02 Mar Liga Lockdown: Conditioning Strategy and Adaptation to In-Game Regulations during COVID-19 Pandemic Prevented an Increase in Injury Incidence
Posted at 13:06h
in Paper
When LaLiga stopped for 12 weeks due to the first COVID-19 wave, many feared that injuries would skyrocket once competition resumed. Players had 8 weeks of home confinement and only 4 weeks of retraining before facing 11 matches in just 38 days. This study followed 277 professional players from 11 LaLiga clubs to see if injury incidence really increased after lockdown.
Key insights for coaches and performance staff:
- Injury rates stayed stable: Despite the congested calendar, injury incidence after the restart (5.4 per 1000h) was not significantly different from pre-lockdown (4.2 per 1000h).
- Muscle injuries remained the most common: Lower limb muscle injuries dominated both before and after lockdown, with no significant changes in type or location.
- Shorter recovery times: After lockdown, there were proportionally more minor injuries (1–7 days lost) and fewer severe injuries (>28 days lost).
- Conditioning and regulations worked: Home training plans, a 4-week retraining “mini-preseason,” five substitutions, hydration breaks, and 72h recovery between matches likely prevented injury spikes.
Practical applications:
- Structured retraining phases are essential after long breaks, even if competition schedules are congested.
- In-game regulation changes (extra substitutions, hydration breaks) can be powerful tools to protect player health.
- Clubs should prepare individualized home training routines to minimize detraining during forced interruptions.
- Monitoring injury severity trends (not just incidence) provides additional insights into player management strategies.
Read the full paper here (DOI): https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052920