Matthew DeLang

Right to Dream Academy · Medical & Physical Performance

ASPETAR Sports Medicine Journal

Objectives: To explore relationships between groin pain and adductor squeeze strength in male academy football players over a 14-week period. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Methods: Weekly monitoring of youth male football players consisted of reporting groin pain and testing long lever adductor squeeze strength. Players who reported groin...

Ramadan intermittent fasting during the COVID-19 lockdown (RIFL) may present unique demands. We investigated training practices (i.e., training load and training times) of athletes, using pre-defined survey criteria/questions, during the ‘first’ COVID-19 lockdown, comparing RIFL to lockdown-alone (LD) in Muslim athletes. Specifically, a within-subj...

Unlabelled: The COVID-19 lockdown challenged the training options of athletes worldwide, including players from the most popular sport globally, football/soccer. Purpose: The authors explored the training practices of football players worldwide during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: Football players (N = 2482, 30% professional, 22% semipro, an...

Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes' knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. Methods: Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May-July 2020...

Background The month of Ramadan will intersect with many football leagues’ schedules over the next decade. Understanding the effects of Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) on physical performance is necessary to guide considerations for football players. Objective The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of RIF on physical f...

Introduction Groin monitoring systems are a secondary prevention tool in youth football. Symptom screenings can be supported by objective findings, such as hip adduction squeeze strength. This study examined how groin pain influenced weekly squeeze strength in youth academy football players over a 14-week period. Materials and Methods Weekly monit...

Objective: To (1) systematically screen for groin pain and type in young elite soccer players and (2) assess whether hip and groin-related severity and disability differed between players with different levels of groin pain and tenderness. Design: Cross-sectional observational. Setting: Elite American soccer academy at midseason. Participants...

Objectives: Explore training-related knowledge, beliefs and practices of athletes and the influence of COVID-19-related lockdowns. Methods: Athletes [n = 12,526 classified: world-class (13%), international (21%), national (36%), state (24%), and recreational (6%)] completed an online survey (50 d; 17th May to 5th July 2020) exploring their trainin...

# Background Multiplanar dynamic stability is an important unilateral function in soccer performance but has been scarcely examined in female soccer players. The lateral vertical jump task assesses unilateral functional performance, and energy generation contribution examines how each joint (hip, knee, ankle) contributes to the vertical component...

Injury prevention strategies in team settings should not overlook early detection and secondary prevention. Monitoring systems may be an effective approach to detect common and troublesome injuries, such as hip and groin pain in football (soccer) players. The purpose of this International Perspective is to share our experiences with monitoring hip...

Abstract Objective To examine adductor squeeze strength in elite youth soccer players by investigating the relationship of age and previous one-year groin pain on adductor squeeze force outputs, and to provide reference values for youth players. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Elite youth soccer players (n = 100; age 14.5 ± 1.9 years;...

In soccer (football), dominant limb kicking produces higher ball velocity and is used with greater frequency than the non-dominant limb. It is unclear whether limb dominance has an effect on injury incidence. The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis is to examine the relationship between limb dominance and soccer injuries. Studies w...

Objectives: The present review provides a summary of basketball referees’ game activities, fitness assessment, cognitive function, and energy expenditure (EE) during official games. Methods: Analyzing the literature on basketball referees. Literature review conducted using Pub Med, WOK, SCOPUS and Google Scholar, with search criteria including the...

Purpose: Limb dominance and consequent between-limbs muscle strength in soccer players should be explored to determine a standard musculoskeletal profile to maintain and establish during screening protocols and postinjury rehabilitation. The primary aim of this review was to identify dominant- vs non-dominant-lower-extremity muscle-strength charact...

Background: Functional and structural asymmetries attributed to limb dominance are equivocal in soccer players. Previous authors hypothesize the existence of between-limb asymmetry secondary to the repetitive unilateral nature of kicking. However, symmetry is often present, particularly in measures of muscle strength. Purpose: The purpose of the...