British Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol 32, Issue 2 130-133, Copyright © 1998 by British Association of Sport and Medicine
Knee joint function and the energy cost of level walking in soccer players
LJ Tofts, CS Stanley, TG Barnett and JG Logan
Department of Physiology, Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVES: To study self reported knee joint problems and the energy costs
of level walking in soccer players. METHODS: Seventeen soccer players and
twelve control subjects between 18 and 27 years old participated in the
study. A questionnaire was used to establish the amount of participation in
soccer and the frequency and extent of knee injuries. The physiological
cost index (PCI) was used as an index of the energy costs of level walking.
RESULTS: Soccer players had a significantly higher PCI than control
subjects (p = 0.0001). Control subjects had a mean (SD) PCI of 0.23 (0.06)
beats/m and soccer players had a mean PCI of 0.42 (0.12) beats/m. Some 82%
of the soccer players experienced knee joint problems, whereas only 25% of
the control group had problems. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that college
soccer players have a higher rate of self reported knee problems and higher
energy costs of level walking than people who do not play soccer.
