TY - JOUR
T1 - Spikes in acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) associated with a 5-7 times greater injury rate in English Premier League football players
T2 - A comprehensive 3-year study
AU - Bowen, Laura
AU - Gross, Aleksander Stephan
AU - Gimpel, Mo
AU - Bruce-Low, Stewart
AU - Li, Francois Xavier
PY - 2019/2/21
Y1 - 2019/2/21
N2 - Objectives: We examined the relation between global positioning system (GPS)-derived workloads and injury in English Premier League football players (n=33) over three seasons. Methods: Workload and injury data were collected over three consecutive seasons. Cumulative (1-weekly, 2-weekly, 3-weekly and 4-weekly) loads in addition to acute:chronic workload ratios (ACWR) (acute workload (1-week workload)) divided by chronic workload (previous 4-week average acute workload) were classified into discrete ranges by z-scores. Relative risk (RR) for each range was then calculated between injured and non-injured players using specific GPS variables: total distance, low-intensity distance, high-speed running distance, sprint distance, accelerations and decelerations. Results: The greatest non-contact injury risk was when the chronic exposure to decelerations was low (<1731) and the ACWR was >2.0 (RR=6.7). Non-contact injury risk was also 5-6 times higher for accelerations and low-intensity distance when the chronic workloads were categorised as low and the ACWR was >2.0 (RR=5.4-6.6), compared with ACWRs below this. When all chronic workloads were included, an ACWR >2.0 was associated with a significant but lesser injury risk for the same metrics, plus total distance (RR=3.7-3.9). Conclusions: We recommend that practitioners involved in planning training for performance and injury prevention monitor the ACWR, increase chronic exposure to load and avoid spikes that approach or exceed 2.0.
AB - Objectives: We examined the relation between global positioning system (GPS)-derived workloads and injury in English Premier League football players (n=33) over three seasons. Methods: Workload and injury data were collected over three consecutive seasons. Cumulative (1-weekly, 2-weekly, 3-weekly and 4-weekly) loads in addition to acute:chronic workload ratios (ACWR) (acute workload (1-week workload)) divided by chronic workload (previous 4-week average acute workload) were classified into discrete ranges by z-scores. Relative risk (RR) for each range was then calculated between injured and non-injured players using specific GPS variables: total distance, low-intensity distance, high-speed running distance, sprint distance, accelerations and decelerations. Results: The greatest non-contact injury risk was when the chronic exposure to decelerations was low (<1731) and the ACWR was >2.0 (RR=6.7). Non-contact injury risk was also 5-6 times higher for accelerations and low-intensity distance when the chronic workloads were categorised as low and the ACWR was >2.0 (RR=5.4-6.6), compared with ACWRs below this. When all chronic workloads were included, an ACWR >2.0 was associated with a significant but lesser injury risk for the same metrics, plus total distance (RR=3.7-3.9). Conclusions: We recommend that practitioners involved in planning training for performance and injury prevention monitor the ACWR, increase chronic exposure to load and avoid spikes that approach or exceed 2.0.
KW - football
KW - GPS
KW - injury
KW - Premier League
KW - workloads
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061987686&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099422
DO - 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099422
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85061987686
SN - 0306-3674
JO - British Journal of Sports Medicine
JF - British Journal of Sports Medicine
ER -