Acute Post-Match Fatigue and Recovery Kinetics of Neuromuscular Performance and Muscle Damage After a Friendly Match in Elite Youth Football Players.

Background and

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute fatigue response to a standardized friendly football match in elite adolescent players and to describe the subsequent recovery of neuromuscular performance, biochemical markers, and subjective perceptions over a 72-h period.

Methods

Thirty-seven elite male youth football players (16.3 ± 0.7 years) participated in this repeated-measures study. Neuromuscular function was assessed using the countermovement jump (CMJ) and repeated sprint ability (RSA) tests. Muscle damage was evaluated by measuring blood creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, while subjective recovery was monitored using a visual analog scale (VAS) for muscle soreness and the Well-Being Questionnaire (WBQ). Measurements were obtained before the match, immediately after the match, and again 24, 48, and 72 h later.

Results

The friendly match induced significant neuromuscular, biochemical, and perceptual fatigue. CMJ height, reactive strength index, and repeated sprint performance decreased significantly immediately post-match (p < 0.001). Perceived muscle soreness increased markedly and remained elevated at 24 h. Neuromuscular performance largely recovered within 48 h, with 20-m sprint performance no longer significantly different from pre-match values at 48 h. In contrast, CK concentrations peaked at 24 h and remained significantly elevated throughout the 72-h recovery period. Significant correlations were observed between subjective soreness, CK concentrations, and neuromuscular performance during recovery. Recovery following match play differed depending on the marker used. Functional performance largely returned to baseline within 48 h, whereas CK concentrations remained elevated throughout the 72-h observation period.

Conclusions

These findings emphasize the value of combining objective performance tests with subjective measures when monitoring post-match recovery in elite youth football players.