Assessment of the acclimatization influence on thermography patterns in youth football players: a pilot study

Elite football requires comprehensive monitoring to optimize player performance and minimize injury risk. In this sense, thermography is a validated way to monitor football players’ load, when using this technology is essential to realize an acclimatization for assessing thermal asymmetry, a crucial variable for injuries. This study aimed to investigate the impact of acclimatization on thermal patterns in elite junior football players. For this purpose, a four-week study was conducted with an elite youth team, involving thermography sessions at three distinct stages: immediately upon arrival, after 5 min, and after 10 min in a room with temperature and humidity set at the same values (20°C and 50%). Results indicated that while temperature decreased over time, significant differences in thermal asymmetry were observed only in some muscles; the most significant ones were in the hamstrings. This discrepancy in hamstring asymmetry may be attributed to uneven sedentary postures preceding the first thermographic photograph and players arriving either by running or by walking briskly to the test. In conclusion, while acclimatization may be crucial for hamstrings evaluation, it might not be as significant for other muscle groups or joints. The potential acclimatization difference for each muscle underscores the need for future investigations.