Activity Profiles and Mechanical Load in Amputee Football: A Case Study

Despite its growing popularity and competitive status, amputee football remains understudied, particularly regarding the physical demands imposed on players during high-level competitions. This study aimed to ex-amine the activity profiles and mechanical load of elite amputee football players during the 2022 World Cup. Two outfield amputee football players (age 27 and 33, body mass 68.0 kg and 79.4 kg, height 171 cm) partici-pated in the study. Activity profiles (e.g., total distance covered, high-speed running, sprinting) were assessed using GPS technology. Mechanical load parameters (e.g., accelerations, decelerations) were also ana-lyzed. During the World Cup, amputee players covered an average of 3.72 ± 0.69 km per game, with higher distances covered in the first half compared to the sec-ond. Players performed an average of 20 sprints per game, with a top speed of 22.75 ± 2.05 km/h. The av-erage A/D ratio was 0.8, indicating a balanced com-bination of acceleration and deceleration actions. These results demonstrate that amputee football at the professional level is a highly demanding sport, requir-ing players to exhibit exceptional physical capacities. The findings provide valuable insights for coaches and sports scientists seeking to optimize training programs and improve performance in amputee football.