Infrared thermography to assess fatigue, injury risk factors and recovery in soccer: a systematic review of original studies.

BACKGROUND

Recovery after a training session or match is a key factor in injury prevention and sports performance. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze and consolidate the available scientific evidence from the main databases on the use of infrared thermography in the assessment of fatigue, injury risk factors, and recovery in soccer players.

METHODS

The literature search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and the PICOS model until June 30, 2025, in the main scientific databases (ScienceDirect, EMBASE, Web of Science (WOS), Cochrane Library, SciELO, MEDLINE/PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus). The risk of bias and methodological quality were assessed using the Cochrane Handbook guidelines and the PEDro scale."

RESULTS

The initial literature search yielded a total of 510 records. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final sample consisted of 20 studies, which were of high methodological quality. The results showed the effects of infrared thermography in assessing fatigue, identifying injury risk factors, and monitoring recovery processes in soccer players. The studies also systematically reported the characterization of the population, the assessment methods used, the variables analyzed, the methodological design, the main results, and the effects of the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Infrared thermography shows promise as a valid, reliable, and non-invasive tool for assessing skin temperature, reflecting temperature changes in response to physiological processes. It allows for the analysis of structural or metabolic fatigue and thermal asymmetries. Therefore, thermography could be used to design individualized recovery protocols.