Palmer Jac L, Bond Bert, Woodgates Alex, Jack Jacob, Smail Oliver, Baker Ryan, Williams Genevieve
Exeter Head Impact, Brain Injury and Trauma (EXHIBIT) Research Group, Public Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
The Vascular Research Group, Public Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Jul 2;7:1620442. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1620442. eCollection 2025.
Heading is an integral component of football, but concerns remain about its impact on brain health. This study examines the acute effects of heading on gross and fine motor control as a measure of the motor-cognitive function of women footballers.
The heading protocol for this study represented the typical exposure to headers experienced in the women's game: one every 10 min, for one hour, replicating a corner kick. A sample of 19 female collegiate football (soccer) players participated in two sessions: a control session, and a heading intervention. Gross motor control was assessed via measures of sway during standing balance, and fine motor control was evaluated using a precision finger grip task.
Results showed no significant changes in gross motor control, based on postural sway parameters. However, significant alterations were observed in fine motor control in the tremor frequency (0-4 Hz band) of precision gripping, indicating a potential change in motor-cognitive function following the heading task.
The findings suggest that exposure to the number and type of headers that might be performed over a typical football match does not impair standing balance, but it may affect fine motor control. Future research should look to incorporate brain imaging and electrophysiological measures to further understand the mechanisms underpinning changes in fine motor control performance after heading.
头球是足球运动不可或缺的一部分，但人们仍对其对大脑健康的影响感到担忧。本研究探讨头球对女子足球运动员的粗、细运动控制的急性影响，以此作为运动认知功能的一项指标。
本研究的头球方案模拟了女子比赛中典型的头球接触情况：每隔10分钟进行一次，共持续一小时，模拟角球情况。19名大学女子足球运动员参与了两个阶段：一个对照阶段和一个头球干预阶段。通过站立平衡时的摇摆测量评估粗运动控制，使用精确手指抓握任务评估细运动控制。
基于姿势摇摆参数，结果显示粗运动控制没有显著变化。然而，在精确抓握的震颤频率（0 - 4Hz频段）的细运动控制中观察到了显著变化，表明头球任务后运动认知功能可能发生了改变。
研究结果表明，在一场典型足球比赛中可能进行的头球数量和类型不会损害站立平衡，但可能会影响细运动控制。未来的研究应纳入脑成像和电生理测量，以进一步了解头球后细运动控制表现变化的潜在机制。
