A new study analyses the conditions under which these injuries occur in first division players. The key is whether the physical load before a match is higher than usual for the particular athlete and how this is perceived.

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Veronica Fuentes 4/4/2022 08:44 CEST

In professional football, injuries are one of the biggest problems clubs face in coping with the demands of top-level competition. According to estimates, a team of 25 players will have an average of 50 injuries per year. What’s more, the increasing number of matches per season has contributed to their growing incidence.

A study recently published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine shows how the burden of training and matches affects muscle problems in professional football athletes. Specifically, they analysed 40 players from Spain’s top division (LaLiga Santander) to understand what factors may be associated with such damage.

“Injuries have a clear sporting impact, but they also have an economic effect. It is estimated that for each player injured during a month a professional football club could have a loss of around 500,000 euros,” Juan Del Coso, lead author of the study and researcher at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), told SINC.

Del Coso adds that “for this reason, professional teams allocate a large amount of human and material resources to injury prevention, with technical staff dedicated exclusively to preventing or recovering injured players”, adds Del Coso.

However, these complications still occur in professional football because the competitive demands are so high and the causes of injury are multifactorial.

Triggering factors
The scientists measured the physical load and the feeling of fatigue in the week before the muscle injury occurred and compared it with other periods. They have also assessed how much the player runs in the 5 and 15 minutes before the injury and compared it to how much he usually runs in those time slots in other matches.

The results show that, seven days before an injury, the physical load is higher and athletes feel more accumulated fatigue. “In the match in which they get injured, it coincides with the fact that 5 minutes before they have had a period of high physical demand, especially in distance run above 21 km/h,” says the researcher.

When there is a player with excessive fatigue in the days before a match, technical teams should raise with coaches the increased risk that exists.

This indicates that the combination of physical fatigue during the week before the match and a period of high intensity during the match may be triggers for muscle injury.

This information can have a major impact on professional football, as teams already measure the physical load during training and matches through various tools. In addition, they often monitor fatigue on a daily basis. Therefore, when there is a player with excessive fatigue in the days before a match, technical teams should raise with coaches the increased risk of injury that exists.

“And, if possible, he or she should not take part in the match, at least if the damage is to be avoided. In many cases, it is better for him not to play when he is fatigued than to lose him for a month. In full competition, it is impossible to prevent a 5-minute period of high activity.

Less serious injuries, but more prevalent
Of all the types of injuries, muscular injuries are the most worrying for professional football teams because they are the most recurrent: they account for between 30 and 50% of those that occur in a team.

“Although muscular problems are less serious than ligament problems, their effect on teams is greater because their incidence is much higher and they usually affect athletes who compete on a regular basis,” continues the expert.

Muscle injuries are the most worrying for professional football teams because they are the most recurrent: they account for 30-50% of all injuries that occur in a team.

This implies that the highest quality football players in each team, who play the most matches, could be the most exposed to these injuries, especially at times of the season when the calendar is congested, such as when national and international competitions coincide in the same week.

The role of physical loading
This research helps to clarify an existing debate in professional football associated with whether the physical load is a trigger for muscle injury. “There are authors who argue that football players can withstand heavy work without getting injured, and this is correct up to a certain point,” says Dl Coso.

So, if in the 7 days before an important match the player has been subjected to a higher load than usual, and manifests increased fatigue, these are clear signs that he may be injured in the match, especially if during the match he faces 5 minutes of very high intensity.

Indirectly, this research also supports team rotations and more substitutions, especially now that up to five are allowed per game.

“The key is not whether the physical load faced by the athlete is high or low, but whether it is higher than usual before a match for the individual, and how this is perceived,” concludes the URJC expert.