Flexibility of Posterior Muscle Chain in Amateur Soccer Athletes

Abstract

Soccer is a sport characterized by short duration and high intensity motor actions, alternated with periods of motor action of longer duration and lower intensity. Those particularities can cause a high number of injuries, since they require a high physical capacity of the athlete, becoming a reason of concern on part of team. Thus, the objective of this study has been to assess the flexibility of the posterior muscle chain of amateur soccer athletes. That is a cross-sectional and descriptive study, linked to the research entitled "Physiotherapeutic performance in orthopedic and sports dysfunctions". For development of the research were evaluated 32 male athletes, aged between 17 and 20 years and with current contract in the club. Participant athletes have been interviewed individually, and the questionnaire developed by researchers was applied and Wells bench linear test (sit and reach) was used to assess the level of flexibility of the posterior muscle chain. According to the study, 56.26% of the athletes presented flexibility at an unsatisfactory level, while only 18.74% presented high flexibility. It was observed that only in midfield the athletes presented a predominance of above-average flexibility (23.52%) and in all other positions the highest percentage index was for poor flexibility. It has concluded the posterior muscular chain in soccer athletes presents a high index of flexibility classified as bad, which can impair performance and generate injuries, provoking a large number of disadvantageous events.