Delighted to publish my 1st academic journal article

'Etiology and Recovery of Neuromuscular Function following Academy Soccer Training'

Academy soccer training impairs neuromuscular function up to 72h post

Please read, Retweet & share!
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.911009
A Thread🧵

Infographic below ⬇️ 
It's always hard to get any journal article published

For an applied practitioner working in pro-sport it can be challenging to conduct original research, while applying evidence-based principles into your job

Nice to get study 1 of my PhD published

Our study Aims:

(i) Profile the etiology and recovery time-course of neuromuscular function in response to a mixed-content, standard training week in pro academy soccer players

(ii) Examine physical performance, cognitive function, & perceptual measures of mood & wellness

Methods:

16 x U18 soccer players
Pre-, Post-, 24/48/72 h post-baseline
Strenuous training day (pitch/gym), plus further moderate training day (pitch/gym) after 48h post

MVC/ Voluntary Activation/ potentiated twitch force
CMJ/10-5 RJT / Add Sq
Wellness Q/ BRUMS
Stroop task

Results:

⚽ Strenuous training elicited decrements in MVC force post-session that remained unresolved at 72 h

⚽ Voluntary activation (CNS) reduced immediately post-training only

⚽ Muscle contractile function (Qtw,pot) was reduced at 24h & had not fully recovered at 72h

Results:

Perceptions of wellness were impaired post-training & recovered by 24 h (sleepiness, energy) & 48 h (fatigue, muscle soreness, RtT)

CMJ declined at 24 h, but RSI (10-5 RJT) decrements persisted at 48h

No changes in adductor squeeze, mood, or cognitive function👀

Conclusion:

⚽ Elite youth soccer training elicits substantial decrements in Neuromuscular function, which are still present 72 h post-ex

💪 It is the restitution of muscular function (peripheral mechanisms) that predominantly explains recovery from strenuous training

Surrogate tests:

✍️ Use both objective/subjective measures of readiness & recovery when monitoring the training response (physical performance tests/questionnaires)

🏆 A combination of measures provides a comprehensive picture of a player’s preparedness to train & perform

Possible Solutions:

📆 Importance of appropriate periodisation model

🏋️Physical development programme incorporating highly demanding sport-specific movements

🥶 Recovery methods that focus on the resolution of muscle function and soreness (CWI/compression garments/PCM)


If possible:

Knee-extensor MVC & 10/5 RJT showed similar decline & time-course of recovery as skeletal muscle function

🏃Might be appropriate tools to indirectly measure NM function peripheral processes

💭And visual analgue scale Wellness Q to measure perceived fatigue


Thank you as always to my amazing Supervision team:
Prof Glyn Howatson @GlynHowatson
Dr Jamie Tallent @jamietallent
Dr Kev Thomas @kthmsDr 
Stuart Goodall @goodall_stuart
Ross Bennett MSc @Ross201189

Plus Alex Woodhead @alex_woodhead3
And all the @QPR players & staff 😊 

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/CiDeely/isKdboO

Article- 'Neuromuscular Function in Academy Football'

See how we quantify external training load, measure training response, & gain insights from #PowerBI & @statsports... 

See below the work we do with @QPR academy⚽️
*pic- individual weekly TL




Thanks always to Ross Bennett @Ross201189 & @ShaneMalonePhD 


A Thread 🧵

Power BI is best place to visualise a lot of different variables over a period of time (month/phase/season), and with a simple drop down menu…each individual player ⚽️💥
 
- Total Distance
- High Speed Running 🏃🏽‍♂️(relative)
- Accels
- very HSR 
- % max speeds
- Density

Individual player weekly loads (across multiple variables)

And whether they hit your targeted values

All your main external TL variables (TD/HSR/Accels etc)

But also how many sprint have your players hit per week (above 90% max speed)
AND what was your weekly max speed %

Here's part of our session report...

Again, have you hit those daily targets
Across each variable
For each day
And each player

(Yellow/Green/Amber/Red threaholds...based off %'s)

Drill breakdown of the session also

Where are the players getting their 'load' from...within the session?

Are there differences from rep 1 to rep 4 of SSG for instance?

How were the timings of the session?

Graph of intensity (m/min) gives a quick reference of each drill

Maximum Intensity Periods also important to look at

MiP 1min
MiP 3min

What % of their max has each player hit in this session?

Tables for both high load / and low load days

Goalkeeper session report needed also

Tracked with GK-specific variables tracked through @statsports 

Main training load variable we look at: GK Accels

And Dives (though needs a few more validity studies)

Important to quantify the external training load
Weekly ones a little later in the thread, and some cool other ones ;-)

But vital also to measure the response of your athletes to the session

Of course RPE of session

But also next day Wellness Questionnaires & jumps (CMJ)

Look at daily CMJ heights over time...
...against moderate & large threshold drops (mean - [06. x SD])

for each individual player

But also average weekly CMJ (& wellness Q scores)

To get a holistic view of athlete preparedness (Obj+Subj)

Match reports

Again look at each variable
With targets (based off typical match loads [average 6 matches])

And ability to break down into each half

But also each 15min period (have yet to do this...but an exciting possibility!)

Also...

Different threshold targets for variables across different positions

For match day

But also each 'Red' conditioning day

...and 'Amber' moderate extensive day (focus on high HSR/vSHR/sprints)

Finishing up with a few additional 'cool' ones that I like ;-)

I’m really enjoying the below use of ‘Player Weekly Target Dials’ 🎯 for player individual targets across the week

Nice graphic and gauge to show sport science / medical / coaches

And Rehab players

One of my favourites… 


Load Crosshairs  


Take your 2 most important variables
Plot them against each other on a crosshair graph on different axis

Profile each player, each week:

- high TD: High HSR
- high TD: low HSR
- low TD: high HSR
- low TD: low HSR


Acute Chronic Work Ratio (ACWR)

not one of my favourites...

But here it is anyway (if needed)

Across your main variables (Distance/HSR/Accels)

One for the Medical team

Availability Analysis 

Over a 8 week period

Make sure you have your categories standarised:
- Full
- Modified
- Rehab
- Off-loaded
- Illness
- Absent
- Injured

Works out your %'s quite nicely

Weekly analysis breakdown of the week

- what % of the total week load does each training session & match constitute? 
- across each main GPS variable



👍 see breakdown of week & where the players are getting physical stimuli

Training Loads across the week

A nice quick reference table to show all the variables, for all your players for the week

Also, a graphical daily breakdown of your 3 main variables (TD/HSR/Accels) across each day of the week

With match day references (MD-2 ...etc) 

...and important to keep an eye on those Goalkeepers each week also!

And I'll finish with one of my new favourites...

'Start Screen' !!

The User enters the Start Screen each time the Power BI is opened

And you can then quickly choose which Dashboard you want to enter

/end of Thread🧵👍


See more of my (and Ross Bennett's @Ross201189 ) work on

www.DeelySportScience.com

Or feel free to send me a twitter DM

Email me on ciaran.deely@qpr.co.uk

(And keep an eye open for my upcoming Frontiers article on Fatigue Monitoring in Youth Soccer Players from my PhD!)