Acute effects of the FIFA 11+ warm up protocol on distal mechanical and physiological tissue properties and performance in male and female soccer players.

Abstract

Objective: Soccer is one of the sports with the highest number of injuries in both sexes with a prevalence of 13% around the ankle-foot area. Various strategies have been proposed to prevent injuries like FIFA 11+ warm-up. Its reliability has been questioned due to the diversity of results obtained depending on the movement pattern studied and the body region analyzed. Few studies have analyzed its acute effects on distal structures, such as plantar soft tissue properties, local perfusion or temperature. The objective of this study was to determine the acute effects of performing the FIFA 11+ on mechanical and physiological properties in ankle-foot regions.

Method: The sample included 120 amateur men and women soccer players. Various mechanical properties of the muscle and tendon such as oxygen saturation in the muscle, skin temperature, range of motion of the ankle and maximum isometric force of the toes were analyzed, before and after performing the FIFA 11 +. Results: indicate the absence of significant differences in any of the variables analyzed, except for the mechanical response of the plantar fascia (p < 0.0014).

Conclusion: FIFA 11+ may not provide a sufficiently strong local stimulus to generate mechanical and metabolic responses in the different structures of the foot and ankle, even though it remains an established long-term injury-prevention program. Other warm-up strategies to enhance its effects may consider incorporating.