Association Between Body Composition and Non-Contact Muscle Injury Risk in Elite Soccer Players: A Cox Proportional...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Non-contact muscle injuries are a significant concern in elite soccer, impacting player availability and team performance.
• Understanding factors influencing injury risk, such as body composition, is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between body composition metrics and the risk of non-contact muscle injuries in elite male soccer players.
• To determine if specific body composition factors, like body fat percentage, correlate with different severities of muscle injuries.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study tracked 33 elite male outfield soccer players over three seasons, recording anthropometric data and non-contact muscle injuries.
• Time-varying Andersen-Gill Cox models were utilized to analyze the relationship between body composition and injury hazard, controlling for covariates.
• Injury severity was categorized, and discrimination was assessed using Harrell's C-index.

Main Results:

• A total of 54 non-contact muscle injuries were recorded across 23 players.
• A higher body fat percentage (per 1%-point) showed a positive association with the hazard of minimal/mild injuries (HR = 1.61).
• No significant association was observed between body fat percentage and all injuries combined or moderate/severe injuries.

Conclusions:

• In this cohort, elevated body fat percentage was associated with an increased risk of minor muscle injuries in elite soccer players.
• The findings suggest body composition may play a role in the likelihood of less severe muscle strains.
• Due to the observational design, results indicate association, not causation, and warrant cautious interpretation regarding residual confounding.