Performance in functionality tests and incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in youth soccer players during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected all spheres of human action, including sport. In soccer, the interruptions in activities caused, in addition to the financial loss, changes in the training regime and the competition calendar, which may have negatively affected the performance and health of the athletes. Lower functional performance after the interruption of activities and a higher occurrence of sports injuries are possible consequences of the changes promoted by the pandemic. However, the impact of these measures on the functionality and musculoskeletal injury rates of young soccer
players in Brazil remains poorly investigated. Objective: The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the functional performance and occurrence of sports-related injuries of under-20 field soccer athletes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: To conduct the study, we used medical and technical information recorded by the health departments of a local professional soccer
team. The study was conducted in two stages, consisting of a cross-sectional observational study (Study #1) and a retrospective cohort study (Study #2). In study #1, 41 male athletes were evaluated during the preseasons of the 2020 and 2021 tournaments, following the suspension of all sporting events. Four functional performance tests were applied to assess general motor and muscle
functions. In study #2, information was collected on musculoskeletal injuries from the 2019 to 2022 seasons, as well as the number of matches played, and athletes registered in the championships. The prevalence and incidence of injuries were calculated for each season. Results: In study #1, we observed that most athletes had moderate-to-good performance in the functional tests in the 2020
preseason, with significant changes in the 2021 preseason for the Y-balance test scores and classification, which showed impairments in function. In study #2, we observed that the prevalence of injuries varied between seasons, about 50% in
the 2019 season, 30% in the 2020 season, and approximately 60% in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The incidence of injuries was 5 cases per 1000 game-athletes during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, increasing to 8-9 cases per 1000 gameathletes during the 2021-2022 seasons. Conclusion: In conclusion, the social isolation policies instituted in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic did not
significantly influence the functional performance of under-20 soccer athletes, except for the performance in balance tests. In addition, in the immediate period of social distancing, we did not observe changes in the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders, with significant increases in the prevalence and incidence of injuries in subsequent years. The return to sports activities postpandemic was not accompanied by proper health care for young athletes.