The straight-line run is the most frequent action in soccer goal scoring situations, and it deserves considerable attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the neuromuscular fatigue produced by an independent repeat sprint ability (RSA) test, a countermovement jump (CMJ) and a hamstring test (HT) in elite female soccer players. Twenty-four elite female soccer players participated in the study. The evaluation protocol included hamstring and CMJ tests before an RSA test (6 × 40 m 30 s rest), and hamstring and CMJ post-tests. Significant differences were found between pre–post HT measurements in the maximum angulation of the right leg (p = 0.012 Effect Size (ES) = 0.27), and the maximum velocity was higher in the left leg after RSA (p = 0.023 ES = 0.34). CMJ height after RSA was significantly lower than before the RSA test (p < 0.001 ES = 0.40). The sprint total time (SprintTT) and percentage difference (%Dif) increased throughout the RSA (p < 0.001, and ES = 0.648 and ES = 0.515, respectively). In elite female soccer players, it seems that the fatigue induced by an RSA test can be assessed through the loss of CMJ height and the different performance variables extracted from the RSA itself (e.g., Sprint_TT, Ideal Sprint). These findings could contribute to better performance management and injury prevention for elite female soccer players.

(1) Background: this study aimed to determine if there are differences in quadriceps and hamstring muscle activation in professional male and female soccer players. (2) Methods: muscle activation was recorded by surface electromyography in 27 professional soccer players (19 male and 8 female). The players performed the Bulgarian squat and lunge exercises. Vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris were the muscles analyzed. (3) Results: The statistical analysis of the hamstring:quadriceps ratio showed no significant differences (p > 0.05). Significant differences were found in the vastus medialis:vastus lateralis ratio for both the lunge exercise (t₂₀ = 3.35; p = 0.001; d = 1.42) and the Bulgarian squat (t₂₃ = 4.15; p < 0.001; d = 1.76). For the intragroup muscular pattern in the lunge and Bulgarian squat exercises, the female players showed higher activation for the vastus lateralis muscle (p < 0.001) than the male players and lower muscle activation in the vastus medialis. No significant differences were found in the rectus femoris, biceps remoris, and semitendinosus muscles (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Differences were found in the medial ratio (vastus medialis: vastus lateralis). Moreover, regarding the intramuscular pattern, very consistent patterns have been found. In the quadriceps muscle: VM>VL>RF; in the hamstring muscle: ST>BF. These patterns could be very useful in the recovery process from an injury to return players to their highest performance.

The main purpose of this study was to compare the validity of the take-off velocity method (TOV) measured with a force platform (FP) (gold standard) versus the flight time method (FT) in a vertical jump to measure jumping performance or neuromuscular fatigue-overload in professional female football players. For this purpose, we used a FP and a validated smartphone application (APP). A total of eight healthy professional female football players (aged 27.25 ± 6.48 years) participated in this study. All performed three valid trials of a countermovement jump and squat jump and were measured at the same time with the APP and the FP. The results show that there is a lack of validity and reliability between jump height (JH) calculated through the TOV method with the FP and the FT method with the FP (r = 0.028, p > 0.84, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = −0.026) and between the JH measured with the FP through the TOV method and the APP with the FT method (r = 0.116, p > 0.43, ICC = −0.094 (−0.314–0.157)). A significant difference between the JH measured through the TOV with the FP versus the APP (p < 0.05), and a trend between the JH obtained with the FP through the TOV and the FT (p = 0.052) is also shown. Finally, the JH with the FP through the FT and the APP did not differ (p > 0.05). The eta-squared of the one-way ANOVA was η2 = 0.085. It seems that only the TOV measured with a FP could guarantee the accuracy of the jump test in SJ+CMJ and SJ, so it is recommended that high-level sportswomen and men should be assessed with the FP through TOV as gold standard technology to ensure correct performance and/or fatigue-overload control during the sport season.

Sprinting is a fundamental component of the professional soccer player’s ability to achieve the highest performance in the sport. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of hamstring injury history on the neuromuscular fatigue produced by an RSA test in elite female football players. Nineteen female elite soccer players of the Second Spanish Soccer Division participated in the study. The participants were divided into: (1) a Control group who have not suffered previous muscular injuries and (2) a Hamstring group with previous hamstring injury at least one season prior to the protocol. The players performed a protocol consisting of a Repeat Sprint Ability Test (RSA) (6 × 40 m; 30 s rest), and CMJ and Hamstring tests before and after the RSA. The different variables of the study were compared between groups with a two-way ANOVA for repeated measures. The main findings from the present study were that, in subjects with previous hamstring injury, the performance was impaired compared with the control group: (1) in the initial meters of the sprint during an RSA there was a higher percentage difference between Sprint_TT and ideal Split in 0–10 m compared to 0–20 m in the hamstring group (p = 0.006; ES = 0.51); and in situations of high fatigue there was a higher %Dif1vs6 compared to %Dif1vs5 (percentage difference between the first sprint and fifth sprint) in the hamstring group (p = 0.005; ES = 0.54) compared with the control group. It seems that in elite female soccer players with previous hamstring injury, RSA-induced fatigue produces a greater decrease in the performance in the first 10 m of the sprint compared to the control uninjured players.

This systematic review examined the influence of menstrual cycle phases on lower-limb muscle activation patterns in eumenorrheic women. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus using the keywords: (menstrual cycle OR menstrual phase* OR menstruation) AND (neuromuscular activation OR muscle activation OR muscle activity OR neuromuscular control patterns) AND (electromyography OR EMG). Inclusion criteria required participants to be eumenorrheic women with regular menstrual cycles, verified through blood analysis and other physiological confirmation methods, and without menstrual disorders or hormonal contraceptive use. Additionally, eligible studies had to assess lower-limb muscle activation using electromyography. Seven studies met the criteria, comprising a total of 116 eumenorrheic women. Most studies reported no statistically significant differences in muscle activation patterns across menstrual cycle phases. Overall, hormonal fluctuations may influence muscle activation depending on the nature of the task performed (dynamic vs. static; fatiguing vs. non-fatiguing). Future research should incorporate larger sample sizes, longer monitoring periods, and more standardized methodological approaches.