| Summary: | Objectives The aim of the study was to analyse whether the controlled heading of soccer balls elicits increased serum concentrations of a biochemical marker of brain tissue damage S-100B. Methods Nineteen male soccer players were randomly divided into two groups, A and B. Group A headed a soccer ball falling from 18 m five times, while group B served as controls (no heading). Blood samples were taken before and 0.5 h, 2 h and 4 h after the heading for analysis of S-100B. Results No statistically significant (p > 0.05) increases in serum concentrations of S-100B were encountered in group A at 0.5 h (0.109 ± 0.024 μg/L), 2 h (0.098 ± 0.026 μg/L), and 4 h (0.113 ± 0.035 μg/L) when the blood samples obtained before and after the heading were compared (0.157 ± 0.134 μg/L). No statistically significant difference was found when the serum concentrations of S-100B were compared between groups A and B either before or after heading. Conclusions Heading a soccer ball dropped from a height of 18 m five times was not found to cause an increase in serum concentrations of S-100B, indicating that the impact was not sufficient to cause biochemically discernible damage of brain tissue.
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