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Team's Average Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio Correlates with Injury Risk in NCAA Men's Soccer Team.

INTRODUCTION
Research in multiple sports has shown that an individual's acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) correlates with injury. However, tailoring team trainings to each individual's ACWR is technically challenging, and has not been found to decrease injury risk.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to establish a more feasible method of utilizing the ACWR for injury prevention in soccer. In an NCAA men's soccer team, we assessed whether the team's average ACWR, as opposed to that of each individual, correlated with injuries sustained throughout the season.


DESIGN
Injury and workload data were retrospectively evaluated for all players (n=23) of an NCAA men's soccer team during one 18-week season. Workload data for 5 GPS-derived workload variables (total distance, high-speed distance, accelerations, player load, and average velocity) were used to calculate the team's average daily acute and chronic workloads (accumulated load for each variable during the past 3 and 28 days, respectively), and uncoupled ACWRs (acute workload divided by chronic workload for each variable). A retrospective cohort design was used to compare the team's workloads and ACWRs on days where ≥1 injury occurred versus days where 0 injuries occurred using binary logistic regression models.


RESULTS
Trainings/games with injuries had higher acute workloads, lower chronic workloads, and higher ACWRs for all 5 workload variables. In multivariable analysis, risk factors for injury included a low chronic workload for total distance (OR 7.23, p=0.024) and an ACWR >1.4 for accelerations (OR 4.34, p=0.029).


CONCLUSIONS
The team's injury risk was greater with low distance accumulation during the chronic period, and with an elevated ACWR for accelerations. Future intervention-based studies aimed at using ACWR load-management principles as a method of decreasing injury risk in soccer can consider tracking the team's average values with the goal of maintaining a consistent chronic workload for total distance and avoiding elevations in the ACWR for accelerations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.