The Effect of Multitasking on Female Soccer Player Jump Landing Ground Reaction Force

Abstract

: Soccer players experience many injuries during jump landing after heading a ball. Some have attributed these injuries to multitasking during a jump with a header. The purpose of the study was to compare vertical ground reaction force (GRF) during jump landings from a vertical jump to that of a jump with an attempt to head a soccer ball. Fourteen Division II women soccer players (age 19.35 ± 0.93years; weight 569 ± 80 N; height 163 ± 6cm) completed a series of three jump conditions, three times each. These jumps included maximum countermovement vertical jumps (VJ), jumps where they headed a soccer ball (JH), and jumps where they attempted to head a soccer ball but missed (JM).The JH condition was uses for deception as participants were unaware of the JM condition. Data from VJ and JM were compared. Participants showed greater peak GRF and peak loading rate (LR) on the dominant compared to the non-dominant limb for the JM condition (p<0.05). Injury prevention programs may improve by integrating sport specific multitasking exercises into their routines. Adding different cognitive elements could yield better research representation of what happens during landing in real game situations.