Heading a soccer ball during recreational play causes short-term spikes in blood proteins associated with brain cell injury and Alzheimer's disease pathology, according to research published in JAMA Neurology and presented this month at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2026 in London. The findings come from a team at Amsterdam University Medical Center and apply not just to elite athletes but to everyday amateur players, including the millions of recreational and youth players across the United States.
A separate study presented at the same conference by researchers at Boston University found that longer soccer careers were associated with a higher risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Together, the two studies are among the most significant bodies of evidence presented at this year's AAIC on the neurological risks of soccer participation at all levels.
