Mapping Multi-Modal Fatigue in Elite Soccer Through Sweat-Omics Perspectives: A Narrative Review

Fatigue in elite soccer is a multifaceted phenomenon involving physical, metabolic, psychological, and neuromuscular stressors that accumulate over training and competition. Traditional monitoring tools, while informative, are often invasive, impractical during play, or fail to provide real-time insights. This narrative review synthesizes sweat-based biomarkers linked to fatigue in elite soccer, with a focus on multi-modal domains (neuromuscular, metabolic, inflammatory, psychological). Using an integrative approach, we reviewed studies published across databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science that evaluate sweat biomarkers of different types of fatigue in soccer. We identified key candidates—lactate, sodium, cortisol, IL-6, and hypoxanthine—and evaluated their potential in non-invasive monitoring. Youth-specific and female populations remain underrepresented. We also assessed each biomarker’s technological maturity using a sweat-specific Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework. Based on these findings, we propose a translational framework for practitioners and outline priorities for future research and validation in real-world sport settings.