Relationships between Aerobic Capacity and Special Physical Fitness in Youth Soccer Players

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine the effects of coordination training using an agility ladder compared with a control group on physical fitness and technical performance in youth soccer players. Eighteen male youth soccer players (age: 12.2 ± 0.4 years; body height: 158.3 ± 10.8 cm; body mass: 45.0 ± 8.0 kg) were randomly assigned to an agility ladder group (n = 10) or a control group (n = 8). The intervention program was carried out three times a week over six weeks. Before and after the training period, the 10 m sprint, 20 m sprint, dribbling speed test, agility test, and slalom dribbling test performances were assessed. Within-group analysis showed significant improvements (p < 0.005) in 10 m and 20 m sprint performance from the pre- to the post-test for the agility ladder group (-2.39% and -2.10%) and the control group (-2.54% and -1.44%). No significant differences (p > 0.005) were found from the pre- to the post-test in the dribbling speed test, agility test, slalom dribbling test, and skill index. In the between-group analysis, there were no differences between the agility ladder group and the control group in any variable. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest coordination training with an agility ladder does not seem to be effective to improve physical fitness and dribbling. Therefore, this information could be beneficial to players and coaches for programming tasks during soccer training sessions.

Download Full-text

Effect of Home Training according to COVID-19 on Physical Fitness for Elite Youth Soccer Players

The Korea Journal of Sport ◽

10.46669/kss.2021.19.3.065 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 729-737

Author(s):

Jeong-Hyun Shim ◽

◽

Chang-Hwa Joo

Keyword(s):

Physical Fitness ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Home Training

Download Full-text

The Influence of Anthropometrics, Physical Fitness, and Technical Skill on Performance of U-12 Youth Soccer Players in Malaysia

Enhancing Health and Sports Performance by Design - Lecture Notes in Bioengineering ◽

10.1007/978-981-15-3270-2_18 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 170-179

Author(s):

Ahmad Bisyri Husin Musawi Maliki ◽

Mohamad Razali Abdullah ◽

Mohamad Shafaat Fadzil ◽

Muhd Faris Nazer ◽

Muhammad Hafiz Zufaimey Ismail ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Fitness ◽

Technical Skill ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Youth Soccer

Download Full-text

Relationship Between Repeated Sprint Ability, Aerobic Capacity, Intermittent Endurance, and Heart Rate Recovery in Youth Soccer Players

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research ◽

10.1519/jsc.0000000000002193 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (12) ◽

pp. 3406-3413 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alejandro Rodríguez-Fernández ◽

Javier Sanchez-Sanchez ◽

Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo ◽

Fábio Y. Nakamura ◽

Jose A. Rodríguez-Marroyo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Aerobic Capacity ◽

Heart Rate Recovery ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Repeated Sprint Ability ◽

Repeated Sprint ◽

Sprint Ability

Download Full-text

Effects of Plyometric Training with Agility Ladder on Physical Fitness in Youth Soccer Players

International Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1055/a-1308-3316 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexis Padrón-Cabo ◽

Miguel Lorenzo-Martínez ◽

Alexandra Pérez-Ferreirós ◽

Pablo B. Costa ◽

Ezequiel Rey

Keyword(s):

Physical Fitness ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Training Group ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Control Group ◽

Plyometric Training ◽

Countermovement Jump ◽

Squat Jump ◽

Youth Soccer

AbstractThe aim of this study was to assess the effects of plyometric training with an agility ladder on components of physical fitness in youth soccer players. A total of twenty male under-13 soccer players were randomly assigned to a plyometric training group with an agility ladder (n=10) or a control group (n=10). Before and after training intervention linear sprint test (5 m, 10 m, 20 m), vertical jump ability (squat jump, countermovement jump and countermovement jump with arms), agility test, and slalom dribble test were assessed. The plyometric training with agility ladder was applied two times per week over six weeks. Data were analyzed using linear mixed model. The plyometric training group showed significant improvements (p<0.001) from pre-test to post-test in countermovement jump, countermovement jump with arms, and slalom dribble test. In the control group, no significant enhancements were obtained in all performance tests (p>0.05). The between-group analysis showed significant differences in countermovement jump with arms (p=0.03), but no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in squat jump, countermovement jump, sprint, agility test, and slalom dribble test. In conclusion, the short-term plyometric training with agility ladder seems to be ineffective and not time-efficient to improve physical fitness in youth soccer players. However, the interpretation of these results must be understood within the sample size limitations.

Download Full-text

The relative age effect in Brazilian soccer: so what?

Revista Andaluza de Medicina del Deporte ◽

10.33155/j.ramd.2020.03.007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 65-70

Author(s):

Dalmo Roberto Lopes Machado ◽

Pedro Pugliesi Abdalla ◽

Ana Claudia Rossini Venturini ◽

André Pereira Dos Santos ◽

Nilo Cesar Ramos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Fitness ◽

Partial Correlation ◽

Technical Skills ◽

Age Effect ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Chi Square ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Relative Age ◽

Relative Age Effect ◽

Significant Difference

Objectiveː our purpose was a) to describe the Relative Age Effect occurrence in Brazilian elite youth soccer players; b) to identify the association between Relative Age Effect and technical skills and c) to examine how Relative Age Effect can affect Physical Fitness. Method: Eighty-one Brazilian elite soccer players from three age-group teams (U-15, U-17 and U-20) were classified by birth quartiles according to their date of birth. Relative Age Effect was determined when there was a statistically significant difference between players who were born in BQ1 (January through March) to the other birth quartiles (Chi-Square). The association between Relative Age Effect and Technical Rankings was verified by the correlation. The partial correlation controlled for date of birth and for maturity offset was also performed. Relative Age Effect on Physical Fitness was verified by the variance (ANOVA) of its components on each team’s birth quartiles. Results: Players born in BQ1 were the most selected in U-15 (60%) and U-17 (35%) teams, but not in U-20 (25%). A low to moderate (Rho = 0.04 to 0.53) correlation was found between birth quartiles and Technical Rankings, while date of birth and maturation (partial correlation) effects were identified in the U-15 team. Although birth quartiles do not affect Physical Fitness (ANOVA), it may favour some Physical Fitness components (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The greater risk of Relative Age Effect in younger teams is due to the greater emphasis on technical skills. When date of birth and maturation are controlled for, the association between Technical Rankings and birth quartiles is reduced. There was no evidence that Relative Age Effect affected the players’ game performance.

Download Full-text

Seasonal Changes in 25(OH)D Concentration in Young Soccer Players—Implication for Bone Resorption Markers and Physical Performance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18062932 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 2932

Author(s):

Joanna Jastrzębska ◽

Maria Skalska ◽

Łukasz Radzimiński ◽

Agnieszka Niewiadomska ◽

Artur Myśliwiec ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Resorption ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Aerobic Capacity ◽

Work Capacity ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Football Players ◽

Squat Jump ◽

Counter Movement Jump ◽

Competition Period ◽

Observation Period

Searching for potential relations between changes in 25(OH)D concentration and in physical fitness is an interesting scientific topic. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in serum concentrations of 25(OH)D in young football players in conjunction with indicators determining bone resorption and physical fitness. A total of 35 young soccer players were tested during the autumn competition period. Biochemical analysis of blood, aerobic capacity, running speed and power tests (Wingate test, squat jump, counter movement jump) were carried out at the beginning and at the end of the competition period. Significant decrements in concentration of 25(OH)D from 33.9 ± 5.87 to 23.7 ± 5.58 ng/mL were noted after the analyzed competition period. There were no significant changes in aerobic capacity along the competition period. Significant improvements were observed in 10 m sprint, 30 m sprint (p < 0.001), maximal power (p = 0.011) and total work capacity (p = 0.024). We found that the effect of changes in the players’ physical fitness does not occur in relation to 25 OH(D) concentration but occurs when these changes are analyzed as a function of the duration of the observation period. Changes in physical fitness of soccer players are determined by other factors then 25(OH)D concentration.

Download Full-text