Abstract
The purpose of this research was to conduct a systematic review of published articles related to the effect of recreational football on non-communicable diseases.
A systematic review of Web of Science, SPORTdiscus, MEDLINE and PubMed databases was performed according PRISMA guidelines. Only empirical studies were included. There were no restrictions on the types of study design eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome measures result from the potential effects of recreational football on non-communicable diseases (e.g., blood pressure, bone density, LDL-Cholesterol, fat mass, etc.).
A total of 44 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included. Recreational football is shown to: (1) decrease blood pressure and resting heart rate, improve cardiac structure and functioning, as well as increase maximal oxygen uptake in both sexes; (2) reduce cholesterol and triglycerides levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and have a positive impact on glycaemic control; (3) improve bone mineralization, increase both bone mineral density and content, as well as acting as a stimulus for osteogenesis; (4) be clearly beneficial for bone health, whilst slightly beneficial for body composition, muscle strength and maximal oxygen uptake in adults with prostate cancer.
The present systematic review demonstrated the benefits of recreational football practice on non-communicable diseases related to cardiovascular and bone health, body composition, type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer. The effectiveness of recreational football on the aforementioned diseases may be related to age and gender; however, further research is required.
A systematic review of Web of Science, SPORTdiscus, MEDLINE and PubMed databases was performed according PRISMA guidelines. Only empirical studies were included. There were no restrictions on the types of study design eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome measures result from the potential effects of recreational football on non-communicable diseases (e.g., blood pressure, bone density, LDL-Cholesterol, fat mass, etc.).
A total of 44 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included. Recreational football is shown to: (1) decrease blood pressure and resting heart rate, improve cardiac structure and functioning, as well as increase maximal oxygen uptake in both sexes; (2) reduce cholesterol and triglycerides levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and have a positive impact on glycaemic control; (3) improve bone mineralization, increase both bone mineral density and content, as well as acting as a stimulus for osteogenesis; (4) be clearly beneficial for bone health, whilst slightly beneficial for body composition, muscle strength and maximal oxygen uptake in adults with prostate cancer.
The present systematic review demonstrated the benefits of recreational football practice on non-communicable diseases related to cardiovascular and bone health, body composition, type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer. The effectiveness of recreational football on the aforementioned diseases may be related to age and gender; however, further research is required.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 618-637 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 13 Dec 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2020 |
