@article{ref1,
title="The acute:chonic workload ratio in relation to injury risk in professional soccer",
journal="Journal of science and medicine in sport",
year="2016",
author="Malone, Shane and Owen, Adam and Newton, Matt and Mendes, Bruno and Collins, Kieran D. and Gabbett, Tim J.",
volume="20",
number="6",
pages="561-565",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between combined sRPE measures and injury risk in elite professional soccer. <br><br>DESIGN: Observational cohort study. <br><br>METHODS: Forty-eight professional soccer players (mean±SD age of 25.3±3.1 yr) from two elite European teams were involved within a one season study. Players completed a test of intermittent-aerobic capacity (Yo-YoIR1) to assess player's injury risk in relation to intermittent aerobic capacity. Weekly workload measures and time loss injuries were recorded during the entire period. Rolling weekly sums and week-to-week changes in workload were measured, allowing for the calculation of the acute:chronic workload ratio, which was calculated by dividing the acute (1-weekly) and chronic (4-weekly) workloads. All derived workload measures were modelled against injury data using logistic regression. Odds ratios (OR) were reported against a reference group. <br><br>RESULTS: Players who exerted pre-season 1-weekly loads of ≥1500 to ≤2120AU were at significantly higher risk of injury compared to the reference group of ≤1500AU (OR=1.95, p=0.006). Players with increased intermittent-aerobic capacity were better able to tolerate increased 1-weekly absolute changes in training load than players with lower fitness levels (OR=4.52, p=0.011). Players who exerted in-season acute:chronic workload ratios of >1.00 to <1.25 (OR=0.68, p=0.006) were at significantly lower risk of injury compared to the reference group (≤0.85). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that an acute:chronic workload of between 1.00 and 1.25 is protective for professional soccer players. A higher intermittent-aerobic capacity appears to offer greater injury protection when players are exposed to rapid changes in workload in elite soccer players. Moderate workloads, coupled with moderate-low to moderate-high acute:chronic workload ratios, appear to be protective for professional soccer players.<br><br>Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1440-2440",
doi="10.1016/j.jsams.2016.10.014",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2016.10.014"
}