Maturação biológica e incidência de lesões. Um estudo em jovens praticantes de futebol

Abstract

Soccer is the most practiced sport in Portugal, with a large proportion of youth participants. Injuries are a key concern for coaches and support staff, not only for their impact on participation but also for their potential repercussions on young athletes' trajectories. Among intrinsic risk factors, biological maturation has been consistently linked to greater vulnerability, although the available evidence remains heterogeneous and at times inconclusive. This study aimed to characterize injuries in youth soccer and examine their association with biological maturation. We conducted a prospective cohort study involving 273 male athletes (U11-U17) followed across three seasons (2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024). Anthropometric data (height and weight) were collected, and all injuries were recorded and classified by type, location, and severity. Biological maturation, specifically peak height velocity (PHV), was estimated using the Maturity Offset method, and athletes were categorized as pre‑PHV, at PHV, or post‑PHV. Across the three seasons analyzed, 414 injuries were recorded: 55.8% traumatic and 44.2% overuse. Myalgia/myositis (30.9%) and sprains (16.7%) were the most frequent. Athletes at PHV had a 42% higher injury incidence than their pre‑PHV peers, with no significant differences between pre‑ and post‑PHV groups (p<0.05). During PHV, injury types were evenly distributed (50.6% traumatic and 49.4% overuse), whereas in the pre‑ and post‑PHV phases, traumatic injuries predominated (65.9% and 58.9%, respectively). The likelihood of more severe injuries was also higher during and after PHV than before PHV. The period around PHV appears particularly vulnerable, underscoring the importance of systematic monitoring of biological maturation, individualized management of training load, and prevention programs tailored to each athlete's developmental stage.