Influence of football match time–motion parameters on recovery time course of muscle damage and jump ability

ABSTRACT

We analysed the time course of recovery of creatine kinase (CK) and countermovement jump (CMJ) parameters after a football match, and correlations between changes in these variables and match time–motion parameters (GPS-accelerometry) in 15 U-19 elite male players. Plasma CK and CMJ height (CMJ_H), average concentric force (CMJ_CON) and average eccentric force (CMJ_ECC) were assessed 2 h before and 30 min, 24 h and 48 h post-match. There were substantially higher CK levels 30 min, 24 h and 48 h (ES: 0.43, 0.62, 0.40, respectively), post-match. CMJ_ECC (ES: −0.38), CMJ_H (ES: −0.35) decreased 30 min post, CMJ_CON (ES: −0.35), CMJ_ECC (ES: −0.35) and CMJ_H (ES: −1.35) decreased 24 h post, and CMJ_CON (ES: −0.41) and CMJ_H (ES: −0.53) decreased 48 h post. We found correlations between distance covered at velocities ≤21 km · h⁻¹ and changes in CK at 24 h (r = 0.56) and at 48 h (r = 0.54) and correlations between CK and distance covered >14 km · h⁻¹ (r = 0.50), accelerations (r = 0.48), and decelerations (r = 0.58) at 48 h. Changes in CMJ_CON 30 min and 24 h post (both r = −0.68) correlated with impacts >7.1·G. Decelerations >2 m · s⁻² correlated with changes CMJ_CON (r = −0.49) at 48 h and CMJ_ECC (r = −0.47) at 30 min. Our results suggest that match GPS-accelerometry parameters may predict muscle damage and changes in components of neuromuscular performance immediately and 24–48 h post-match.

KEYWORDS:

• High intensity efforts
• accelerations
• decelerations
• creatine kinase
• countermovement jump

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.