FSI Football Science Update

Return to Play and Player Performance After Achilles Tendon Rupture in UEFA Professional Soccer Players: A Matched-Cohort Analysis of Players From 1999 to 2018.

Forlenza EM, Lavoie-Gagne OZ, Lu Y, Diaz CC, Chahla J, Forsythe B

Orthop J Sports Med. 2021 Sep 27;9(9):23259671211024199. doi: 10.1177/23259671211024199

This cohort study of Level of evidence, 3 evaluated 132 professional soccer players who suffered an Achilles tendon rupture ATR between 1999 and 2018. Average time to RTP was 5.07 ± 2.61 months, and the RTP rate was 78%, with 9% reruptures. With the exception of midfielders, players displayed no significant differences in play time or performance compared with matched controls during any of the 4 postinjury seasons.

 

Playing Position is Associated with Injury Incidence Rate in Male Academy Soccer Players

Hall EC et al

J Athl Train. 2022 Feb 10. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0346.21

This Descriptive Epidemiology Study on 369 academy soccer players from U14 to U23 age found that the Injury prevalence proportion and days missed did not differ between playing positions, but the Central Defenders injury incidence rate was higher for general, soft-tissue and ligament/tendon injuries, suggesting that this position warrants specific attention regarding injury prevention strategies.

 

Adductor Muscle Injuries in UEFA Soccer Athletes: A Matched-Cohort Analysis of Injury Rate, Return to Play, and Player Performance From 2000 to 2015.

Lavoie-Gagne O, Mehta N, Patel S, Cohn MR, Forlenza E, Nwachukwu BU, Forsythe B.

Orthop J Sports Med. 2021 Sep 23;9(9):23259671211023098. doi: 10.1177/23259671211023098

This cohort study with level of evidence 3 used publicly available records to identify 671 athletes sustaining adductor muscle injuries across the 5 major European soccer leagues (English Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A) between 2000 and 2015. 86% of injuries were mild to moderate (4-28 days missed), and 4% required surgical intervention. Players injured were absent for a median of 22 days. Only 78% of the players returned at the same level with a high 21% reinjury rate.

 

In Professional Male Soccer Players, Time-Loss Groin Injury Is More Associated With the Team Played for Than Training/Match Play Duration.

Mosler AB, Carey DL, Thorborg K, Weir A, Eirale C, van Dyk N, Hӧlmich P, Whiteley RJ, Gabbett TJ, Crossley KM.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2022 Feb 5:1-26. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2022.10845

This prospective cohort study on 590 professional male soccer players found that there was no clinically meaningful relationship between training/match play duration and groin injury risk. Previous groin injury and eccentric adduction strength neither were associated with groin injury risk when training/match play duration and team were included in the model. However, team had the strongest influence on groin injury risk, indicating that team-related factors not measured in this study had greater effect on groin injury risk than training/match play duration.

 

Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units.

Lewis G, Towlson C, Roversi P, Domogalla C, Herrington L, Barrett S.

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3; 17(2):e0263518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263518. eCollection 2022.

This study examines the validity and reliability of high-speed kicking actions using foot-mounted inertial measurement unit’s (IMU) in 21 professional soccer players. Good concurrent validity was observed for ball release velocity and high-speed kicks against a high-speed camera. Possessions and small-sided games had the lowest values for high-speed ball releases with technical and tactical drills showing the largest high-speed ball releases.

 

Apophysitis Among Male Youth Soccer Players at an Elite Soccer Academy Over 7 Seasons.

Gudelis M, Perez LT, Cabello JT, Leal DM, Monaco M, Sugimoto D.

Orthop J Sports Med. 2022 Jan 20; 10(1):23259671211065063. doi: 10.1177/23259671211065063. eCollection 2022 Jan.

This study analyzed all apophyseal injuries in adolescent athletes at an elite soccer academy over 7 seasons. 210 apophyseal injuries were documented, including 172 simple apophyseal injuries and 38 apophyseal avulsion fractures. The injury rate was 0.35 per 1000 hours of training exposure. The most common location of apophyseal injuries was the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS).

 

No independent or synergistic effects of carbohydrate-caffeine mouth rinse on repeated sprint performance during simulated soccer match play in male recreational soccer players.

Gough LA, Faghy M, Clarke N, Kelly AL, Cole M, Lun Foo W.

Sci Med Footb. 2022 Jan 31:1-9. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2021.2021277.

This block randomised, double-blinded, counterbalanced and crossover study in 9 male soccer players found no improvements by a carbohydrate and/or caffeine mouth rinse done immediately before a repeated sprint ability test performed at the 75th minute of a simulated soccer exercise where a carbohydrate-rich meal was provided 2 h before, suggesting that carbohydrate and/or caffeine mouth rinses do not have an ergogenic effect during soccer after a high carbohydrate meal.