Soccer fatigue, sprinting and hamstring injury risk

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Soccer involves intense, multi-directional movements leading to player fatigue.
• Fatigue is a known risk factor for hamstring strain injuries in athletes.
• Understanding kinematic changes during fatigue is crucial for injury mitigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of a soccer-specific fatigue protocol on sprinting kinematics.
• To assess the relationship between fatigue-induced kinematic changes and hamstring injury risk.
• To investigate time-dependent alterations in sprint performance and technique.

Main Methods:

• Nine semi-professional soccer players participated in the study.
• The Soccer-specific Aerobic and Field Test (SAFT90) protocol simulated 90 minutes of match-play.
• Sprint times and 3D kinematic data were collected every 15 minutes using motion capture.

Main Results:

• Sprint times significantly increased over the duration of the SAFT90 protocol.
• Stride length significantly decreased, indicating reduced sprinting efficiency.
• Maximal hip flexion and knee extension angles significantly reduced, suggesting decreased hamstring length.

Conclusions:

• The SAFT90 protocol induces time-dependent impairments in sprinting performance and kinematics.
• Reduced hamstring muscle length may contribute to altered sprinting technique.
• These kinematic alterations may increase hamstring strain injury predisposition in late-stage soccer match-play.