Amateur soccer players show acute elevations in blood biomarkers of neural damage after heading the ballFootball players who head the ball during an amateur soccer match show elevated levels of blood biomarkers associated with neural damage immediately after the game, potentially indicating acute brain injury. The more frequently a player heads the ball and the harder the impact, the more pronounced these temporary changes become. Blood levels return to normal within 24 to 48 hours. This is according to research by neuroscientists Marloes Hoppen, Marsh Königs, Jort Vijverberg, and colleagues at Amsterdam UMC in collaboration with the Royal Dutch Football Association.
