Effects of Recreational Soccer on Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Soccer is a very popular team sport that involves a variety of physical actions, such as sprints, accelerations, sudden decelerations, and jumps, among others. Research has placed recreational soccer in a good position as a strategy to increase physical activity levels and promote health across the lifespan. In this regard, recreational (non-competitive) soccer promotes social interaction and has the potential to increase long-term adherence to physical activity, even in those without prior experience in this sport. In this narrative review, we address the effects of recreational soccer on various health outcomes across the lifespan (i.e., from childhood to the elderly years) in both sexes. In addition, the beneficial effects of recreational soccer for people with prevalent pathologies, such as hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, and cancer, are discussed.