In the last three years, over 500 women suffered ACL injuries in top league football. Funded by FIFA, Kingston University in London will launch a year-long research project this summer to investigate whether and how the menstrual cycle impacts injury risk. They will also work together with clubs including Fulham and Chelsea.
The study will be done by Blake Rivers, a PhD Student, joined by Dr. Simon Augustus, Dr. James Brauner and Dr. Michelle Richards, who are all sports and exercise science experts at Kingston University, London.
In the research, they will collect blood samples tracking hormone concentrations. Previous research led to the possibility that progesterone and oestrogen are the reason for increased ligament laxity and reduced neuromuscular reaction.
The study will include not only top-tier leagues but also grassroots teams. Throughout the study, participating players will regularly undergo physical performance tests. This will allow researchers to analyse blood samples in relation to their physical performance and assess any potential links to an increased risk of ACL injuries.
Dr. Simon Augustus, senior lecturer in Sport Biomechanics and part of the study said:
“We want to examine whether athletes may be more predisposed to injuries because of the functional changes in terms of their anatomy and physiology during the menstrual cycle. We know hormones fluctuate during different phases of the cycle but we don’t know yet how much of an influence that may have on the risk of injury”.
He hopes that even with all the research already out there, this study will be a real game changer.
Common ways that players tear their ACL include drop landings and changing direction quickly. In the research they will also look into whether there is an association between hormones and these movements.
A different research by Dr. Leonard Achenbach from the Department of Orthopaedics of the Julius Maximilians University in Würzburg, Germany, showed that out of 37 ACL injuries, 46% were no contact, 38% indirect contact and only 16% were contact injuries. Most of the no contact injuries were caused by sprinting, stopping and rapid change of direction.
“There are so many different factors involved with ACL injuries. We are starting to research this from an individual approach and look at an athletes whole profile and putting protocols in place to reduce risk. […] We know some injuries are unavoidable, for example if a player is involved in a bad tackle, but we are attempting to help those individuals who injure their ACL outside of impact actions – those are the ones where we might have more chance to intervene and prevent them from taking place by utilising strength training or tweaking technique”, Dr. Augustus said about the research.
The goal of this research is to support clubs in developing effective plans, such as individualised player training and optimised workload management, to reduce the risk of new injuries. For clubs operating below the top level, often without the same financial resources as elite teams, this research could have a significant impact.
With busy schedules and injuries still on the rise, any type of research in this field is a step in the right direction. While injuries can’t be entirely prevented, FIFA’s funding of this project helps raise awareness and generate greater interest in understanding the underlying factors.
