Muscular and neuromuscular control following soccer-specific exercise in male youth: Changes in injury risk mechanisms

Lehnert, Michal, De Ste Croix, Mark B ORCID: 0000-0001-9911-4355, Zaatar, A, Hughes, Jonathan ORCID: 0000-0002-9905-8055, Varekova, R and Lastovicka, O (2017) Muscular and neuromuscular control following soccer-specific exercise in male youth: Changes in injury risk mechanisms. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 27 (9). pp. 975-982. doi:10.1111/sms.12705

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Abstract

Poor neuromuscular control has been proposed as a risk factor for non-contact injuries, thus this study aimed to explore the effects of soccer-specific fatigue on leg muscle activation, reactive strength, leg stiffness, and functional hamstring/quadriceps ratio (H/QFUNC) in elite male youth soccer players. Outcome measures were determined in 18 youth players (age 14.4 ± 0.5 years; stature 169.4 ± 9.9 cm; mass 59.3 ± 8.9 kg; maturity offset 0.86 ± 0.88 years) pre and post simulated soccer match play (SAFT90). There was no fatigue-related change in the H/QFUNC; however, reactive strength and leg stiffness were both compromised (P < 0.001) after soccer-specific fatigue. Muscle activation was also locally compromised (P < 0.001) in the medial hamstring and quadriceps but not in the lateral muscles. Where statistically significant changes were observed, the effect sizes ranged from small to large (0.33–0.97). Compromised stiffness when fatigue is present suggests an increased yielding action, greater ground contact times, greater center of mass displacement, and less efficient movement when the limb comes into contact with the ground. This combined with a reduction in medial quadriceps muscle activation may reflect poor kinetic chain control at the hip and an increase in knee injury risk.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Lehnert, Michal and De Ste Croix, Mark B and Zaatar, A and Hughes, Jonathan and Varekova, R and Lastovicka, O (2017) Muscular and neuromuscular control following soccer-specific exercise in male youth: Changes in injury risk mechanisms. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 27. pp. 975-982., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sms.12705. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Fatigue; Leg stiffness; Reactive strength; EMG; Isokinetic
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Health, Life Sciences, Sport and Wellbeing
Depositing User:	Anne Pengelly
Date Deposited:	14 Jun 2016 14:19
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2023 09:09
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/3597

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