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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Sprinting force-velocity and acceleration-speed profiling in elite soccer to augment performance and mitigate hamstring injury risk: A Narrative Review with practical applications
AU - Stockdale, Robert
AU - Dos’Santos, Thomas
AU - McDaid, Kevin
AU - Nagy, Philip
AU - Gaffney, Christopher
AU - Barry, Timothy
PY - 2025/7/29
Y1 - 2025/7/29
N2 - Force-velocity profiling (FVP) during linear sprinting is emerging in elite soccer to assess sprint acceleration performance and mitigate hamstring muscle injury (HMI) risk. Acceleration-speed profiling (ASP) has been introduced as an FVP alternative, using global positioning system (GPS) already employed in elite soccer for load monitoring, but interchangeability between these approaches is unclear. Profiling methods must be valid and reliable to assess FVP or ASP, helping practitioners orient training and rehabilitation, potentially mitigate injury risk, and improve sprint acceleration. This review provides a critical overview of FVP and ASP techniques, profile changes, and the potential association with HMI risk in elite soccer. FVP from linear sprint testing remains the reference for evaluating sprint performance, but ASP in situ, using GPS data from routine play, offers an ecologically valid alternative, challenging the need for structured sprint protocols (invisible monitoring). The practical benefits of ASP in situ allow profiling to be conducted passively, provided adequate validity and reliability is obtained. Practitioners can combine FVP and ASP to monitor sprint variables in elite soccer, including maximal horizontal force (F0), running velocity (V0), and profile orientation (FVslope). This guides adjustments in training loads and interventions to enhance performance, reduce injury incidence, and support return-to-play protocols, contributing to injury management.
AB - Force-velocity profiling (FVP) during linear sprinting is emerging in elite soccer to assess sprint acceleration performance and mitigate hamstring muscle injury (HMI) risk. Acceleration-speed profiling (ASP) has been introduced as an FVP alternative, using global positioning system (GPS) already employed in elite soccer for load monitoring, but interchangeability between these approaches is unclear. Profiling methods must be valid and reliable to assess FVP or ASP, helping practitioners orient training and rehabilitation, potentially mitigate injury risk, and improve sprint acceleration. This review provides a critical overview of FVP and ASP techniques, profile changes, and the potential association with HMI risk in elite soccer. FVP from linear sprint testing remains the reference for evaluating sprint performance, but ASP in situ, using GPS data from routine play, offers an ecologically valid alternative, challenging the need for structured sprint protocols (invisible monitoring). The practical benefits of ASP in situ allow profiling to be conducted passively, provided adequate validity and reliability is obtained. Practitioners can combine FVP and ASP to monitor sprint variables in elite soccer, including maximal horizontal force (F0), running velocity (V0), and profile orientation (FVslope). This guides adjustments in training loads and interventions to enhance performance, reduce injury incidence, and support return-to-play protocols, contributing to injury management.
U2 - 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000926
DO - 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000926
M3 - Journal article
JO - Strength and Conditioning Journal
JF - Strength and Conditioning Journal
SN - 1524-1602
ER -