Introduction
Trainer underestimate The Effects the variables, field surface, scope, intensity, duration and type of training on the player's injury rate.
Studies by Owen et al. (2015) have shown that the cumulative fatigue through continuous football training combined with competition games an important role in Increase in the probability of injury in games.
Our book recommendation on this topic:
Football Conditioning A Modern Scientific Approach: Fitness Training - Speed & Agility - Injury Prevention by Adam Owen (display)
What are the risk factors?
- Age
- Duration of career
- Prejudice
- Functional instability (hamstrings, strip, knee)
- Mechanical instability (joint joint, knee)
- Incorrect load control
Renewed injury
It has been shown that for players with a previous injury the likelihood of suffering an identical injury in the following season, two to three times higher is.
The influence of extrinsic risk factors must also be analysed. Physical and social stress seems to increase the risk of injury. However, the importance of reviewing the level of stress of footballers is still underestimated.
Injury statistics in football
- 2 injuries per player per year
- On average, 12% of cadres are not available due to injuries
- 5x higher probability of injury during a match
- The probability of injury increases during the last 15 minutes of both half-times
- Overload injuries occur more frequently in the preparation phase
- A typical 25 man cader suffers on average 7 hamsting injuries and 3 quadriceps injuries per season
- One third of injuries are muscle injuries
- 7 bar injuries per team per season
- 2-3x higher probability of injury of Cruciate ligament injury in football players
(Eirale C., Ekstrand J. 2013)
Injury prevention tactics used in football
Most injury prevention studies have generally examined the effects of individual components on the frequency of injury. However, this is not representative of a football-specific environment in which several skills simultaneously developed have to be.
From a practical point of view, programmes to prevent injury are carried out with the primary objective of improving performance by: Player playability and training availability increased and at the same time Total frequency of injuries reduced will. Although this is the focus of prevention strategies, this does not always correspond to the research results. In a study, it was proposed that a strategy consisting of several components to prevent injury can increase the motivation through an integrated approach in a team sports environment (Owen et al., 2013).
The same investigation showed that during an integrated four-part injury prevention programme compared to a control season significantly less muscle injuries were observed. In addition, it was reported that a high number of bruises occurred, suggesting that the prevention strategy could not prevent or influence muscle injuries rather reduced but other types of injury.
The published literature in this field shows that Prevention exercises usually before or after the group training units during the week, depending on the daily training plan and content.
Effect of an injury prevention program on muscle injuries. Does it work?
Example study:
49 male football players
2 injury prevention units per week
- Functional force
- Balance
- hull stability
- Mobility
Results:
Significantly fewer injuries without foreign action and significantly less muscle injuries were observed.
Factors affecting performance and injury probability
Nutrition and hydration:
- The Carbohydrates after training is a Factor, which facilitates the synthesis and recovery of the glycogen stores in order to meet the subsequent training and play requirements (Jacobs et al., 1982)
- Analyses of injuries in competition games Hawkings et al. (2001) reported a greater number of injuries in the second half as in the first, with the average frequency of injuries in the last 15 minutes was significantly higher.
- Large welding losses, insufficient liquid absorption and resulting Liquid deficits affect performance and can increase the risk of hyperthermia and heat injuries (Bergeron et al. 2005), which underlines the importance of adequate liquid supply before training and playing.
- Fasting players (Ramadan) who end the day dehydrated could be exposed to a higher risk of injury and have a lower performance.
Sleep disorders:
- The Effects of sleep on sporting performance are evidenced by numerous scientific findings. It is possible to establish a direct relationship between the key factors that influence sleep (sleep time, sleep quality) and performance. Interest in this area is increasing (Samuels et al. 2008).
- In scientific literature it was shown that the frequency fatigue-related injuries in times of high load with less than 6 hours sleep in the night before the injury (Luke et al. 2011). These results are confirmed by Milewski et al. (2014), which reported that athletes who average sleep less than 8 hours per night, a 1.7 times higher risk of injury have.
fatigue:
- Empirical investigations have shown that more prone to muscle injuries are (Schlabach, 1994).
- Trainers must develop intervention strategies from the perspective of training stress management, nutrition, fluid supply and sleep management to try to reduce the impact of physical stress. In this way, injuries caused by fatigue can be reduced.
You might also be interested in this:
Prevention of injury in football – Effective ways to keep your players fit
Components of a good injury prevention program
- Strengthening of muscles, which often tend to hurt (hamstrings, adductors, quadriceps etc.)
- Easy running exercises
- Static and dynamic equilibrium
- Dynamic flexibility
- Polymetry
- Exercises for motor control
- Agility exercises
A possible Warm-up program the FIFA 11+. In this programme all important components are integrated and it has been shown that significant reduction in injuries. (Grooms et al. 2013; Soligard et al 2008; Bizzini et al 2013)
This warm-up should twice a week (duration: about 15 minutes). However, the exercises should be changed from time to time so that the motivation of the players is maintained.
In addition, if the training time wants to be used mainly for exercises with ball (play forms etc.) the program can be performed before or parts thereof after training.
Here you will find the warm-up program (FIFA 11+) plus an exact description: Click here!
You can find out more about "Right Warm Up" here: Click here!
Training and load control
The periodization and the ability to plan and design the training with a reasonable training load (intensity, volume, frequency) are the Key to avoid injuries.
In recent literature, it is pointed out that significant changes in the training load variables as well as a continuously high training load lead to a high degree of injury (Gabbett et al. 2004).
In particular Owen et al. (2015) recently connected the frequency of injury in football players with a cumulative high-intensity training activity within the previous meso cycle (monthly). Based on these findings, the term "pre-planning" or "periodization" should be used. as a strategy for preventing functional injuries.
According to the research results of Owen et al. (2013), due to the different physical and technical requirements of the individual game formats (3 versus 3 to 11 versus 11) in football, it can be possible for players to be physically, technically and tactically optimally prepared by performing the correct game forms (SSG's) at the right time in the training week. In addition, the increase in the efficiency of the training units and the subsequent weekly training plan can benefit players by: better balance between training and recovery to be created.
Here you will find two contributions to the most famous periodization models in football:
The success concept of tactical periodicisation – Part 1
The success concept of "Football Periodization" according to Raymond Verheijen -Part 1
Load Management - Reduce the probability of injury and increase the performance of your team
It is generally accepted that adequate training planning of fundamental importance for optimal sporting performance and the reduction of the risk of injury of players. It was shown in studies how Important it is the Keeping the injury rate within a team low, as it has shown that successful teams have significantly fewer injuries during a season (Stokes et al. 2015, Hagglund et al. 2013). In football a lower risk of injury and higher playability with Increase in points per league game in connection. These key skills are also associated with better performance in the UEFA Champions League or Europa League (Haaglund et al. 2013).
Although one can say that success in team sports depends on a number of factors (e.g. skills of players, fitness, cadre size, tactics and psychology, etc.), it was argued that Availability of players currently may be a too little stressed component of team success (Orchard, 2009). The availability of a player refers to its ability to meet the requirements of its sport, not to hurt and thus to remain available for any use. Violations leading to training or game failures can affect the chances of success of a team through a number of mechanisms (Gabbettt, 2016). For example, injuries prevent a trainer from selecting the best players for a particular game, while the absence of players in training sessions interfere with the tactical preparations of a team. Injury therefore affects team performance, but all injuries that could be considered "training-related" are generally considered as "avoidable", and one bad training planning is generally the reason for that.
The best way to avoid injuries in team sports is to ensure that players have developed the specific skills required to participate in training and play (Gabbett, 2016). The ultimate goal in the physical preparation of athletes is to Managing training load (TL). An inadequate training load does not lead to the necessary physiological development, while an excessive exercise load to the athletes greater risk of injury and disease (Gabbett, 2007).
By understanding the training load and its effects, good trainers can ideal load to improve performance and at the same time to To minimize injury probability.
Many trainers of the “old” school do not understand the relationship between stress and recovery and plan the training according to the motto “Many helps a lot”. If these trainers want to make their players fitter (and every trainer wants more fit players), then they will be trained hard accordingly.
Making the players tired by repeated hard training is not an art. Most of the time, the shot goes back. Tired players not only have a severely increased risk of injury, – which is then usually absent as a "injury" – but the Performance in the field suffers also below.
The problem is not the load itself, but its organization within a training cycle. The art of a trainer or athletics trainer is therefore not to tire the players in a senseless manner, but to control the burden in such a way that they can develop optimally without the risk of injury rising.
To achieve this goal, a full load and regeneration control in football.
You can find out more about Load Control here:
External & Internal Load and its Meaning for Your Football Training (External & Internal Load)
You need help with your team's training and stress control? Use our free tool - the Team Management System (TMS) and raise your team to the next level:
Team Management System (TMS)
You don't know the TMS yet? Here you can find out more about this:
Why the Team Management System (TMS)? The advantages!
Our book recommendation on this topic:
Football Conditioning A Modern Scientific Approach: Fitness Training - Speed & Agility - Injury Prevention by Adam Owen (display)
Sources:
Ekstrand J. et al. (1983). Incidence of injury and their relation to training and team success. At J Sports Med: 553-558
Guestin PB et al (2013). Perceptions of wellness to monitor adaptive responses to training and competition in elite Australian football. J Strength Cond Res. 27: 2518-26
Gabbett TJ. et al. (2016). The training-injury paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? Br J Sports Med
Gabbett TJ. et al. (2005). Risk factors for injury in sub elite rugby league players. On J Sports Med; 33; 428-34
Hagglund M et al. (2013). Injuries affect team performance negatively in professional football: an 11-year follow-up of the UEFA Champions League injury study. Br J Sports Med; 47: 738-42
Milewski et al. (2014). Chronic Lack of Sleep is Associated With Increased Sports Injuries in Adolescent Athletes.
Owen A et al. (2011). Heart rate responses and technical comparison between small- vs. large-sided games in elite professional soccer. J Strength Cond Res.; 25 (8): 2104-2110
Owen A et al (2016). Football conditioning. A modern scientific approach. Soccer tutor.