Eduardo Salgado1, Fernando Ribeiro2, José Oliveira3. 1. University of Porto, Faculty of Sport, Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Porto, Portugal. 2. School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. 3. University of Porto, Faculty of Sport, Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: joliveira@fade.up.pt.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The demands to which football players are exposed during the match may augment the risk of injury by decreasing the sense of joint position. This study aimed to assess the effect of pre-participation warm-up and fatigue induced by an official football match on the knee-joint-position sense of football players. METHODS: Fourteen semi-professional male football players (mean age: 25.9±4.6 years old) volunteered in this study. The main outcome measures were rate of perceived exertion and knee-joint-position sense assessed at rest, immediately after a standard warm-up (duration 25 min), and immediately after a competitive football match (90 minutes duration). RESULTS: Perceived exertion increased significantly from rest to the other assessments (rest: 8.6±2.0; after warm-up: 12.1±2.1; after football match: 18.5±1.3; p<0.001). Compared to rest, absolute angular error decreased significantly after the warm-up (4.1°±2.2° vs. 2.0°±1.0°; p=0.0045). After the match, absolute angular error (8.7°±3.8°) increased significantly comparatively to both rest (p=0.001) and the end of warm-up (p<0.001). Relative error showed directional bias with an underestimation of the target position, which was higher after the football match compared to both rest (p<0.001) and after warm-up (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that knee-joint-position sense acuity was increased by pre-participation warm-up exercise and was decreased by football match-induced fatigue. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Warm-up exercises could contribute to knee injury prevention, whereas the deleterious effect of match-induced fatigue on the sensorimotor system could ultimately contribute to knee instability and injury.
BACKGROUND: The demands to which football players are exposed during the match may augment the risk of injury by decreasing the sense of joint position. This study aimed to assess the effect of pre-participation warm-up and fatigue induced by an official football match on the knee-joint-position sense of football players. METHODS: Fourteen semi-professional male football players (mean age: 25.9±4.6 years old) volunteered in this study. The main outcome measures were rate of perceived exertion and knee-joint-position sense assessed at rest, immediately after a standard warm-up (duration 25 min), and immediately after a competitive football match (90 minutes duration). RESULTS: Perceived exertion increased significantly from rest to the other assessments (rest: 8.6±2.0; after warm-up: 12.1±2.1; after football match: 18.5±1.3; p<0.001). Compared to rest, absolute angular error decreased significantly after the warm-up (4.1°±2.2° vs. 2.0°±1.0°; p=0.0045). After the match, absolute angular error (8.7°±3.8°) increased significantly comparatively to both rest (p=0.001) and the end of warm-up (p<0.001). Relative error showed directional bias with an underestimation of the target position, which was higher after the football match compared to both rest (p<0.001) and after warm-up (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that knee-joint-position sense acuity was increased by pre-participation warm-up exercise and was decreased by football match-induced fatigue. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Warm-up exercises could contribute to knee injury prevention, whereas the deleterious effect of match-induced fatigue on the sensorimotor system could ultimately contribute to knee instability and injury.
Authors: Caithriona Yeomans; Ian C Kenny; Roisin Cahalan; Giles D Warrington; Andrew J Harrison; Helen Purtill; Mark Lyons; Mark J Campbell; Liam G Glynn; Thomas M Comyns Journal: Sports Health Date: 2021-03-03 Impact factor: 3.843