Training Load and Current Soreness Predict Future Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in Collegiate Female Soccer Athletes.
Brett S Pexa, Christopher J Johnston, Jeffrey B Taylor and 1 others
PMID 38050552WHAT IT FOUND
Daily wearables tracking decelerations, high-intensity heart rate minutes, and accelerations predicted next-day lower extremity soreness in collegiate soccer players.
These specific training load metrics, combined with current soreness reports, offer practical guidance for managing athlete recovery and adjusting practice intensity.
Key findings
01The number of decelerations, minutes spent at high-intensity heart rates, and number of accelerations were the strongest predictors of next-day lower extremity soreness.
02All training load variables significantly predicted next-day soreness, but decelerations accounted for more variance than total distance or high-speed distance.
03Models including training load variables fit the data significantly better than models using only current soreness to predict future soreness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Training load data were not collected during strength training sessions, meaning total daily load may have been underestimated. Self-reported soreness may have been influenced by athletes wanting to appear resilient to coaching staff, despite assurances of anonymity. Soreness scores could reflect other sources of pain, such as overuse injuries or contact-related trauma, rather than pure DOMS. High collinearity between training load variables prevented the analysis of combined predictors in a single model. The study included only female collegiate soccer athletes, limiting generalizability to other sports, genders, or levels of competition.
Declared interests
The study was funded in part by a National Athletic Trainers Association New Investigator’s Grant. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to all athletes or sports. The study was limited to collegiate female soccer players and did not account for strength training loads, so predictive accuracy may differ in other populations or when gym work is significant.