ELITE soccer players with chronic low back pain (CLBP) or motor control impairment (MCI) may be able to maintain their game-day performance despite these conditions, according to new research. The cross-sectional study evaluated agility, speed, power, and balance in elite athletes and found no significant deficits compared with healthy peers.
The study included 60 elite male soccer players (average age 17.93 years, BMI 21.64 kg/m², training history averaging 8.68 years) divided into three groups: 16 players with physician-diagnosed CLBP, 28 with MCI identified through the Motor Control Test Battery, and 16 healthy controls. Pain levels in the CLBP group were measured using the Visual Analog Scale, averaging 4.04 out of 10, indicating moderate discomfort.
All participants underwent standardized athletic performance testing, including objective measures of agility, sprint speed, vertical jump power, and both static and dynamic balance. Statistical analysis using ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed no significant differences between the three groups across all performance metrics.
These findings suggest that elite-level soccer players may develop effective compensatory mechanisms that allow them to sustain high performance despite neuromuscular impairments. This adaptation could be due to advanced conditioning, sport-specific motor patterns, or long-term training adaptations.
The authors caution that while no performance impairments were detected, CLBP and MCI may still pose risks for long-term health and should be addressed through targeted prevention and rehabilitation strategies. Future longitudinal studies are needed to explore whether these conditions affect career longevity, injury risk, or performance under fatigue.
Reference:
Akkuş C, Demirel, A. The impact of chronic low back pain and motor control impairment on athletic performance in elite soccer players: a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2025;26:781.
