The effects of home confinement on physical activity level and mental status in professional football players during COVID-19 outbreak

OBJECTIVES

The coronavirus outbreak caused significant changes in football around the world, such as the suspension of leagues and home isolation of players, etc. The main purpose of the present study was to assess the psychological impacts of lockdown and similar restrictions on professional football players during the coronavirus pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The players from 36 professional football teams (n = 977) among Turkish Super League and First League teams were invited to complete a questionnaire including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Impact of Event Scale-Revised Scores (IES-R) and short form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).

RESULTS

The online survey was completed by 237 players (24.3%). The mean number of self-quarantine day of participants was 26.9 ± 6.2 days. The median CES-D Scale and IES-R scores were 6.0 (min:0, max:42) and 23.0 (min:0, max:59), respectively. IPAQ scores of the players showed that four-fifths of the players still maintain high physical activity levels. There were negative, very weak and significant correlations between CES-D score and being married (r = -0.146, p = 0.024), as well as between CES-D score and IPAQ-Walking (r = -0.189, p = 0.004). A significant positive very weak correlation was observed between CES-D score and self-quarantine days (r = 0.148, p = 0.024). IPAQ-Walking was an independent predictor of CES-D.

CONCLUSION

These findings support that maintaining regular physical activity and routinely exercising in a safe home environment is one of the most important strategies to ensure healthy mental state.

Evaluation of stoppage time due to field injuries in professional football games: do players really need medical help so often?

This study aimed to identify the incidence of stoppage time due to field injuries in professional football (soccer) games and to evaluate if the players involved really need medical care and whether team physicians deal with fake injuries. A total of 893 injury time-outs occurred leading to 956 treatments during 266 matches included in the study. The mean stoppage time was 88.7 ± 34.4 seconds. Less than one fifth of the injuries (17.4%) resulted in an impossibility to complete the game. The overall time-loss injury incidence which led players to miss the next game was 9.1/1000 match-hours (n = 80, 8.4% of all injuries). The players on teams in the lead at the time of the incident had significantly higher injury time-out incidence than players on teams who were losing (p < 0.05). Increasing the knowledge of team physicians, coaches, referees, and rule-makers about the medical needs of players during the game will help to identify the behaviour pattern of players.

Posterior ankle impingement syndrome in football players: Case series of 26 elite athletes

Objective

To describe a clinical treatment algorithm for posterior ankle impingement (PAI) syndrome in professional football players.

Material and methods

A case series of 26 elite professional football players diagnosed and treated for posterior ankle impingement syndrome were included for the study. All of the athletes received conservative treatment with physical therapy modalities initially. If the first line medical treatment and rehabilitation was ineffective to alleviate the symptoms, ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection was proposed and thereafter the patients underwent posterior ankle arthroscopy if the complaints are still unresolved. The pain scores (AOFAS, VAS), and time to return to play were the main outcome measures.

Results

The complaints of 18 (69.2%) players were subsided with non-surgical treatment whereas three of acute cases and five of the chronic cases did not respond to medical treatment and arthroscopic surgery was performed for eight athletes. Eighteen players returned to training for a mean time of 36.3 days (24–42 days) after conservative treatment. The patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery returned to training for a mean time of 49.8 days (42–56 days) after the surgery. All athletes returned to their previous level of competition after treatment without any complications or recurrence in a mean follow-up 36.5 months (19–77 months).

Conclusion

Non-surgical treatment modalities were effective in 2/3 of posterior ankle impingement syndrome in elite football players. On the other hand, posterior ankle arthroscopy is safe and effective treatment option for posterior ankle impingement syndrome if the conservative treatment fails.

Level of evidence

Level IV, Therapeutic study