February 18 – A study in Norway has revealed that repeated heading and accidental head impacts in football can alter the blood structure of the brain.
Almost 50 Norwegian top-division players are reported to have taken part in repetitive heading drills in specially designed training sessions and blood samples were taken afterwards.
The findings, published in the scientific journal Brain Injury, is the latest report to highlight the dangers of heading.
Last July English football published recommended limits on heading for professional and amateur players in training. From next season professional players will be limited to 10 higher-force headers in training from long passes, corners or free-kicks, whereas in the amateur game players should be limited to 10 headers per week.
Stian Bahr Sandmo of the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, which led the latest study, said: “This is a relatively small sample-size exploratory study but future findings expanding upon our research could ultimately lead to an improved understanding of the potential hazardous effects of repetitive head impacts.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1736549984labto1736549984ofdlr1736549984owedi1736549984sni@w1736549984ahsra1736549984w.wer1736549984dna1736549984