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Wik EH, Chamari K, Tabben M, Di Salvo V, Gregson W, Bahr R. Exploring Growth, Maturity, and Age as Injury Risk Factors in High-Level Youth Football. Sports Med Int Open 2024; 8:a21804594. [PMID: 38312925 PMCID: PMC10832576 DOI: 10.1055/a-2180-4594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid somatic growth and biological maturity status may affect injury patterns in youth football, yet firm conclusions cannot be drawn from the existing research. We aimed to explore growth velocity, maturity, and age as injury risk factors in 95 academy players (11.9-15.0 years), using anthropometric (height and body mass), maturity (skeletal age), injury, and football exposure data collected prospectively over three seasons (2016/17-2018/19). We compared the relative quality of mixed-effects logistic regression models with growth velocity for 223 growth intervals (average 113 days) included as fixed effects and adjusted for age (chronological or skeletal) plus load (hours/week). Associations were considered practically relevant based on the confidence interval for odds ratios, using thresholds of 0.90 and 1.11 to define small beneficial and harmful effects, respectively. We observed harmful effects of older age on overall (OR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.15-5.91) and sudden onset (1.98, 1.17-3.37) injury risk. Significant associations (p<0.05) were observed for higher body mass change and greater maturity on sudden onset injuries, and for higher hours/week on gradual onset, bone tissue, and physis injuries. Future studies should include larger samples, monitoring athletes from pre-adolescence through maturation, to enable within-subject analyses and better understand the relationship between growth, maturation, and injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports
Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine,
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Exercise, Sport
and Lifestyle Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch
University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation
Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Karim Chamari
- FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports
Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Montassar Tabben
- FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports
Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Valter Di Salvo
- Football Performance and Science Department, Aspire Academy, Doha,
Qatar
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome
'Foro Italico', Roma, Italy
| | - Warren Gregson
- Football Performance and Science Department, Aspire Academy, Doha,
Qatar
- Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Institute of Sport,
Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
| | - Roald Bahr
- FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports
Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine,
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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Wik EH. Injuries in elite male youth football and athletics: growth and maturation as potential risk factors (PhD Academy Award). Br J Sports Med 2023; 57:1405-1406. [PMID: 37652666 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-107276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Martínez-Silván D, Wik EH, Arnáiz J, Farooq A, Mónaco M. Association Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings and Time to Return to Sport After Muscle Injuries in High-Level Youth Athletes. Clin J Sport Med 2023; 33:225-232. [PMID: 37042815 DOI: 10.1097/jsm.0000000000001112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and time to return to sport (RTS) from muscle injuries in youth athletes. DESIGN Prospective collection of injury surveillance data over 6 seasons (2014-2015 to 2019-2020) and reanalysis of MRIs by a radiologist blinded to RTS time after the data collection period. SETTING National sports academy and sports medicine hospital. PARTICIPANTS Male youth (11-19 years) athletes participating in the football (soccer) or athletics (track and field) programs with a muscle injury. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Magnetic resonance imaging findings (eg, grade and location) in time-loss muscle injuries. MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES Injury incidence, distributions, and RTS time. RESULTS In total, 353 time-loss muscle injuries were recorded for 1089 athlete-seasons, of which 85 satisfied our inclusion criteria (MRI within 14 days). Return to sport time was significantly longer for reinjuries compared with index injuries. Associations between MRI findings and RTS time were specific to the muscle group, with significant differences in RTS time observed between categories of structure, location, and grade. The largest number of injuries was to the hamstrings (n = 46), where injuries involving the tendon were more severe than those involving the myotendinous junction and muscle, proximal injuries were more severe than mid-portion and distal, and longer RTS time was observed for higher injury grade ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Muscle injuries in youth are diverse and cannot be treated as a single injury type. Specific injury durations can be expected depending on injury characteristics such as reinjury, location, structure, and grade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Martínez-Silván
- NSMP - Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- NSMP - Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Rylaan, Tygerberg, South Africa
- Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Rylaan, Tygerberg, South Africa; and
| | - Javier Arnáiz
- NSMP - Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- School of Medicine-Qatar, Weill Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdulaziz Farooq
- NSMP - Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mauricio Mónaco
- NSMP - Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
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Abstract
Understanding the challenges football (soccer) players face during adolescence is fundamental to avoid disruptions in their development due to injury. This mini review will describe basic concepts of somatic growth and biological maturity, examine data from 53 prospective epidemiological studies on high-level youth football players and discuss how age, growth and maturity may affect the injury patterns observed. Based on the existing evidence, at least every third player sustains an injury during a football season. The thigh (median for studies of boys: 25%, median for girls: 21%), ankle (b: 18%, g: 30%), knee (b: 17%, g: 18%) and hip/groin (b: 14%, g: 10%) are the body parts injured most often, while muscle strains (b: 31%, g: 25%), sprains (b: 20%, g: 27%) and contusions (b: 17%, g: 16%) are the most common injury types. Injury trends are, however, not consistent throughout adolescence, and players' age, maturity status and position relative to peak height velocity (PHV) have shown to influence the number, type and location of injuries sustained. Despite a high volume of observational injury studies published on high-level youth players, girls (7 studies) and settings outside of Europe (included in 23% of studies) are underrepresented and should receive extra attention in the future. Based on the available epidemiological data, tailored injury reduction programmes can be considered in youth football, alongside application of general training principles such as progression, variation and individualization which may be especially important during vulnerable phases such as the adolescent growth spurt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Wik EH, Lolli L, Chamari K, Materne O, Di Salvo V, Gregson W, Bahr R. Injury patterns differ with age in male youth football: a four-season prospective study of 1111 time-loss injuries in an elite national academy. Br J Sports Med 2021; 55:794-800. [PMID: 33361134 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe age group patterns for injury incidence, severity and burden in elite male youth football. METHODS Prospective cohort study capturing data on individual exposure and time-loss injuries from training and matches over four seasons (2016/2017 through 2019/2020) at a national football academy (U13-U18; age range: 11-18 years). Injury incidence was calculated as the number of injuries per 1000 hours, injury severity as the median number of days lost and injury burden as the number of days lost per 1000 hours. RESULTS We included 301 players (591 player-seasons) and recorded 1111 time-loss injuries. Overall incidence was 12.0 per 1000 hours (95% CI 11.3 to 12.7) and burden was 255 days lost per 1000 hours (252 to 259). The mean incidence for overall injuries was higher in the older age groups (7.8 to 18.6 injuries per 1000 hours), while the greatest burden was observed in the U16 age group (425 days; 415 to 435). In older age groups, incidence and burden were higher for muscle injuries and lower for physis injuries. Incidence of joint sprains and bone stress injuries was greatest for players in the U16, U17 and U18 age groups, with the largest burden observed for U16 players. No clear age group trend was observed for fractures. CONCLUSION Injury patterns differed with age; tailoring prevention programmes may be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme (ASPREV), Department of Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC), Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lorenzo Lolli
- Football Performance and Science Department, Aspire Academy, Doha, Qatar
- Football Exchange, Research Institute of Sport Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Karim Chamari
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme (ASPREV), Department of Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Olivier Materne
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme (ASPREV), Department of Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Valter Di Salvo
- Football Performance and Science Department, Aspire Academy, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy
| | - Warren Gregson
- Football Performance and Science Department, Aspire Academy, Doha, Qatar
- Football Exchange, Research Institute of Sport Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Roald Bahr
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme (ASPREV), Department of Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
- Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC), Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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Martínez-Silván D, Wik EH, Alonso JM, Jeanguyot E, Salcinovic B, Johnson A, Cardinale M. Injury characteristics in male youth athletics: a five-season prospective study in a full-time sports academy. Br J Sports Med 2020; 55:954-960. [PMID: 33144348 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe the injury characteristics of male youth athletes exposed to year-round athletics programmes. METHODS Injury surveillance data were prospectively collected by medical staff in a cohort of youth athletics athletes participating in a full-time sports academy from 2014-2015 to 2018-2019. Time-loss injuries (>1 day) were recorded following consensus procedures for athletics. Athletes were clustered into five event groups (sprints, jumps, endurance, throws and non-specialised) and the number of completed training and competition sessions (athletics exposures (AE)) were calculated for each athlete per completed season (one athlete season). Injury characteristics were reported overall and by event groups as injury incidence (injuries per 1000 AE) and injury burden (days lost per 1000 AE). RESULTS One-hundred and seventy-eight boys (14.9±1.8 years old) completed 391 athlete seasons, sustaining 290 injuries. The overall incidence was 4.0 injuries per 1000 AE and the overall burden was 79.1 days lost per 1000 AE. The thigh was the most common injury location (19%). Muscle strains (0.7 injuries per 1000 AE) and bone stress injuries (0.5 injuries per 1000 AE) presented the highest incidence and stress fractures the highest burden (17.6 days lost per 1000 AE). The most burdensome injury types by event group were: bone stress injuries for endurance, hamstring strains for sprints, stress fractures for jumps, lesion of meniscus/cartilage for throws and growth plate injuries for non-specialised athletes. CONCLUSION Acute muscle strains, stress fractures and bone stress injuries were identified as the main injury concerns in this cohort of young male athletics athletes. The injury characteristics differed between event groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Martínez-Silván
- National Sports Medicine Program, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar .,Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, Aspire Academy, Doha, Qatar
| | - Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- Department of Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.,Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Juan Manuel Alonso
- Sports Medicine, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Evan Jeanguyot
- Rehabilitation Department, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Benjamin Salcinovic
- Rehabilitation Department, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Amanda Johnson
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Marco Cardinale
- Department of Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Computer Science and Institute of Sport Exercise and Health, University College London, London, UK
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Wik EH, Martínez-Silván D, Farooq A, Cardinale M, Johnson A, Bahr R. Skeletal maturation and growth rates are related to bone and growth plate injuries in adolescent athletics. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2020; 30:894-903. [PMID: 32034797 DOI: 10.1111/sms.13635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Injuries are common in elite adolescent athletics, but few studies have addressed risk factors for injury. Growth and maturation are potential risk factors in this population; however, the current body of literature is both inconclusive and considered at high risk of bias. The aim of this study was therefore to examine whether growth rate, maturity status, and maturity tempo are associated with injury risk in an elite sports academy. Anthropometric, skeletal maturity and injury data collected prospectively over four seasons (117 athlete-seasons) were included in the analyses. Growth rate for stature was associated with greater risk of bone (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.5 per one standard deviation increase above the mean; 95% CI: 1.1-1.9) and growth plate injuries (IRR: 2.1; 1.5-3.1). Growth rate for leg length was associated with greater overall injury risk (IRR: 1.3; 1.0-1.7) as well as the risk of bone (IRR: 1.4; 1.0-1.9) and growth plate injuries (IRR: 2.1; 1.4-3.0). Athletes with greater skeletal maturity, expressed as skeletal age (IRR: 0.6 per year; 0.5-0.9) and percentage of predicted mature height (IRR: 0.8 per percent increase; 0.7-1.0), were less prone to growth plate injuries. Rate of change in skeletal age was associated with an increased risk of bone injuries (IRR: 1.5; 1.0-2.3). The results of this study suggest that rapid growth in stature and leg length, skeletal maturity status, and maturity tempo represent risk factors for certain injury types in adolescent athletics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.,Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Daniel Martínez-Silván
- Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, National Sports Medicine Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdulaziz Farooq
- Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Marco Cardinale
- Department of Sports Science, Aspire Academy, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Computer Science and Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Amanda Johnson
- Aspire Academy Sports Medicine Center, National Sports Medicine Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Roald Bahr
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.,Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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Wik EH, Materne O, Chamari K, Duque JDP, Horobeanu C, Salcinovic B, Bahr R, Johnson A. Involving research-invested clinicians in data collection affects injury incidence in youth football. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2019; 29:1031-1039. [PMID: 30938904 DOI: 10.1111/sms.13427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that differences in injury definition and recording methodology restrict comparisons between injury surveillance programmes. There is, however, little documentation of the variation that can exist between data recorders. The aim of this study was, therefore, to explore the effect on reported injuries when team recorders or supervisors are involved in research. Injury data collected prospectively over five seasons for the U16, U17, and U18 age groups in a youth football (soccer) academy were used to compare different recording settings based on the research involvement of the clinicians. A research-invested team physiotherapist reported an 8.8 times greater incidence (P < 0.001) of non-time-loss injuries and a 2.5 times greater incidence (P < 0.001) of minimal injuries (1-3 days lost) compared to a setting where neither the team physiotherapists nor the supervisor relied on the collected data for research purposes. When team physiotherapists were not invested in research themselves but were supervised by a researcher, the incidence of non-time-loss injuries and minimal injuries was 2.5 times (P < 0.001) and 2.0 times greater (P < 0.01) than in the non-invested setting, respectively. However, there were no differences between recording settings for overall incidence of time-loss injuries. The results from this study demonstrate that involving clinicians that are relying on the collected data for research purposes can significantly affect the reported rates of non-time-loss and minimal injuries. Time-loss injuries overall were not affected by research investment, and should therefore be preferred for comparisons between teams and seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.,Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olivier Materne
- National Sports Medicine Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Karim Chamari
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Juan David Peña Duque
- National Sports Medicine Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Cosmin Horobeanu
- National Sports Medicine Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Benjamin Salcinovic
- National Sports Medicine Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
| | - Roald Bahr
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.,Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Amanda Johnson
- National Sports Medicine Programme, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
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Wik EH, Auliffe SM, Read PJ. Examination of Physical Characteristics and Positional Differences in Professional Soccer Players in Qatar. Sports (Basel) 2018; 7:sports7010009. [PMID: 30602694 PMCID: PMC6358794 DOI: 10.3390/sports7010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical characteristics in professional soccer differ between competition levels and playing positions, and normative data aid practitioners in profiling their players to optimize performance and reduce injury risk. Given the paucity of research in Arabic soccer populations, the purpose of this study was to provide position-specific normative values for professional players competing in the Qatar Stars League. One hundred and ninety-five players completed a musculoskeletal assessment as part of an annual periodic health examination. Tests included measures of range of motion (hip, ankle, and hamstring), bilateral and unilateral jump performance, and quadriceps/hamstring (isokinetic/NordBord), hip adduction/abduction (eccentric), and groin (isometric) strength. Descriptive data were examined, and positional differences were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Goalkeepers were significantly heavier (p < 0.01), had a higher body mass index (p < 0.05) than outfield positions and demonstrated greater absolute strength. Defenders were the strongest relative to body mass, and these differences were significant (p < 0.05) versus goalkeepers and strikers. No meaningful between-group comparisons were apparent for jumping or range of motion tests. Compared to mean values from other professional leagues, soccer players in Qatar appear to be shorter, lighter and display inferior strength and jump capacities. These data can be used to tailor training and rehabilitation programs to the specifics of the league and position in which the athletes compete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirik Halvorsen Wik
- Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme (ASPREV), Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, P.O. Box 29222, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Seán Mc Auliffe
- Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre (AHP), Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, P.O. Box 29222, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Paul James Read
- Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre (AHP), Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, P.O. Box 29222, Doha, Qatar.
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