ABSTRACT
Introduction Athletic pubalgia (AP) injuries requiring surgical repair in elite-level soccer players are significant injuries with the potential of impacting a player's playing time and performance. Currently, no data exists explicitly analyzing Major League Soccer (MLS) players' return to play (RTP) rates and performance following these surgeries. Methods A retrospective review of publicly available data of all MLS players who underwent surgery to repair an isolated AP injury from the league inception year of 1993 through 2021 was performed. Demographic data at the time of injury was collected. Athletes who successfully returned to play for at least two seasons in the MLS were matched to healthy controls in a 1:2 ratio by demographics and position. The index year was defined as the season, including pre- and post-season, that the surgery occurred. RTP date and performance metrics one and two years pre- and post-index year were collected. Statistical analysis was performed. Results Eighty-eight players underwent surgical repair for AP from 1993 through 2021. Eighty-five athletes were able to successfully RTP (96.5%). Twenty-five players met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The average RTP time was 1.08±4.92 months. During the combined seasons following surgery, athletes in the AP group displayed a significant reduction in minutes played compared to the two combined seasons prior to surgery (4153±912.77 vs. 3405.36±1342.35 minutes; p=0.03). There was no significant reduction in performance metrics when compared to both prior season statistics and the matched cohort (p>0.05). Conclusion There is a high RTP rate among MLS players who undergo isolated surgical repair of AP. Although there was a significant reduction in combined minutes played in the two ensuing seasons following surgery, athletes who RTP demonstrated equivalent performance metrics comparable to their pre-injury seasons as well as to a matched cohort.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Vinegar reduces postprandial glycemia (PPG) in healthy adults. This study investigated the vinegar dosage (10 vs. 20 g), timing (during mealtime vs. 5 h before meal) and application (acetic acid as vinegar vs. neutralized salt) for reducing PPG. METHODS: Four randomized crossover trials were conducted in adults (n = 9-10/trial) with type 2 diabetes (1 trial) or without diabetes (3 trials). All trials followed the same protocol: a standardized meal the evening prior to testing, an overnight fast ( 1 10 h) and 2-hour glucose testing following consumption of a bagel and juice test meal (3 trials) or dextrose solution (1 trial). For each trial, PPG was compared between treatments using area-under-the-curve calculations 120 min after the meal. RESULTS: Two teaspoons of vinegar ( 10 g) effectively reduced PPG, and this effect was most pronounced when vinegar was ingested during mealtime as compared to 5 h before the meal. Vinegar did not alter PPG when ingested with monosaccharides, suggesting that the antiglycemic action of vinegar is related to the digestion of carbohydrates. Finally, sodium acetate did not alter PPG, indicating that acetate salts lack antiglycemic properties. CONCLUSIONS: The antiglycemic properties of vinegar are evident when small amounts of vinegar are ingested with meals composed of complex carbohydrates. In these situations, vinegar attenuated PPG by 20% compared to placebo.
