2025 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster
Detecting Muscle Strain In Professional Football Players Through Plasma Myoglobin Levels
Yoshitomo Saita, MD, PhD, Tokyo JAPAN
Nanako Yamamoto, MD, Tokyo JAPAN
Muneaki Ishijima, MD, PhD, Tokyo JAPAN
Iwaki sports club, Iwaki, Fukushima, JAPAN
FDA Status Not Applicable
Summary
This study examines the use of blood myoglobin (MB) levels to detect muscle strains in athletes, involving 30 male footballers. Higher MB levels were found in the strain group compared to the non-strain group, with a cutoff value of 60.3 ng/mL indicating a significant likelihood of muscle strain. This suggests that MB measurement can effectively help athletes independently identify muscle strains.
ePosters will be available shortly before Congress
Abstract
Background
Muscle issues such as soreness, cramps, and strains are common consequences of sports exercise, making it critical to accurately identify the nature of muscle discomfort. It is important for not only medical professionals but also athletes and sports enthusiasts to recognize the potential for muscle strain on their own.
Methods
This prospective observational study explores the effectiveness of measuring blood myoglobin (MB) levels for detecting muscle strains among athletes. The study involved 30 male professional footballers monitored over one season. MB levels were measured the morning after players reported muscle pain. The analysis involved comparing these levels between two groups: one diagnosed with muscle strain through physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (strain group), and the other with muscle soreness or cramps (non-strain group). Statistics were conducted using SPSS ver 29.0, and the significance level was set at 5%.
Results
The strain group, consisting of nine players, showed significantly higher MB levels (124 ± 87.7 ng/mL) compared to the non-strain group, which included 15 players (49.9 ± 29.6 ng/mL, P < 0.01). A cutoff value of 60.3 ng/mL was determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for suspected muscle strain cases. Subsequent logistic regression revealed that MB levels exceeding this threshold were associated with a 32.0-fold increase in the likelihood of muscle strain (P = 0.005).
Conclusions
This finding suggests that blood myoglobin measurement can serve as a reliable tool for athletes to independently recognize the occurrence of muscle strains, even in settings without immediate medical oversight.