16 July 2024
Athletic Performance Insider
WELCOME😊
Welcome to this week's edition of the Athletic Performance Insider newsletter, your quick and efficient way to stay updated on the latest research in the field. Each summary provides a concise overview with links to the original papers for deeper exploration.
In this week's newsletter, papers which address these questions are summarised:
Are female soccer players at risk of energy deficiency?
Does poor sleep increase injury risks in college athletes?
Can smart insoles and AI prevent running injuries?
Hot or cold: which water immersion boosts muscle recovery more effectively?
Is GPS enough, or are accelerometers the key to better athlete training?
Stay informed and ahead of the game with these cutting-edge insights!
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RESEARCH🧐
Are female footballers at risk of energy deficiency?
Dasa, M. S., Friborg, O., Kristoffersen, M., Pettersen, G., Sagen, J. V., Torstveit, M. K., Sundgot‐Borgen, J. & Rosenvinge, J. H. Risk and prevalence of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) among professional female football players. Eur. J. Sport Sci. 24, 1032–1041 (2024).
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) is a syndrome that arises from low energy availability, where the energy intake is insufficient to support the energy expenditure required for health, daily living, and sports activities. This condition can lead to a range of physiological and psychological impairments. REDs affect multiple body systems, including metabolic, bone, reproductive, psychological, and endocrine functions. It can manifest with or without disordered eating behaviours and has severe health and performance consequences.
This study investigates the risk and prevalence of REDs among professional female football players. The research question focuses on quantifying the risk of REDs and assessing the prevalence of its indicators. Conducted as a cross-sectional study, it analysed 60 players from three Norwegian football teams, stratifying them by player position and menstrual status.
Key findings of the study revealed that 22% of players were at risk for REDs, with 5% demonstrating moderate to severe risk. The majority (71%) showed no primary indicators*[see below] of REDs, while 20%, 7%, and 2% exhibited one, two, and three primary indicators, respectively. Secondary indicators**[see below] were present in 43% of players, and associated indicators were found in 70%. Notably, 30% of non-contraceptive users reported secondary amenorrhea.
The study concludes that health and performance teams should prioritise universal health-promoting strategies, mainly focusing on nutritional periodisation to ensure sufficient energy availability. This approach aims to mitigate the risk of problematic low energy availability and REDs, enhancing both health and performance in female athletes.
*Primary indicators of REDs include secondary amenorrhea (including oligomenorrhea), low levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), elevated scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 11 (EDE-Q-11), and bone mass density (BMD) Z-score at the hip or lumbar spine less than -1.
**Secondary indicators include elevated low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or total cholesterol, a history of stress fractures, and major reductions in athlete availability caused by illness/sickness measured by the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire (OSTRCQ)
Is poor sleep putting College athletes at greater risk for injuries?
Owoeye, O. B. A., Breitbach, A., Esposito, F., Nguyen, N., Bender, A. M. & Neme, J. R. Snooze it or Lose it: Understanding Sleep Disturbance and Injuries in Soccer and Basketball Student-Athletes. Clin. J. Sport Med. (2024).
This study investigates the relationship between sleep characteristics and injury risk among collegiate soccer and basketball student-athletes. The research question focuses on how dysfunctional sleep patterns affect injury rates in these athletes. Researchers conducted a cohort study involving 181 NCAA D1 (National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1) and NAIA Tier 1 (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Tier 1) athletes, collecting data through questionnaires during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 preseason. The questionnaires assessed demographic information, injury history, medical history, and sleep patterns using the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ).
Key findings revealed that 25% of athletes experienced mild sleep difficulty, 13% had moderate/severe sleep difficulty, and 36% had insufficient sleep duration. Additionally, 17% of the athletes reported poor sleep quality. This poor sleep quality was significantly linked to a higher likelihood of injuries, with athletes experiencing poor sleep quality having 2.2 times greater odds of sustaining knee and ankle injuries than those with better sleep quality.
The study concludes that poor sleep quality is prevalent and significantly linked to increased injury risk among collegiate soccer and basketball athletes. Practical applications include the recommendation for regular sleep screening and timely interventions to improve sleep quality, potentially reducing injury rates and enhancing overall athlete performance and well-being.
Is GPS enough, or do accelerometers hold the key to athlete training?
Dawson, L., Beato, M., Devereux, G. & McErlain-Naylor, S. A. A Review of the Validity and Reliability of Accelerometer-Based Metrics From Upper Back–Mounted GNSS Player Tracking Systems for Athlete Training Load Monitoring. J. Strength Cond. Res. (2024).
This paper investigates the validity and reliability of accelerometer-based metrics from upper back–mounted Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) player tracking systems for monitoring athlete training loads. GNSS is an umbrella term that encompasses all satellite navigation systems, including GPS (Global Positioning System). GPS is a specific type of GNSS developed and maintained by the United States. GNSS includes systems like Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s Galileo, and China’s BeiDou. Modern GNSS devices can access multiple satellite systems, potentially offering greater precision and reliability than GPS alone.
The study reviews existing literature on using GNSS and accelerometers in athlete monitoring, emphasising the importance of equipment models, signal processing methods, and activity types. It highlights that while GNSS technology is widely used, accelerometers can provide additional insights into mechanical loads that GNSS alone cannot capture.
Key findings indicate that accelerometer-based metrics, such as PlayerLoad and Dynamic Stress Load, show varying degrees of correlation with internal physiological loads, exercise intensity, and injury risk. However, the placement of GNSS units on the upper back may not be optimal for accurately estimating mechanical loads.
The study concludes that while accelerometer-based metrics hold promise, their application should be cautious due to variability in equipment and processing methods. Practically, these findings suggest that sports practitioners should carefully select and calibrate their monitoring systems and consider the specific context of their sport and athletes when interpreting data.
Hot or cold: which water immersion boosts muscle recovery?
Sautillet, B., Bourdillon, N., Millet, G. P., Billaut, F., Hassar, A., Moufti, H., Ahmaïdi, S. & Costalat, G. Hot But Not Cold Water Immersion Mitigates the Decline in Rate of Force Development following Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. (2024).
This study investigates whether hot water immersion can reduce the decline in the rate of force development (RFD) following exercise-induced muscle damage compared to cold water immersion. The research question focuses on the effectiveness of hot versus cold water immersion in preserving muscle function post-exercise.
Participants were randomly assigned to either a hot, cold or control group (n = 10 in each group). The experimental design involved participants undergoing a muscle-damaging exercise protocol. This consisted of repeated eccentric contractions of the quadriceps femoris in the dominant leg, followed by immersion in either hot (41°C for 25 minutes) or cold (11°C for 11 minutes) water. The control group was treated in a warm water bath at 36 °C for 25 minutes). The researchers measured RFD at various intervals post-exercise to assess recovery.
Results showed that hot water immersion significantly reduced RFD decline compared to cold water immersion. Participants who used hot water immersion showed a faster recovery in muscle function, suggesting that heat may play a role in reducing muscle damage or enhancing repair mechanisms.
In conclusion, hot water immersion appears more effective than cold water immersion in preserving muscle function after exercise-induced damage. Athletes and individuals engaged in intense physical activities can benefit from hot water immersion as a recovery strategy to maintain muscle performance and reduce downtime due to muscle damage.
Can smart insoles and AI prevent running injuries?
Hooren, B. V., Rengs, L. van & Meijer, K. Predicting Musculoskeletal Loading at Common Running Injury Locations using Machine Learning and Instrumented Insoles. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. (2024).
This study investigates whether machine learning and instrumented insoles can predict musculoskeletal loading at common running injury locations. The research question focuses on the accuracy of these predictions for the patellofemoral joint, tibia, and Achilles tendon. Participants were equipped with instrumented insoles and retroreflective markers and completed a series of short runs under various conditions. Ground reaction forces and kinematics data were collected to train a neural network model.
The results showed that the model could predict tissue stress/strain impulses with reasonable accuracy, although the removal of certain input variables like contact time and running speed had minimal impact on performance. However, reducing the number of inputs significantly decreased accuracy, especially for the patellofemoral joint. The study’s strengths include its comprehensive approach to predicting loading at multiple injury sites and using commercially available insoles, enhancing real-world applicability.
These findings have practical applications, including the potential for runners and coaches to use mobile applications to monitor and adjust training loads, thereby reducing injury risk. This technology could also aid in gait retraining and rehabilitation programs by providing real-time feedback on tissue loading.
Click this link to see the author’s discussion of the paper with animated figures.
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