Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42394835›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in physiology2026

Infrared thermography to assess fatigue, injury risk factors and recovery in soccer: a systematic review of original studies.

Yehinson Barajas Ramón, Julio Calleja-González, José Luaces-Carreño, Álvaro Velarde-Sotres

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Yehinson Barajas RamónFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Santander, Spain.
Julio Calleja-GonzálezDepartment of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria, Spain.
José Luaces-CarreñoFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Santander, Spain.
Álvaro Velarde-SotresFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Santander, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Recovery after a training session or match is a key factor in injury prevention and sports performance. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze and consolidate the available scientific evidence from the main databases on the use of infrared thermography in the assessment of fatigue, injury risk factors, and recovery in soccer players. Methods: The literature search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and the PICOS model until June 30, 2025, in the main scientific databases (ScienceDirect, EMBASE, Web of Science (WOS), Cochrane Library, SciELO, MEDLINE/PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus). The risk of bias and methodological quality were assessed using the Cochrane Handbook guidelines and the PEDro scale." Results: The initial literature search yielded a total of 510 records. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final sample consisted of 20 studies, which were of high methodological quality. The results showed the effects of infrared thermography in assessing fatigue, identifying injury risk factors, and monitoring recovery processes in soccer players. The studies also systematically reported the characterization of the population, the assessment methods used, the variables analyzed, the methodological design, the main results, and the effects of the intervention. Conclusions: Infrared thermography shows promise as a valid, reliable, and non-invasive tool for assessing skin temperature, reflecting temperature changes in response to physiological processes. It allows for the analysis of structural or metabolic fatigue and thermal asymmetries. Therefore, thermography could be used to design individualized recovery protocols.

Indexed as

assessmentfatigueinfrared thermographyrecoverysoccer

Identifiers

PMID42394835
PMCPMC13322935

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.