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. 2020 Jun;54(12):731-738.
doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099422. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Spikes in acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) associated with a 5-7 times greater injury rate in English Premier League football players: a comprehensive 3-year study

Laura Bowen  1   2 , Aleksander Stephan Gross  2 , Mo Gimpel  3 , Stewart Bruce-Low  3 , Francois-Xavier Li  1
Affiliations

Spikes in acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) associated with a 5-7 times greater injury rate in English Premier League football players: a comprehensive 3-year study

Laura Bowen et al. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the relation between global positioning system (GPS)-derived workloads and injury in English Premier League football players (n=33) over three seasons.

Methods: Workload and injury data were collected over three consecutive seasons. Cumulative (1-weekly, 2-weekly, 3-weekly and 4-weekly) loads in addition to acute:chronic workload ratios (ACWR) (acute workload (1-week workload)) divided by chronic workload (previous 4-week average acute workload) were classified into discrete ranges by z-scores. Relative risk (RR) for each range was then calculated between injured and non-injured players using specific GPS variables: total distance, low-intensity distance, high-speed running distance, sprint distance, accelerations and decelerations.

Results: The greatest non-contact injury risk was when the chronic exposure to decelerations was low (<1731) and the ACWR was >2.0 (RR=6.7). Non-contact injury risk was also 5-6 times higher for accelerations and low-intensity distance when the chronic workloads were categorised as low and the ACWR was >2.0 (RR=5.4-6.6), compared with ACWRs below this. When all chronic workloads were included, an ACWR >2.0 was associated with a significant but lesser injury risk for the same metrics, plus total distance (RR=3.7-3.9).

Conclusions: We recommend that practitioners involved in planning training for performance and injury prevention monitor the ACWR, increase chronic exposure to load and avoid spikes that approach or exceed 2.0.

Keywords: GPS; Premier League; football; injury; workloads.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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