Relationships Between Internal and External Load Measures and Fitness Level Changes in Professional Soccer Players.

Understanding the dose-response relationship between internal and external training load with changes in aerobic fitness and intermittent running capacity, during different periods of the season, may help in optimizing training process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the dose-response relationships between load measures and changes in aerobic fitness and intermittent running capacity among a large cohort of professional soccer players. Training load, aerobic fitness and intermittent running capacity of 52 male adult professional players from 3 elite teams were monitored across an entire season and analyzed employing linear mixed models, with a significance level set at p≤0.

Locomotor Muscle Fatigue Does Not Alter Oxygen Uptake Kinetics during High-Intensity Exercise.

The [Formula: see text] slow component ([Formula: see text]) that develops during high-intensity aerobic exercise is thought to be strongly associated with locomotor muscle fatigue. We sought to experimentally test this hypothesis by pre-fatiguing the locomotor muscles used during subsequent high-intensity cycling exercise. Over two separate visits, eight healthy male participants were asked to either perform a non-metabolically stressful 100 intermittent drop-jumps protocol (pre-fatigue condition) or rest for 33 min (control condition) according to a random and counterbalanced order.

Effect of bout duration on exercise intensity and technical performance of small-sided games in soccer.

To examine whether the increase in bout duration would affect the exercise intensity and technical actions, we manipulated bout duration during a typical small-sided game drill (SSG) in male soccer players. Nineteen players (mean ± SD: age 24 ± 4 years, body mass 74 ± 4 kg, and height 180 ± 5 cm) completed three bouts of a 3-a-side drill at three different bout durations: 2, 4, and 6 minutes. Exercise intensity was quantified using heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE).

Physiological determinants of Yo-Yo intermittent recovery tests in male soccer players.

The physiological determinants of performance in two Yo-Yo intermittent recovery tests (Yo-YoIR1 and Yo-YoIR2) were examined in 25 professional (n = 13) and amateur (n = 12) soccer players. The aims of the study were (1) to examine the differences in physiological responses to Yo-YoIR1 and Yo-YoIR2, (2) to determine the relationship between the aerobic and physiological responses to standardized high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIT) and Yo-Yo performance, and (3) to investigate the differences between professional and amateur players in performance and responses to these tests. All players performed six tests: two versions of the Yo-Yo tests, a test for the determination of maximum oxygen uptake (V(O)(2)(max)), a double test to determine V(O)(2) kinetics and a HIT evaluation during which several physiological responses were measured.

Effect of match-related fatigue on short-passing ability in young soccer players.

Purpose: To examine whether the fatigue accumulated during match play or determined by short bouts of high-intensity intermittent activities affect short-passing ability in junior soccer players. A further aim was to examine the influence of physical fitness as measured using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (YYIRT) on the changes in short-passing ability after a 5-min simulation of high-intensity activities (HIS).

Methods: Sixteen players (mean +/- SD: age 17.