Muscle Lesions and Inflammation in Futsal Players According to Their Tactical Positions

Abstract

A futsal player's performance depends on his technical and tactical skills but may be improved by a less harmful inflammatory profile that is better adjusted to his tactical position in the game. Thus, the purpose of this study was to characterize muscle lesion and inflammation in futsal players according to their positions in an official match. The participants in this study were 5 goalkeepers (23 ± 1.2 years old, body mass = 74 ± 2.5 kg, height = 178 ± 3.2 cm, body fat = 13 ± 2%, VO2max = 40 ± 2 ml·kg(-1)), 8 defenders (21 ± 1 years, body mass = 69 ± 2 kg, height = 174 ± 1 cm, body fat = 10 ± 2%, VO2max 42 ± 1 ml·kg(-1)), 8 wingers (22 ± 1 years, body mass = 68 ± 2 kg, height = 169 ± 3 cm, body fat = 11 ± 2%, VO2max = 48 ± 1 ml·kg(-1)), and 8 pivots (25 ± 2 years, body mass 71 ± 2 kg, height 173 ± 2 cm, body fat 10 ± 2%, VO2max 46 ± 2 ml·kg(-1)). Blood samples were collected from the participants before and immediately after a match. Muscle damage was detected based on CK and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. The inflammatory status was evaluated by determining C-reactive protein and cytokines (TNF-α, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-1ra). Goalkeepers showed higher LDH and IL-6 than players occupying other tactical positions, leading to the conclusion that the tactical position of futsal goalkeeper causes more inflammation and muscle damage than other positions. Moreover, this position is usually occupied by athletes with higher body mass and percentage of body fat and lower VO2max than players in the other positions.

Epidemiology of injuries in the Spanish national futsal male team: a five-season retrospective study

“…Our study findings show to be in contrast with other works that show that sprains, 14 mainly in the ankle, or contusions 1 21 22 25 were the most common injuries.…”

“…When comparing the Spanish male futsal player somatotype with that of other countries, we found Colombian players to have a markedly higher fat component (3.1+1.03), even higher than that of Spanish U-21s, whereas their muscular (mesomorphic) and ectomorphic components were very similar. 13 When studying somatotype values in relation to futsal’s different playing positions, our study found pivots to have the highest endomorphic and mesomorphic values, whereas in other papers 14 these values where highest in keepers.…”

Reliability and Usefulness of the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test in Male and Female Professional Futsal Players

“…It started in South America in 1930 and has become a popular indoor sport worldwide since then. Futsal is a team sport played between two teams with 4 outfield players (defender, winger and pivot) and one goalkeeper; another important aspect is that unlimited substitutions are permitted during the game ( De Moura et al, 2013 ).…”

The Effect of a Competitive Futsal Match on T Lymphocyte Surface Receptor Signaling and Functions

“…All participants played intense exercise for approximately the same amount of time (5 min playing followed by 5 min of recovery, for a total of 10 min in each period) until they completed 2 equal periods (20 min in total). Subjects with a history of infection, viruses, chronic lesions, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hormonal dysfunction, lupus, or other inflammatory or hematological diseases (such as hemoglobinopathies) and those who were taking medication were excluded from the study (de Moura et al, 2012 , 2013 ).…”

“…The sport is characterized by aerobic and anaerobic metabolic demands, and the competitive futsal season includes weekly microcycles of training, tapering, competition, and recovery (Garcia-Tabar et al, 2015 ; Charlot et al, 2016 ; Sarmento et al, 2016 ). During a match, players may suffer injuries due to muscle fatigue and contact or collision among players, resulting in inflammation (de Moura et al, 2012 , 2013 ; Beato et al, 2016 ). Specific knowledge regarding subclinical systemic inflammation and leukocyte function in athletes after a match may facilitate the design of strategies to control the inflammatory process, avoiding infection, and increasing athletic performance.…”