A repeated measures crossover design was used. Seventeen participants aged between 20 and 30 years performed (i) 20 rotational headers with a lower-pressure match ball (58.6 kPa; 8.5 psi), (ii) 20 rotational headers with a higher-pressure match ball (103.4 kPa; 15 psi), or (iii) 20 non-headers (kicks) as a control each on separate days. The effect of ball pressure on anticipation timing accuracy, measured as absolute, constant, and variable errors, was assessed before and immediately after each intervention session using an anticipation timing task. Differences between group means were compared using repeated measures ANOVA and linear mixed effects models, withp-values of <0.05 considered statistically significant. No significant differences in anticipation timing accuracy across interventions were detected between control, occluded, and non-occluded trials. This finding differs from the previous literature regarding the measurable, acute effects of purposeful heading. The anticipation timing task may lack sensitivity for detecting the effects of repeated heading on brain function.
Reference: Sports (Basel).2024 Mar 31;12(4):99.doi: 10.3390/sports12040099.
Authors: Lander Hernández-Simal,Julio Calleja-González,Jon Larruskain,Alberto Lorenzo Calvo,Maite Aurrekoetxea-Casaus
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/4/99#:~:text=The%20main%20results%20obtained%20demonstrated,high%2Dperformance%20centre%2C%20and%20thus
Summary: The effect of birthplace (the place where a player is born and grows up) is one of the key variables associated with soccer player development and achievement. However, recent studies have questioned the influence of contextual variables on selection and promotion processes related to birthplace. The main purposes of this study were: (1) establish whether there is a difference between the birthplace and sporting growth according to the stages of entry into the academy, (2) to evaluate the influence of geographical and contextual variables on sporting development, and (3) assess the chances of making a professional team debut. Applied logistic regression was used in order to analyse the birthplace and growth of 1411 male soccer players, of which 40.1% are incorporated in the U-12 category from a Spanish First division club, and the results showed a statistically significant association between a change from one’s birthplace to the place of sporting growth and later success (79%). Key contextual variables such as number of inhabitants, population density, proximity to sports facilities, average household income and presence of sports clubs have been considered. The analysis of the contextual variables revealed that there was a positive relationship between certain variables, like a higher population, and being selected for the academy (p< 0.01; r = 0.28). Finally, the findings showed that players who experienced a geographical transition were 38% more likely to make a professional debut. The importance of considering the place of sporting growth when analysing the „birthplace effect“ has therefore been demonstrated.
Reference: Sports (Basel).2024 Mar 22;12(4):87.doi: 10.3390/sports12040087.
Authors: Björn Kadlubowski,Michael Keiner,Klaus Wirth,Robert Csapo
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/4/87
Summary: Soccer is a complex sports discipline that requires players to engage in diverse high-intensity and multidirectional activities. The optimization of strength and conditioning programs requires a comprehensive understanding of the physical attributes influencing player performance. While previous research has demonstrated the influence of knee and hip extensor muscles on the performance in sprints and other explosive movements, this study aimed to establish the relationship between plantar flexor muscle strength and high-intensity actions. Back squat (BS) and calf raise (CR) one-repetition maxima as well as linear sprint (5-, 10-, 30 m) and drop jump performance from different heights (15, 30, 45 and 60 cm) were measured in 45 elite youth players (age: 16.62 ± 1.1 years). Results showed significant negative correlations between BS strength and sprint times (r = -0.60 to -0.61), confirming the importance of lower limb extensor muscle strength in short-distance sprints. While no significant correlations were found with sprint performances, CR strength was significantly associated with drop jump test results from 45 and 60 cm drop height (r = 0.36 to 0.46). These findings demonstrate that isolated CR strength positively influences the performance in actions involving rapid stretch-shortening cycles, which suggests that current strength and conditioning programs for youth soccer players should be extended to also include exercises specifically targeting the plantar flexor muscles. While this cross-sectional study provides novel insights into the complex interplay between muscle strength and soccer-specific performance, its findings need to be corroborated in longitudinal studies directly testing the impact of plantar flexor strength training.
Reference: J Strength Cond Res.2024 Apr 25.doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004796.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Eline M Nijmeijer,Matthias Kempe,Marije T Elferink-Gemser,Anne Benjaminse
Download link: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/9900/observe,_practice,_and_improve__enhancing_sidestep.439.aspx
Summary: Implicit learning has the potential to improve movement execution and reduce injury risk. Previous research showed beneficial effects of short-term interventions with implicit learning in male athletes. However, research on long-term interventions in female athletes is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 4-week intervention with video instruction on movement execution of SSC, a task that is highly related with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk, in female athletes. Twenty talented adolescent female soccer players were part of the control (CTRL, n = 10) or video instruction (VIDEO, n = 10) group. All subjects practiced 4 weeks and received general task instructions. In addition, the VIDEO group received expert video instruction during practice. Lower extremity kinematics and kinetics and vertical ground reaction force of SSC were examined during baseline, immediate post, and 1-week retention tests. After nonlinear registration, differences between each subject and the expert she had seen were determined. These differences were analyzed with SPM1D 2-way ANOVA. No interaction effects between time and group were found (p > 0.05). Main effects of time were found in the frontal plane. In particular, smaller deviations of subjects compared with the seen expert of the knee adduction (p = 0.005, 97.9-100% stance phase [SP]) and hip abduction (p = 0.005, 11.5-13.8% SP) and adduction (p < 0.001, 33.4-87.7% SP) moments were found in immediate post compared with baseline. These frontal plane short-term improvements, replicating earlier findings in both sexes, may lower ACL injury risk. The large observed interindividual differences over time may have concealed the long-term effects of video instruction at the group level.
Reference: Am J Sports Med.2024 Apr 24:3635465241240789.doi: 10.1177/03635465241240789.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Jacob Jo,Adrian J Boltz,Kristen L Williams et al.
Summary: Few previous studies have investigated how different injury mechanisms leading to sport-related concussion (SRC) in soccer may affect outcomes. The aim was to describe injury mechanisms and evaluate injury mechanisms as predictors of symptom severity, return to play (RTP) initiation, and unrestricted RTP (URTP) in a cohort of collegiate soccer players. The Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium database was used. The mechanism of injury was categorized into head-to-ball, head-to-head, head-to-body, and head-to-ground/equipment. Baseline/acute injury characteristics-including Sports Concussion Assessment Tool-3 total symptom severity (TSS), loss of consciousness (LOC), and altered mental status (AMS); descriptive data; and recovery (RTP and URTP)-were compared. Multivariable regression and Weibull models were used to assess the predictive value of the mechanism of injury on TSS and RTP/URTP, respectively. Among 391 soccer SRCs, 32.7% were attributed to a head-to-ball mechanism, 27.9% to a head-to-body mechanism, 21.7% to a head-to-head mechanism, and 17.6% to a head-to-ground/equipment mechanism. Event type was significantly associated with injury mechanism [χ2(3) = 63;P< .001), such that more head-to-ball concussions occurred in practice sessions (n = 92 [51.1%] vs n = 36 [17.1%]) and more head-to-head (n = 65 [30.8%] vs n = 20 [11.1]) and head-to-body (n = 76 [36%] vs n = 33 [18.3%]) concussions occurred in competition. The primary position was significantly associated with injury mechanism [χ2(3) = 24;P< .004], with goalkeepers having no SRCs from the head-to-head mechanism (n = 0 [0%]) and forward players having the least head-to-body mechanism (n = 15 [19.2%]). LOC was also associated with injury mechanism (P= .034), with LOC being most prevalent in head-to-ground/equipment. Finally, AMS was most prevalent in head-to-ball (n = 54 [34.2%]) and head-to-body (n = 48 [30.4%]) mechanisms [χ2(3) = 9;P= .029]. In our multivariable models, the mechanism was not a predictor of TSS or RTP; however, it was associated with URTP (P= .044), with head-to-equipment/ground injuries resulting in the shortest mean number of days (14 ± 9.1 days) to URTP and the head-to-ball mechanism the longest (18.6 ± 21.6 days). The mechanism of injury differed by event type and primary position, and LOC and AMS were different across mechanisms. Even though the mechanism of injury was not a significant predictor of acute symptom burden or time until RTP initiation, those with head-to-equipment/ground injuries spent the shortest time until URTP, and those with head-to-ball injuries had the longest time until URTP.
Reference: Front Physiol.2024 Apr 9:15:1377552.doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1377552.eCollection 2024.
Authors: Mohsen Sheykhlouvand,Mohammadali Gharaat
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11035815/pdf/fphys-15-1377552.pdf
Summary: This study examined the uniformity of adaptations in cardiorespiratory fitness and bio-motor abilities by analyzing individual responses to measures representing the mentioned qualities. Twenty-four male well-trained soccer players (Age = 26 ± 4 years; stature = 181 ± 3.8; Weight = 84 ± 6.1) were randomized to two groups performing short sprint interval training [sSIT (3 sets of 10 × 4 sall-outsprints with 20 s of recovery between efforts and 3 min of rest intervals between sets)] or a time-matched small-sided game [SSG (3 sets of 3 v 3 efforts in a 20 × 15 m area with 3 min of relief in-between)]. Before and after the 6-week training period, aerobic fitness indices, cardiac hemodynamics, and anaerobic power were assessed through a graded exercise test utilizing a gas collection system, noninvasive impedance cardiography, and a lower-body Wingate test, respectively. Also, sport-specific bio-motor abilities were determined by measuring linear speed, change of direction, and jumping ability. Comparing inter-individual variability in the adaptive changes by analyzing residuals in individual adaptations indicated that sSIT induces more uniform changes in the first and second ventilatory threshold (VT1& VT2), stroke volume, and peak power output across team members than SSG. SSG also yielded lower proportions of responders in˙VO2max𝑉˙𝑂2max, VT1, VT2, peak, and average power output compared to sSIT. Additionally, the coefficient of variation in mean group changes in measures of aerobic fitness and bio-motor abilities in response to sSIT were lower than in SSG. Short sprint interval training induces more hom*ogenized adaptations in measures of cardiorespiratory fitness and anaerobic power than small-sided games across team members.
Reference: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc.2024 Apr 21.doi: 10.1002/ksa.12199.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Kristian Nikolaus Schneider,Theodoros Zafeiris,Georg Gosheger,Sebastian Klingebiel,Carolin Rickert,Tim Schachtrup,Christoph Theil
Summary: Injuries exert a detrimental impact on the team performance in professional football. Shoulder dislocations are known for their severity and often cause substantial lay-off times. However, there is a notable gap in the general understanding regarding the frequency and convalescence of these events in professional football. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to determine the incidence, (2) to evaluate return to competition (RTC) and redislocation events (RDEs) and (3) to identify relevant player-, match- and injury-related parameters. All shoulder dislocations within the highest three German football leagues (1.-3. Bundesliga) during the seasons 2012/2013 until 2022/2023 were identified. Player-, injury- and match-related data were obtained by performing a media analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. p Value was set at 0.05. A total of 90 first-time shoulder dislocations in 89 players with a median age of 25 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 23-28) were available for analysis. The incidence was 9.1 per 1000 Bundesliga matches played and increased over time. Forty-four (49%) shoulder dislocations were treated conservatively and 46 (51%) operatively. Median RTC was 24 days (IQR: 12-43) following conservative and 103 days (IQR: 85-135) following surgical treatment (p < 0.001). Twenty-two (24%) players suffered a redislocation, of whom 13 (59%) underwent initial conservative and nine (41%) initial surgical treatment (not significant [n.s.]). RDE following conservative treatment was after a median of 4 months (IQR: 2-22) and 7 months (IQR: 3-23) following surgical treatment (n.s.). The incidence of shoulder dislocation within professional football is increasing and currently amounts to 9.1 per 1000 matches played. A conservative treatment leads to a quicker RTC, while frequency and time to RDE were similar regardless of treatment. The increasing incidence of shoulder dislocations in professional football necessitates an analysis of relevant injury mechanisms and the implementation of specific preventive measures.
Reference: Neurosci Lett.2024 Apr 18:137788.doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137788.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Ju Li,Yaping Cao,Minghao Huang,Zhongcheng Li,Zhe Qin,Jian Lang
Summary: Studies have indicated that skilled soccer players possess superior decision-making abilities compared to their less-skilled counterparts. However, the underlying neural mechanism for this phenomenon remains incompletely understood. In our investigation, we explored distinctions in the topology of functional brain networks between skilled and less-skilled soccer players. Employing mediating analysis, we scrutinized the relationships among functional brain network parameters, training duration, and decision-making accuracy. Our findings revealed that skilled soccer players demonstrated significantly higher decision-making accuracy compared to their less-skilled counterparts. Skilled players also exhibited increased values in the cluster coefficient, characteristic path length and local efficiency but lower global efficiency. Moreover, we observed enhanced functional brain connectivity within the occipital and cingulo-opercular networks, as well as between the fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular networks in skilled soccer players. Cluster coefficient and functional connectivity between fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular networks had positive mediating effects on the association between training duration and sport decision-making accuracy. In conclusion, our study provides initial evidence for distinctions in functional brain network parameters between soccer players with varying skill levels and their relationship with sport decision-making accuracy.
Reference: Sensors (Basel).2024 Apr 21;24(8):2644.doi: 10.3390/s24082644.
Authors: Abdullah Zafar,Samuel Guay,Sophie-Andrée Vinet,Amélie Apinis-Deshaies,Raphaëlle Creniault,Géraldine Martens,François Prince,Louis De Beaumont
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/8/2644
Summary: This study aimed to use a data-driven approach to identify individualized speed thresholds to characterize running demands and athlete workload during games and practices in skill and linemen football players. Data were recorded from wearable sensors over 28 sessions from 30 male Canadian varsity football athletes, resulting in a total of 287 performances analyzed, including 137 games and 150 practices, using a global positioning system. Speed zones were identified for each performance by fitting a 5-dimensional Gaussian mixture model (GMM) corresponding to 5 running intensity zones from minimal (zone 1) to maximal (zone 5). Skill players had significantly higher (p< 0.001) speed thresholds, percentage of time spent, and distance covered in maximal intensity zones compared to linemen. The distance covered in game settings was significantly higher (p< 0.001) compared to practices. This study highlighted the use of individualized speed thresholds to determine running intensity and athlete workloads for American and Canadian football athletes, as well as compare running performances between practice and game scenarios. This approach can be used to monitor physical workload in athletes with respect to their tactical positions during practices and games, and to ensure that athletes are adequately trained to meet in-game physical demands.
Reference: Sensors (Basel).2024 Apr 11;24(8):2462.doi: 10.3390/s24082462.
Authors: Francisco Javier García-Angulo,José Manuel Palao,José María Giménez-Egido,Enrique Ortega-Toro
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/8/2462
Summary: The aim of the present study was to analyse the effects of regulatory modifications in competitive situations on cinematic variables, considering maturity stage as a moderating factor, in youth football players. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in which 45 players with a mean age of 9.47 ± 0.54 participated. The independent variable analysed was the modification of rules (playing time, scoring, and specific rules). The dependent variables analysed were cinematic variables. These variables were recorded with WimuTM. The maturity stage was considered a moderating factor in this effect. The main results indicate that the modified competition reduced the total distance covered, maximum acceleration speed, and distance covered in acceleration and deceleration in different speed zones. In addition, the maturity stage was found to moderate the effect of the intervention on the total distance covered, distance covered by accelerating in zone 3, and distance covered by decelerating in zone 3. Thus, the proposed modification appeared to reduce the physical demand for competition. Furthermore, it reduced the differences between players with early maturational development and those with late maturational development.
Reference: Sci Rep.2024 Apr 26;14(1):9572.doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60183-7.
Authors: Shun Cao
Download link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60183-7
Summary: What determines the outcome of a shot (scored or unscored) in football (soccer)? Numerous studies have investigated various aspects of this question, including the skills and physical/mental state of the shooter or goalkeeper, the positional information of shots, as well as the attacking styles and defensive formations of the opposing team. However, a critical question has received limited attention: How does the passing path affect the outcome of a shot? In other words, does the path of the ball before shooting significantly influence the result when the same player takes two shots from the same location? This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by conducting qualitative studies using a dataset comprising 34,938 shots, along with corresponding passing paths from top-tier football leagues and international competitions such as the World Cup. Eighteen path features were extracted and applied to three different machine-learning models. The results indicate that the passing path, whether with or without the positional information of shots, can indeed predict shooting outcomes and reveal influential path features. Moreover, it suggests that taking quick actions to move the ball across areas with a high probability of scoring a goal can significantly increases the chance of a successful shot. Interestingly, certain path features that are commonly considered important for team performance, such as the distribution of passes among players and the overall path length, were found to be less significant for shooting outcomes. These findings enhance our understanding of the effective ball-passing and provide valuable insights into the critical factors for achieving successful shots in football games.
Reference: Orthopadie (Heidelb).2024 Apr 25.doi: 10.1007/s00132-024-04503-9.Online ahead of print. [Article in German]
Authors: Hendrik Bloch,Christian Klein
Summary: High injury rates and long injury-related downtimes demonstrate the need for effective and differentiated injury prevention strategies in football. Preventive measures should take place in various fields and should not be reduced to training programmes or medical approaches. The so-called „Big 6 of injury prevention“ provide an overview of the key areas that should be addressed. In modern sports medicine, it should be a matter of course that the team doctor already participates in the primary prevention strategies and does not only get involved in the post-traumatic treatment. Similarly, a decision on a player’s return to play after an injury should not be based solely on the medical assessment of the team doctor. Good communication and interdisciplinary cooperation, therefore, form the basis for successful prevention.
Reference: Sci Med Footb.2024 Apr 25:1-11.doi: 10.1080/24733938.2024.2339497.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Andrew Shafik,Kabir Singh Lota,Daniela Mifsud,Pippa Bennett,Craig Rosenbloom,Katrine Okholm Kryger,Sean Carmody,Jonathan Power
Summary: Sport-related concussion (SRC) remains an injury of concern in sport, including football(soccer). There has been little investigation into SRC knowledge and attitudes of support staff working in the professional setting. An amended version of the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey(RoCKAS) was distributed online to coaching staff, and medical and performance staff, working at clubs in the English Football Association Women’s SuperLeague (WSL) and Championship. Completion of the survey generated two scores: concussion knowledge index (CKI) and concussion attitudes index (CAI). Sixty-three completed surveys were returned. Eighteen respondents were coaching staff, and 45 were medical and performance staff. The median CKI in medical and performance staff was significantly greater than in coaching staff. There was no significant difference in CAIbetween coaching staff and medical and performance staff. There was no correlation between CKI and CAI across all staff. Medical and performance staff working in elite women’s football have greater knowledge of SRC than coaching staff. However, this does not always translate into safe behaviours on the field. Education should continue to be mandated across the professional game amongst support staff in order to maximise player welfare and enhance injury outcomes, whilst also reinforcing present SRC guidance.
Reference: Front Sports Act Living.2024 Apr 10:6:1386380.doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1386380.eCollection 2024.
Authors: Michael Ashford,Jamie Taylor,Danny Newcombe,Áine MacNamara,Stephen Behan,Simon Phelan,Scott McNeill
Download link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1386380/full
Summary: Within the domain of coach education researchers have long called for a paradigm shift, whereby the quality of coaching practice is no longer measured against a checklist of prescribed competencies. This desire to evolve coach education and development, has been aligned to the need to better identify, understand and utilise what adaptive skill and expertise looks, sounds and feels like across specific sport coaching contexts. This paper outlines a broader research plan for the Premier League to drive the progress of research informed practice, in turn shaping a coach development agenda focused on developing adaptive and skilful coaches within Academies. In turn, this is a core feature of the Premier Leagues institutional aim of developing the most skilful coaches in the world. However, in order to begin the process of initiating such a shift in the way things work, there is a need to seek first to understand, before being understood. Therefore, to demonstrate an evidence informed basis to this shift within coach education and development, we ask three questions; (1) Do we understand what the coaches with the highest level of expertise can do? (2) How should we identify coaches with expertise across different contexts? (3) What doescoaching expertiseresearch need to do? In answer to these questions, we present the lack of empirical investigation previously conducted in the sports coaching discipline to explore coaching expertise and draw on wider domains to offer possible capacities of skilful coaches who possess expertise. To identify coaches with expertise, coherent with the broader expertise literature, we suggest that this is best conducted via means of social validation. Finally, we offer a road map of investigation designed to explore expertise, formed of a mix of evidence informed methodologies which have not yet been utilised in sport coaching research.
Reference: Transl Sports Med.2023 Nov 2:2023:5516439.doi: 10.1155/2023/5516439.eCollection 2023.
Authors: Soichi Ando,Nana Ogoh,Shotaro Saito,Hironori Watanabe,Maki Ohsuga,Tetsuya Hasegawa,Shigehiko Ogoh
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11022757/pdf/TSMED2023-5516439.pdf
Summary: Recently, there has been a growing focus on studies related to women’s football. However, the cognitive function of female football players has not been extensively characterized. Thus, we explored how the cognitive function of female football players was altered during a series of matches in summer and examined day-to-day variations in cognitive function with regard to dehydration status. Resting cognitive function was assessed from 17 young women football players during the Japan Club Youth Women’s football tournament, which spanned eight consecutive days. Cognitive function initially improved, with this improvement sustained throughout the tournament. It is worth noting that ten participants experienced symptoms of dehydration at least once during the tournament; however, these symptoms were not found to be linked to impaired cognitive function, suggesting that resting cognitive function remains unaffected during summer matches, even in the presence of dehydration symptoms.
Reference: Cartilage.2024 Apr 23:19476035231224951.doi: 10.1177/19476035231224951.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Luca Andriolo,Theodorakys Marín Fermín,Giulia Marcella Maryse Chiari Gaggia,Andreas Serner,Elizaveta Kon,Emmanuel Papakostas,Andrew Massey,Peter Verdonk,Giuseppe Filardo
Summary: The aim was to systematically review the literature and analyze clinical outcomes and return-to-sport after surgical management of cartilage injuries in football players. A systematic literature review was performed in August 2023 on PubMed, WebOfScience, and Cochrane Library to collect studies on surgical strategies for cartilage lesions in football players. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed with the modified Coleman Methodology score and RoB2 and RoBANS2 tools. Fifteen studies on 409 football players (86% men, 14% women) were included: nine prospective and two retrospective case series, one randomized controlled trial, one prospective comparative study, one case report, and one survey. Bone marrow stimulation (BMS) techniques were the most documented. The lesion size influenced the treatment choice: debridement was used for small lesions (1.1 cm2), BMS, osteochondral autograft transplantation (OAT), matrix-assisted autologous chondrocytes transplantation (MACT), and scaffold-augmented BMS for small/mid-size lesions (2.2-3.0 cm2), and autologous chondrocytes implantation (ACI) for larger lesions (5.8 cm2). The surgical options yielded different results in terms of clinical outcome and return-to-sport, with fastest recovery for debridement and scaffold-augmented BMS. The current evidence is limited with large methodological quality variation (modified Coleman Methodology score 43.5/100) and a high risk of bias. Decision-making in cartilage injuries seems to privilege early return-to-sport, making debridement and microfractures the most used techniques. The lesion size influences the treatment choice. However, the current evidence is limited. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and establish a case-based approach to treat cartilage injuries in football players based on the specific patient and lesion characteristics and the treatments‘ potential in terms of both return-to-sport and long-term results.
Reference: Phys Sportsmed.2024 Apr 23.doi: 10.1080/00913847.2024.2346463.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Hebert Nunes Flores,Augusto Camillo Tamujo,Tiago Cetolin,João Breno Ribeiro-Alvares,Marcos Amaral Noronha,Bruno Manfredini Baroni,Alessandro Haupenthal
Summary: The aim was to investigate the association of a novel post-match muscle pain map, named Muscle Pain Code (MPC), with the risk of subsequent time-loss muscle injury in a cohort of professional football (soccer) players. The MPC classifies pain in four codes: code 0, ’no pain;‘ code 1, ‚generalized muscle pain;‘ code 2, ‚diffused site muscle pain;‘ and code 3, ’specific site muscle pain.‘ Over four consecutive seasons, MPC was collected on the second post-match day and players were followed for occurrence of time-loss muscle injury over the next five days. Players exposed to at least 45 minutes in two consecutive matches within seven days were included as cases for analysis. Eighty players participated in the study. Of 1,656 cases analyzed, 229 resulted in time-loss muscle injuries. Only 2% of cases with codes 0 and 1 resulted in time-loss muscle injuries. Conversely, 63% and 78% of codes 2 and 3 were followed by time-loss muscle injuries, respectively. Compared with the reference scenario (i.e. code 0 on MPC), the risk of subsequent time-loss muscle injury was significantly higher when players recorded code 2 (odds ratio, 4.29; 95%CI, 3.62 to 4.96) or code 3 (odds ratio, 5.01; 95%CI, 4.05 to 5.98) on MPC, but not when they recorded code 1 (odds ratio=-0.27; 95%CI, 1.05 to 0.56). Players experiencing well-outlined pain area on the second post-match day were more likely to incur a time-loss muscle injury in the subsequent days compared to those experiencing spreading pain or no pain.
Reference: Front Physiol.2024 Apr 8:15:1359953.doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1359953.eCollection 2024.
Authors: Dina Hamed-Hamed,Ana González-Muñoz,Maria Cuevas-Cervera,Jose Javier Perez-Montilla,Daniel Aguilar-Nuñez,María Aguilar-García,Leo Pruimboom,Santiago Navarro-Ledesma
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11033481/pdf/fphys-15-1359953.pdf
Summary: Women’s football has been booming for a few years now, which has led to an increase in the expectation of the players‘ performance, leading to a more detailed study of women’s physiology in the field of sports. The purpose was to analyze the scientific evidence on the influence of menstruation on the performance of female footballers, as well as to analyze the methodological quality of the studies included in this review. The possible hormonal effects of the menstrual cycle phases on the performance of female footballers were analyzed. The databases used to conduct the searches were Pubmed, Scopus, Virtual Health Library, Web of Science, EBSCO and the Cochrane Library. All included studies met the inclusion criteria. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used. This systematic review protocol was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023390652). A total of nine clinical trials were included in this review. A low quality of evidence was observed in the studies. Not all the results support the idea that the menstrual cycle phases can alter the performance of female footballers. This systematic review shows that there is a great deal of controversy about the influence of the menstrual cycle phases on the performance of female footballers. Studies are focused on solely biological factors and gender is normally no part of those studies. Further research with larger samples, and taking not only biological but also sociological factors, are necessary to determine the effects of menstruation on the performance of female footballers.
Reference: Int J Sports Physiol Perform.2024 Apr 22:1-8.doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0510.Online ahead of print.
Authors: Marcos A Soriano,Víctor Paredes,Paul Comfort,Ester Jiménez-Ormeño,Francisco Areces-Corcuera,Verónica Giráldez-Costas,César Gallo-Salazar,Diego A Alonso-Aubín,María Menchén-Rubio,John J McMahon
Summary: This study aimed to compare the maximum and rapid force production of Spanish football players and explore the differences between age group and level of competition. A cross-sectional study was developed to evaluate the peak force (PF), relative PF, and rate of force development over 250 ms (RFD0-250) during the isometric midthigh pull between groups of football players based on age group (senior vs junior) and level of competition (national vs regional). Using a portable isometric rig, 111 football players performed 2 isometric midthigh-pull trials on a force plate. Two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc correction was applied, and statistical significance was set at P ≤ .05. The PF, relative PF, and RFD0-250 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percentiles were also calculated and descriptively reported, separated by age group and level of competition. The analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of the level of competition for the PF (P < .001), relative PF (P = .003), and RFD0-250 (P < .001). There was a significant main effect of age group for the PF (P < .001). There was a significant interaction effect of the age group × level of competition for relative PF (P = .014). National players were stronger than regional players on the PF and RFD0-250 (P < .001). Senior players were stronger than junior players for the PF (P < .001). Maximum and rapid force production are crucial for Spanish football players as they progress in both level of competition and age group. Practitioners should encourage young football players to prioritize strength development to improve their athletic performance.
