High-speed running and injury risk in soccer: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND

High-speed running (HSR) and sprint exposure are monitored in soccer, but associations with injury are uncertain.

OBJECTIVE

To synthesis evidence on associations between HSR exposure and injury risk/occurrence, and to explore heterogeneity.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched. No date or language restrictions were applied. Eligibility criteria included observational studies in soccer quantifying training and/or match HSR/sprinting using microtechnology and reporting extractable associations with injury outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed with QUIPS. Narrative synthesis was undertaken without meta-analysis.

RESULTS

From 3,824 records, 22 studies were included. Most were professional/elite and used GPS with absolute speed thresholds. Outcomes mainly involved time-loss or non-contact soft-tissue injuries. Across studies using relative change measures (e.g., acute:chronic contrasts or injury-week vs. control comparisons), short-horizon increases or disproportionate HSR/sprint exposure relative to recent history more often aligned with higher injury risk. In contrast, studies analyzing absolute weekly HSR volume more frequently reported negligible or inconsistent associations within typical exposure ranges, with no reproducible dose threshold emerging. Overall risk of bias was high in 20/22 studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Sudden increases in HSR/sprint-related load may be associated with injury, but heterogeneity and bias limit certainty and preclude definitive thresholds.

REGISTRATION: OSF (osf.io/wquh2).