RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Spikes in acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) associated with a 5–7 times greater injury rate in English Premier League football players: a comprehensive 3-year study
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP bjsports-2018-099422
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099422
A1 Laura Bowen
A1 Aleksander Stephan Gross
A1 Mo Gimpel
A1 Stewart Bruce-Low
A1 Francois-Xavier Li
YR 2019
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2019/02/21/bjsports-2018-099422.abstract
AB Objectives We examined the relation between global positioning system (GPS)-derived workloads and injury in English Premier League football players (n=33) over three seasons.Methods Workload and injury data were collected over three consecutive seasons. Cumulative (1-weekly, 2-weekly, 3-weekly and 4-weekly) loads in addition to acute:chronic workload ratios (ACWR) (acute workload (1-week workload)) divided by chronic workload (previous 4-week average acute workload) were classified into discrete ranges by z-scores. Relative risk (RR) for each range was then calculated between injured and non-injured players using specific GPS variables: total distance, low-intensity distance, high-speed running distance, sprint distance, accelerations and decelerations.Results The greatest non-contact injury risk was when the chronic exposure to decelerations was low (&lt;1731) and the ACWR was &gt;2.0 (RR=6.7). Non-contact injury risk was also 5–6 times higher for accelerations and low-intensity distance when the chronic workloads were categorised as low and the ACWR was &gt;2.0 (RR=5.4–6.6), compared with ACWRs below this. When all chronic workloads were included, an ACWR &gt;2.0 was associated with a significant but lesser injury risk for the same metrics, plus total distance (RR=3.7–3.9).Conclusions We recommend that practitioners involved in planning training for performance and injury prevention monitor the ACWR, increase chronic exposure to load and avoid spikes that approach or exceed 2.0.