Background: Sports injury prevention training programs have been reported to be effective in decreasing the incidence of injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-month training period, using part 2 of the FIFA11+ program (the Fédération Internationale de Football), on the activation and strength of core and lower limb muscles and on static and dynamic balance performance.
Study design: Case series; level of evidence, 4.
Methods: Eight college male soccer players, aged mean 20.4 ± 0.5 years old, completed the FIFA11+ program at least three times per week for 6 months. The following variables were measured both before and after the 6-month training program: activities of more than 30 muscles (core and lower limb muscles), measured using the standardized uptake values of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose on positron emission tomography; isokinetic strength of the knee flexor and extensor and hip abductor muscles, measured at 60° s-1; static balance over a 60-s period, measured using a gravicorder; and dynamic balance, measured using the star excursion balance test.
Results: Training improved the activity levels of core (obliquus externus abdominis and erector spinae) and lower limb (tibialis anterior) muscles (p ≤ 0.03), corrected the between-limb difference in the activation of the semimembranosus and improved dynamic balance, with a greater training effect on the nondominant limb (p ≤ 0.02). Training also improved the knee flexor force of the nondominant lower limb (p = 0.02).
Conclusion: Routine performance of the FIFA11+ program can improve the activation of core and lower limb muscles, with a concomitant improvement in dynamic balance. These improvements could be beneficial in lowering the risk of sports-related injuries.
Keywords: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose; PET-CT; muscle activity; muscle strength; postural balance; sports injuries.