The Association between Training Frequency, Symptoms of Overtraining and Injuries in Young Men Soccer Players

Overtraining is a prevalent issue among young men soccer players, particularly those who are driven to enhance their skills. While an intense training volume and effort might contribute to athletic growth, it can also have negative implications, including injury. The current study aimed at examining the association between training frequency, symptoms of overtraining and injuries in young men soccer players. A path analysis approach was used to examine the causal relationships between variables. The sample consisted of 189 young men soccer players aged 13–17 years old (age = 14.81, SD = 1.37). Participants reported that they were training, on average, 5.77 days (SD = 1.53) per week. Athletes were competing at a regional (n = 100) or national (n = 89) level. Concerning injuries, participants indicated, on average, 2.03 (SD = 1.16) injuries since they started practicing soccer. The results displayed a significant association, as theoretically expected, namely: (i) training frequency was significantly associated with overtraining symptoms (β = 0.15 [IC95% = 0.01, 0.29]); (ii) overtraining symptoms were significantly associated with the number of injuries (β = 0.19 [IC95% = 0.02, 0.35]). An indirect effect between training frequency and injuries was also observed (β = 0.15 [IC95% = 0.01, 0.29]). Thus, there is preliminary evidence that overtraining symptoms could play a mediating role. In conclusion, investigating the links between overtraining symptoms and injury in young men soccer players is critical, as it can assist in identifying overtraining warning signs, promote young players’ health and safety, customize training regimens to individual needs, and contribute to a better understanding of sports-related injuries.

[1]  W. Qi,et al.  Burnout and Mental Interventions among Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Studies , 2022, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[2]  Minhang Liu,et al.  Relationship between Psychological Distress, Basic Psychological Needs, Anxiety, Mental Pressure, and Athletic Burnout of Chinese College Football Athletes during the COVID-19 Pandemic , 2022, Sustainability.

[3]  Rui Carvalho,et al.  Relação entre os estados de humor e a síndrome de Overtraining em jovens atletas , 2022, Cuadernos de Psicologia del Deporte.

[4]  M. Mandorino,et al.  A Data Mining Approach to Predict Non-Contact Injuries in Young Soccer Players , 2021, Int. J. Comput. Sci. Sport.

[5]  A. Tessitore,et al.  The influence of maturity on recovery and perceived exertion, and its relationship with illnesses and non-contact injuries in young soccer players , 2021, Biology of sport.

[6]  F. Colledge,et al.  Diagnosing Overtraining Syndrome: A Scoping Review , 2021, Sports health.

[7]  D. Putrino,et al.  Burnout and Motivation in Sport. , 2021, The Psychiatric clinics of North America.

[8]  J. Adsuar,et al.  Association Between Endocrine Markers, Accumulated Workload, and Fitness Parameters During a Season in Elite Young Soccer Players , 2021, Frontiers in Psychology.

[9]  M. Marques,et al.  5-a-Side Game as a Tool for the Coach in Soccer Training , 2021, Strength & Conditioning Journal.

[10]  J. Pérez-Gómez,et al.  Fluctuations in Well-Being Based on Position in Elite Young Soccer Players during a Full Season , 2021, Healthcare.

[11]  A. M. Monteiro,et al.  Monitoring Accumulated Training and Match Load in Football: A Systematic Review , 2021, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[12]  A. Marques,et al.  Depressive Symptoms and Burnout in Football Players: A Systematic Review , 2020, Brain sciences.

[13]  Manuel A. Rodríguez-Pérez,et al.  Individual Adaptation Kinetics Following Heavy Resisted Sprint Training , 2020, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[14]  G. Myer,et al.  Epidemiology of injuries in professional football: a systematic review and meta-analysis , 2019, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

[15]  F. Cadegiani,et al.  Novel insights of overtraining syndrome discovered from the EROS study , 2019, BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.

[16]  A. Thiel,et al.  Risk profiles for athlete burnout in adolescent elite athletes: A classification analysis , 2019, Psychology of Sport and Exercise.

[17]  Karim Chamari,et al.  Monitoring training load and fatigue in soccer players with physiological markers , 2017, Physiology & Behavior.

[18]  Daniel Pfirrmann,et al.  Analysis of Injury Incidences in Male Professional Adult and Elite Youth Soccer Players: A Systematic Review. , 2016, Journal of athletic training.

[19]  Alan McCall,et al.  Injury risk factors, screening tests and preventative strategies: a systematic review of the evidence that underpins the perceptions and practices of 44 football (soccer) teams from various premier leagues , 2015, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

[20]  L. Dugas,et al.  Sports Specialization in Young Athletes , 2013, Sports health.

[21]  Jeffrey B. Kreher,et al.  Overtraining Syndrome , 2012, Sports health.

[22]  Andrew C. Fry,et al.  Resistance Exercise Overtraining and Overreaching , 1997, Sports medicine.

[23]  A. Fry,et al.  Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Overtraining Syndrome: Joint Consensus Statement of the European College of Sport Science and the American College of Sports Medicine , 2012 .

[24]  T. Ichida,et al.  World Medical Association declaration of Helsinki , 2008, Gastroenterologia Japonica.

[25]  Shona L Halson,et al.  Does Overtraining Exist? , 2004, Sports medicine.

[26]  T. Chandler,et al.  Musculoskeletal adaptations and injuries due to overtraining. , 1992, Exercise and sport sciences reviews.