AUTHOR=Freire Lucas Albuquerque, Brito Michele Andrade de, Esteves Natã Sant’anna, Tannure Márcio, Slimani Maamer, Znazen Hela, Bragazzi Nicola Luigi, Brito Ciro José, Soto Dany Alexis Sobarzo, Gonçalves Daniel, Miarka Bianca TITLE=Running Performance of High-Level Soccer Player Positions Induces Significant Muscle Damage and Fatigue Up to 24 h Postgame JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708725 DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708725 ISSN=1664-1078 ABSTRACT=This study aimed to determine the impact of a soccer game on the creatine kinase (Ck) response and recovery and the specific Global Positioning System (GPS)-accelerometry-derived performance analysis during matches and comparing playing positions. A sample composed of 118 observations of 24 professional soccer teams of the Brazil League Serie A was recruited and classified according to playing positions, i.e., Left/Right Defenders (D = 30, age: 25.2 ± 5.8 years, height: 187 ± 5.5 cm, weight: 80 ± 5.8 kg), Offensive Midfielders (OM = 44, age: 25.1 ± 0.2 years, height: 177 ± 0.3 cm, weight: 73 ± 1.2 kg), Forwards (F = 9, age: 25.1 ± 0.2 years, height: 176.9 ± 4.3 cm, weight: 74.5 ± 2.1 kg), Left/Right Wingers (M = 23, age: 24.5 ± 0.5 years, height: 175 ± 1.1 cm, weight: 74 ± 4.4 kg), and Strikers (S = 12, age: 28 ± 0.2 years, height: 184 ± 1.0 cm, weight: 80 ± 1.4 kg). Blood Ck concentration was measured pre-, immediately post-, and 24 h postgame, and the GPS-accelerometry parameters were assessed during games. Findings demonstrated that Ck concentrations were higher at all postgame moments when compared with pregame, with incomplete recovery markers being identified up to 24 h after the game (range: 402–835 U/L). Moreover, Midfielders (108.6 ± 5.6 m/min) and Forwards (109.1 ± 8.3 m/min) had a higher relative distance vs. other positions (100.9 ± 10.1 m/min). Strikers [8.2 (8.1, 9.05) load/min] and Defenders [8.45 (8, 8.8) load/min] demonstrated lower load/min than Wingers [9.5 (9.2, 9.8) load/min], Midfielders [10.6 (9.9, 11.67) load/min], and Forwards [11 (10.65, 11, 15) load/min]. These results could be used to adopt specific training programs and recovery strategies after match according to the playing positions.