scholarly journals The Importance of In-Season Strength and Power Training in Football Athletes: A Brief Review and Recommendations

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Yu ◽  
Claudio Altieri ◽  
Stephen P. BIRD ◽  
Glenn Corcoran ◽  
Gao Jiuxiang
Keyword(s):  
Injury Risk ◽  
Anaerobic Capacity ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Strength And Conditioning ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Power Characteristics ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Evidenced Based ◽  
Repeat Sprint Ability ◽  
Repeat Sprint

Football (soccer) performance requires a diversity of physical attributes and biomotor abilities, such as strength, power, jump mechanics, repeat sprint ability, change of direction and on-ball skills. In-season training focus is often based on metabolic conditioning activities such as small sided games, tactical and technical football drills and traditional running drills in order to further develop and maintain aerobic and anaerobic capacity. However, this often comes at the expense of strength training, which may be compromised for additional time on the pitch. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide an evidenced-based approach, to the periodisation of strength and power during a football season. Secondly, the increased popularity of incorporating on-pitch pre-rehabilitation and injury prevention programs that utilise unstable exercises during the entire season to maintain strength and power will also be discussed. Collectively, literature suggests that strength and power maintenance can be achieved with one strength session per week for football athletes. However, it is important for strength and conditioning coaches to continue the development of strength and power characteristics during a football season, which not only assists on-pitch performance but may also attribute to reduction of injury risk. Evidence supporting the effectiveness of on-pitch pre-rehabilitation programming centred on unstable training is lacking at this time.

Enhancing Change-of-Direction Speed in Soccer Players by Functional Inertial Eccentric Overload and Vibration Training

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Tous-Fajardo ◽  
Oliver Gonzalo-Skok ◽  
José Luis Arjol-Serrano ◽  
Per Tesch
Keyword(s):  
Average Power ◽  
Young Male ◽  
Performance Tasks ◽  
Linear Speed ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Cut Time ◽  
Vibration Training ◽  
Repeat Sprint Ability ◽  
Eccentric Overload ◽  
Repeat Sprint

Purpose:To examine the effects of a novel isoinertial eccentric-overload and vibration training (EVT) paradigm on change-ofdirection (COD) speed and multiple performance tests applicable to soccer.Methods:Twenty-four young male players were assigned to an EVT (n = 12) or conventional combined (CONV, n = 12) group, once weekly for 11 wk. EVT consisted of 2 sets of 6–10 repetitions in 5 specific and 3 complementary exercises. CONV used comparable volume (2 sets of 6–10 reps in 3 sequences of 3 exercises) of conventional combined weight, plyometric, and linear speed exercises. Pre- and postintervention tests included 25-m sprint with 4 × 45° COD every 5th m (V-cut test), 10- and 30-m sprints, repeat-sprint ability, countermovement jump, and hopping (RJ5).Results:Group comparison showed very likely to likely better performance for EVT in the COD (effect size [ES] = 1.42), 30-m (ES = 0.98), 10-m (ES = 1.17), and average power (ES = 0.69) and jump height (ES = 0.69) during RJ5. There was a large (r = –.55) relationship between the increase in average hopping power and the reduced V-cut time.Conclusions:As EVT, not CONV, improved not only COD ability but also linear speed and reactive jumping, this “proof-of-principle” study suggests that this novel exercise paradigm performed once weekly could serve as a viable adjunct to improve performance tasks specific to soccer.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Magnitude of Interlimb Asymmetries in Young Female Soccer Players: A Preliminary Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 475
Author(s):  
Javier Raya-González ◽  
Filipe Manuel Clemente ◽  
Daniel Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Asymmetry Index ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Countermovement Jump ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Jump Ability

Although asymmetries in lower limbs have been linked with players’ performance in male soccer players, literature that has been published addressing female soccer is scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was twofold: (i) describe the asymmetries of women soccer players during jumping, change-of-direction and range-of-motion tests; and (ii) test possible relationships between asymmetries and injury risk in female soccer players. Sixteen female players (15.5 ± 1.5 years) performed a battery of fitness tests (i.e., jump ability, change-of-direction ability and passive range-of-motion) and muscle mass analysis via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, through which the specific asymmetry index and the related injury risk were calculated. Significant (p < 0.05) lower asymmetries in the change-of-direction test were observed in comparison to those observed in jumping and range-of-motion tests; significant (p < 0.05) lower asymmetries in muscle mass were also reported compared to those found in the change-of-direction and countermovement jump tests. Additionally, increased injury risk for countermovement jump and hip flexion with extended knee range-of-motion (relating to asymmetry values) and for ankle flexion with flexed knee range-of-motion in both legs (relating to reference range-of-motion values), as well as increased individual injury risk values, were observed across all tests. These findings suggest the necessity to implement individual approaches for asymmetry and injury risk analyses.

scholarly journals Training Practices of Academy Rugby League and their Alignment to Physical Qualities Deemed Important for Current and Future Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 512-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam McCormack ◽  
Ben Jones ◽  
Kevin Till
Keyword(s):  
Training Session ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
Maximum Speed ◽  
Reference Source ◽  
Strength And Conditioning ◽  
Career Longevity ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Future Performance ◽  
Development Plans ◽  
Athletic Development

This study aimed to investigate rugby league coaches’ perceptions of physical qualities for current and future performance, while also establishing the training practices of under-16 and under-19 players. Twenty-four practitioners (rugby coach, strength and conditioning coach) working within nine Super League clubs completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire required practitioners to rank eleven physical qualities (i.e. strength, power, acceleration, maximum speed, aerobic endurance, change of direction, agility, height, body mass, lean mass and fat mass) by importance for current performance, future performance and career longevity according to playing position (forwards, backs, hookers and halves). Practitioners were asked to provide detail on the frequency and duration of each type of training session completed during a typical week throughout each phase of the season; pre-season, in-season (early), in-season (mid) and in-season (late). Typically, practitioners ranked strength, power and acceleration qualities highest, and endurance and anthropometric qualities lowest. The importance of physical qualities varied according to each playing level and position. Training practices of under-16 and under-19 players differed during each phase of the season, with under-19 players undertaking greater training volumes than under-16s players. Overall, the physical qualities coaches perceived as most important were not reflected within their training practices. Rugby league practitioners can use this information as a reference source to design long term athletic development plans, prescribe training and during player development procedures. Moreover, these data can inform and improve training practices while influencing the design of pre-season preparatory phases and in-season periods.

Effects of 5-week pre-season small-sided-game-based training on repeat sprint ability

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Rodríguez-Fernández ◽  
Javier Sánchez Sánchez ◽  
José A. Rodríguez-Marroyo ◽  
David Casamichana ◽  
José G. Villa
Keyword(s):  
Repeat Sprint Ability ◽  
Repeat Sprint ◽  
Sprint Ability

scholarly journals The effect of limb dominance on change of direction biomechanics: A systematic review of its importance for injury risk

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 179-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Dos’Santos ◽  
Chris Bishop ◽  
Christopher Thomas ◽  
Paul Comfort ◽  
Paul A. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Limb Dominance

Physical and Physiological Characteristics of Various-Sided Games in Elite Women’s Soccer

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 953-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn K. Mara ◽  
Kevin G. Thompson ◽  
Kate L. Pumpa
Keyword(s):  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Conditioning Stimulus ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Maximum Speed ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Aerobic Conditioning ◽  
Repeat Sprint Ability ◽  
Repeat Sprint ◽  
Women's Soccer

Purpose:To investigate the physical and physiological response to different formats of various-sided games.Methods:Eighteen elite women’s soccer players wore 15-Hz global positioning system devices and heart-rate (HR) monitors during various-sided games (small, 4 vs 4 and 5 vs 5; medium, 6 vs 6 and 7 vs 7; large, 8 vs 8 and 9 vs 9).Results:Players covered more relative sprinting distance during large-sided games than in small-sided (P < .001, d = 0.69) and medium-sided (P < .001, d = 0.54) games. In addition, a greater proportion of total acceleration efforts that had a commencement velocity <1 m/s were observed in small-sided games (44.7% ± 5.5%) than in large-sided games (36.7% ± 10.6%) (P = .018, d = 0.94). This was accompanied by a greater proportion of acceleration efforts with a final velocity equivalent to the sprint threshold in large-sided games (15.4% ± 7.7%) than in small-sided games (5.2% ± 2.5%) (P < .001, d = 1.78). The proportion of time spent in HR zone 4 (>85% maximum HR) was greater during small-sided games (69.8% ± 2.5%) than in medium- (62.1% ± 2.8%, d = 2.90) and large-sided games (54.9% ± 3.1%) (P < .001, d = 5.29).Conclusions:The results from this study demonstrate that coaches can use small-sided games as an aerobic conditioning stimulus and to develop players’ explosiveness and repeat-sprint ability over short durations. Large-sided games can be used to maintain aerobic capacity and develop maximum speed over longer distances.

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