Sustainable Elite Football

The literature is scarce when it comes to more comprehensive research project that investigates the differences between youth and adult elite football players in physical parameters and the risk of injury. There is a lack of prospective long-term studies examining the importance of increased training load, physical fitness and performance, training status, position and maturity on its relationship to injury and success in elite football. The aim of the project is to evaluate different aspects of physical performance, training load and their role as potential risk or protective factors for injury in elite Swedish football. Another aim is to follow youth players at the football academy to explore which physical factors are important for success in elite football and how a possible injury affects the player's continued elite efforts. Finally, the aim is to develop a test battery that can be used to screen for deficits in physical fitness, monitor football players at risk of injury and for return to sport after injury. The main research question intended to be investigated is: How do internal and external load, wellness, and physical performance factors (including Acute Chronic Workload Ratio) differ between academy-level and professional football players, and how do these factors relate to injury risk and success in elite football? A cohort design will be used with \~200 academy football players (\~50% women) between 15-19 years old and 50 professional football players participating. The study starts with the assessment of different aspects of physical performance at baseline during the players first year at the academy and internal and external training load and injuries will be registered prospectively for 3 years. The players will be assessed at follow-ups, with the same tests, 3 times a year, to evaluate performance changes. Players who will be transferred to elite play will be evaluated 3 times a year for additional 5 years. Professional football players will also be evaluated with tests with following registration of training load and injuries.