Biomarkers of post-match recovery in semi-professional and professional football (soccer)

Abstract

High-level football (soccer) players face intense physical demands that result in acute and residual fatigue, impairing their physical performance in subsequent matches. Further, top-class players are frequently exposed to match-congested periods where sufficient recovery times are not achievable. To evaluate training and recovery strategies, the monitoring of players’ recovery profiles is crucial. Along with performance and neuro-mechanical impairments, match-induced fatigue causes metabolic disturbances denoted by changes in chemical analytes that can be quantified in different body fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine, thus acting as biomarkers. The monitoring of these molecules might supplement performance, neuromuscular and cognitive measurements to guide coaches and trainers during the recovery period. The present narrative review aims to comprehensively review the scientific literature on biomarkers of post-match recovery in semi-professional and professional football players as well as provide an outlook on the role that metabolomic studies might play in this field of research. Overall, no single gold-standard biomarker of match-induced fatigue exists, and a range of metabolites are available to assess different aspects of post-match recovery. The use of biomarker panels might be suitable to simultaneously monitoring these broad physiological processes, yet further research on fluctuations of different analytes throughout post-match recovery is warranted. Although important efforts have been made to address the high interindividual heterogeneity of available markers, limitations inherent to these markers might compromise the information they provide to guide recovery protocols. Further research on metabolomics might benefit from evaluating the long-term recovery period from a high-level football match to shed light upon new biomarkers of post-match recovery.

Comparison of the effects of pea protein and whey protein on the metabolic profile of soccer athletes: a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial

“…Although previous studies reported an increase in CK, AST, and ALT up to 48–72 h after a professional soccer game ( 3 , 60 ), our data do not corroborate these findings. Protein supplementation might have attenuated the increase in CK levels after the game.…”

Reduction in systemic muscle stress markers after exercise-induced muscle damage following concurrent training and supplementation with specific collagen peptides – a randomized controlled trial

“…Recovery from severe lengthening contractions (e.g., squats or drop jumps) also causes biomarkers in serum blood to peak within the following days. Proteins and metabolic-related enzymes such as creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), myoglobin (MYO), alanine transaminase (ALT), c-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been considered metabolic indicators of muscle damage and concomitant inflammation, both of which occur after strenuous, mainly eccentric exercise ( 19 ). However, there are only two studies without exercise intervention that examined recovery-related blood markers after CP supplementation.…”

Physical performance and markers of muscle damage response after single soccer matches in amateur women's soccer players

“…Athletes can compete with enjoyment if they have a good recovery, which can enhance sleep quality, decrease fatigue, and reduce DOMS [15]. The bulk of earlier research on the recovery aspects of soccer games only looked at male athletes' game responses; however, women could also be the subjects of this research to find out how changes in biomarkers of muscle damage and physical performance occur after soccer games [16]. The fact that estrogen, for instance, has been demonstrated to have a protective effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) is another reason for conducting this research.…”