Musculoskeletal Asymmetries in Young Soccer Players: 8 Weeks of an Applied Individual Corrective Exercise Intervention Program

Eleni Theodorou, Marios Tryfonidis, Nikolaos Zaras, Marios Hadjicharalambous

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Introduction: In youth soccer, for examining injury prevention and exercise performance, most of the interventional studies concerning corrective postural asymmetries have applied general intervention programs, ignoring the specific individual corrective needs of each youth player separately. The aim, therefore, of the present study was to examine the effect of 8 weeks of an individualized corrective exercise intervention program on musculoskeletal asymmetries in young soccer players. Materials and Methods: Eighty young male soccer players (age: 14.4 ± 1.2 years; body height: 166.3 ± 9.6 cm; body mass: 59.1 ± 11.5 kg) participated in the current laboratory-based study. A battery of postural and musculoskeletal asymmetry evaluations were initially performed. After the completion of the initial assessment, each player was provided with an individual musculoskeletal asymmetry corrective exercise intervention program which lasted for 8-weeks, with the aim of restoring muscular asymmetries. Following the application of the intervention program, a re-evaluation of their musculoskeletal asymmetries was performed. Results: There was a significant improvement in the primary angle of trunk rotation (r = −0.56, p < 0.001), hamstring flexibility (right: r = −0.55, p < 0.001; left: r = −0.48, p < 0.001), hip external rotation (right: r = −0.46, p < 0.001; left: r = −0.26, p = 0.020), hip internal rotation (right: r = −0.26, p = 0.021; left: r = −0.35, p = 0.002), the opened-eyes Stork Test (right: r = −0.33, p = 0.003: left: r = −0.33, p = 0.003), the closed-eyes Stork Test (right: r = −0.39, p < 0.001; left: r = −0.43, p < 0.001), the Thomas test [right: (χ2(3) = 52.281, p = 0.001, (Formula presented.) = −0.751; left: (χ2(3) = 45.832, p = 0.001, (Formula presented.) = −0.696)] and of ankle prone passive dorsiflexion (flexed knees) (χ2(2) = 13.019, p = 0.005, V = 0.285). Conclusions: An 8-week individual corrective intervention exercise program may improve postural and musculoskeletal asymmetry status in young male soccer players.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number6445
    JournalApplied Sciences (Switzerland)
    Volume13
    Issue number11
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun 2023

    Keywords

    • corrective exercise program
    • postural asymmetries evaluation
    • youth soccer

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