20 Mar FSI Football Science Update

 

Reduced Match Exposure in the Previous 2 Matches Accounts for Hamstring Muscle Injury Incidence in Professional Football Players.

Moreno-Pérez V, Del Coso J, López-Del Campo R, Resta R, Romero-Sangüesa J, Courel-Ibáñez J, Méndez-Villanueva A.

Sports Health. 2023 Mar 10:19417381231158117. doi: 10.1177/19417381231158117

This observational study in 2 teams (Spanish 1st Division, LaLiga) over 3 seasons recorded 37 hamstring strain injuries. Comparing with 37 controls (uninjured players), low match-play exposures during 1 and 2 matches before injury were likely to explain injury occurrence (RR: 14-53%). Metrics from the match before the hamstring muscle strain demonstrated the best accuracy to predict injury occurrence: high-speed running distance ≤328 m (sensitivity, 64%; specificity, 84%), playing time ≤64 min (sensitivity, 36%; specificity, 97%), and running distance ≤5.8 km (sensitivity, 39%; specificity, 97%). So, relatively reduced competitive exposure in the previous 2 matches was associated with higher hamstring injury risk in professional football players.

 

Daytime Napping Benefits Passing Performance and Scanning Activity in Elite Soccer Players.

Nishida M, Okano S, Ichinose A, Suyama S, Youn S.

J Sports Sci Med. 2023 Mar 1;22(1):75-83. doi: 10.52082/jssm.2023.75. eCollection 2023 Mar

This cross-over design study on 14 male elite collegiate soccer players divided in daytime nap and no-nap interventions, found that the nap condition improved a modified Loughborough Soccer Passing Test, with significantly shorter performance time and more frequent visual scanning activity. These results suggest that daytime napping is beneficial for soccer-related cognitive function.