Using Smart Textile Sensor Socks for Injury Prevention in Latvian Youth Football Players Aged 14 to 18

What this Trial Is About

Lower limb injuries are very common in youth football players, making up 72% to 93% of all injuries in this group. Researchers are exploring how adding feedback during training can reduce injury risks, with current programs like FIFA 11 lowering injury rates by about 30%. This trial studies how a smart textile sock system that monitors foot pressure and provides real-time feedback might improve injury prevention in Latvian youth football players. Participants will take part in a 12-week prevention exercise program focusing on FIFA 11 tasks such as single leg stance and squats. One group will use the smart textile sock system to receive biofeedback during these exercises to help monitor and adjust lower limb positioning. Both groups will follow exercise monitoring instructions from the FIFA 11 user manual. The smart sock system aims to track biomechanical foot data and provide alerts to reduce injury risk. During the study, researchers will measure foot plantar pressure changes and functional movement before and after the 12-week exercise intervention. Additional data on age, sex, foot size, playing position, and user experience will be collected. The study will also track the predicted number of non-contact injuries for one year following the intervention. This comprehensive monitoring aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the smart textile biofeedback for injury prevention in youth football players.

Smart Textile Solutions as Biofeedback Method for Injury Prevention for Latvian Football Youth League Players