Abstract des Autors

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Over the last 20 years, there has been an explosion in women's soccer. Women make up 22% of the world's soccer players, and in the US, women represent 43% of all soccer players. This activity presents an aerobic impact which is not to be neglected (VO2max between 47 and 56 mL/mm/kg), even though these results are lower than those found in male soccer players. The same types of traumatic soccer injuries are found between female and male players, but there are, however, notable differences. Ankle sprains are found with the same frequency in female and male soccer players. In contrast, knee injuries are found more often in female players, especially anterior cruciate ligament tears. The reasons for these differences are certainly multifactorial, although there is a clear relationship between soccer injuries and both the level of fitness (which is lower for females than for males) and the differences in the maximal hamstring torque and recruitment of that torque. In contrast, it does not appear that hyperlaxity, which is more common in females, is in itself a risk factor. Finally, as for female athletes who specialize in long distance running, one finds certain characteristics common to both groups, such as more frequent episodes of amenorrhoea, the loss of bone mineral density, and a higher risk of stress fractures. Furthermore, the risk of traumatic injury appears to increase during the premenstrual phase, although it appears to be lower in women using contraceptive pills. As for male soccer players however, there is a development of preventive programs that will allow a reduction in the number of traumatic muscle injuries. Verf.-Referat