Adherence to an Injury Prevention Warm-Up Program in Children’s Soccer : A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
This study examined the impact of high adherence to a neuromuscular training (NMT) warm-up on the risk of lower extremity (LE) injuries in children’s soccer. Twenty U11–U14 youth clubs (n = 92 teams, 1409 players) were randomized into intervention (n = 44 teams) and control (n = 48 teams) groups. The intervention group was advised to perform an NMT warm-up 2 to 3 times a week for 20 weeks. Team adherence, injuries, and exposure were registered throughout the follow-up. Primary outcomes were the incidence of soccer-related acute LE injuries and the prevalence of overuse LE injuries. Intervention teams conducted mean 1.7 (SD 1.0) NMT warm-ups weekly through follow-up. The seasonal trend for a…
Neuromuscular Training Warm-up Prevents Acute Noncontact Lower Extremity Injuries in Children’s Soccer : A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Prevention of sports injuries is essential in youth, as injuries are associated with less future physical activity and thus greater all-cause morbidity. Purpose: To investigate whether a neuromuscular training warm-up operated by team coaches is effective in preventing acute lower extremity (LE) injuries in competitive U11-U14 soccer players. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: Twenty top-level U11 to U14 soccer clubs in Finland were randomized into intervention and control groups and assessed for 20 weeks. Participants included 1403 players (280 female, 1123 male; age range, 9-14 years): 673 players (44 teams) in the intervention group and …