Fluctuations in Well-Being Based on Position in Elite Young Soccer Players during a Full Season

The current study surveyed weekly and daily variations of well-being ratings relative to the Hooper Index (HI): fatigue (wFatigue), stress (wStress), delayed onset muscle soreness (wDOMS), and sleep quality (wSleep) during a soccer season based on players’ positions. The full-season was divided into three meso-cycles: Early season, week (W)1 to W7; Mid-season, W8 to W13, and Endseason, W14 to W20. Twenty-six young players participated in the study (age, 15.5 ± 0.2 years; height, 172.9 ± 4.2 cm; body mass, 61.4 ± 5.6 kg; body fat, 8.6 ± 2.9%; VO2max, 48.4 ± 2.4 mL.kg−1 ·min−1 ; maturity offset, 1.9 ± 0.3 years). Participants played in the same team and competed in Iran national under-16 competitions. Well-being status was monitored on training days using the HI questionnaire. The main result was a significant difference between well-being status 5 days before match day (MD) and 4 days before MD, compared to MD for all playing positions (p ≤ 0.001). The highest and lowest records occurred during End-season for wDOMS (strikers = 11.5 ± 8.4 arbitrary units (AU)), Early season (central defenders = 9.5 ± 0.7 AU) and for wFatigue (central midfielders = 11.4 ± 0.9 AU), and Early season (wide defenders = 9.7 ± 0.7 AU), respectively. Overall, the results showed a significant increase in wStress and wSleep for all players’ positions from Early- to End-season. The main application of this study is to make coaches aware of their players’ well-being fluctuations throughout the full season, especially in young elite soccer players, and to avoid injuries, overtraining, and overreaching as much as possible

Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit to Accelerometer-Based Training Monotony and Strain during a Soccer Season: A within-Group Study for Starters and Non-Starters

The purpose of this study was to analyze the intragroup differences in weekly training monotony (TM) and training strain (TS) between starter and non-starter male professional soccer players at accelerometry based variables throughout the periods of a season. TM and TS of different accelerations and decelerations zones for twenty-one players were followed for forty-eight weeks. Regardless of group, players obtained the highest mean TM (starters = 3.3 ± 0.6, non-starters = 2.2 ± 1.1, in arbitrary unit, AU) and TS (starters = 1288.9 ± 265.2, non-starters = 765.4 ± 547.5, AU) scores in the pre-season for accelerations at Zone 1 (<2 m/s2). The results also indicated that both groups exhibited similar TM and TS scores in accelerations at Zones 2 (2 to 4 m/s2) and 3 (>4 m/s2) across the entire season. While the starters showed the highest TM and TS scores at deceleration Zone 1 (<−2 m/s2) in the end-season, the non-starters exhibited the highest scores at the deceleration Zone 1 in pre-season. It seems that in pre-season, coaches applied higher levels of training with greater emphasis on deceleration for non-starters. This tendency was reduced over time for non-starters, while starters presented higher values of deceleration Zone 1. These results highlight the variations in TM and TS across the different periods of a full season according to match starting status among professional soccer players, and the results suggest that non-starter players should receive higher levels of load to compensate for non-participation in matches throughout a soccer season

An Overview on How Exercise with Green Tea Consumption Can Prevent the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Improve Sports Performance

Free radicals are reactive products that have multiple effects on the human body. Endogenous and exogenous antioxidants manage the overproduction of free radicals. However, an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant factors causes oxidative stress. Exercise and physical activity are factors that increase oxidative stress and disrupts the body’s homeostasis. Intensity and duration of training, training characteristics, and fitness level can have positive or negative effects on oxidative stress. Green tea consumption is recommended for the prevention of a variety of diseases, health maintenance, and weight loss. The effectiveness of green tea is primarily due to the presence of catechins and polyphenols, specifically (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties based on clinical and animal studies. This review investigates the effect of green tea exercise and their interactive effects on free radicals and sports improvement

Weekly Wellness Variations to Identify Non-Functional Overreaching Syndrome in Turkish National Youth Wrestlers: A Pilot Study

The present study aimed at (i) investigating weekly variations in wellness ratings relative to Hooper indicators (HI): fatigue (wFatigue), stress levels (wStress), delayed onset muscle soreness (wDOMS), sleep quality/disorders (wSleep), and wHI across the full preparation season (PS) and (ii) comparing the aforementioned variables between three periods: early-PS, week (W) W1 to W11; mid-PS, W12 to W22; end-PS, W23 to W32. Ten elite young wrestlers were involved in this study (age, 16 ± 0.7 years; height, 163 ± 4.8 cm; body mass, 57.7 ± 9.0 kg; VO2max, 48.7 ± 1.4 mL/kg−1/min−1 ). Wellness status was monitored daily using the HI questionnaire. The main results were found in W26 (24.2 ± 3.9 arbitrary units (AU)) and W14 (17.9 ± 7 AU) with the highest and lowest wDOMS, respectively. Decreases in wDOMS were reported during the PS. For wFatigue, the highest and lowest values belong to W19 (24.3 ± 3.3 AU) and W32 (16.7 ± 3.9 AU), respectively. In the case of wFatigue, the level increased within the PS. The highest wHI was observed in W19 (88.5 ± 7.7 AU) and the lowest in W32 (72.3 ± 6.1 AU). There were no significant changes between early-PS compared to midand end-PS, while significant changes were found for mid-PS in comparison to the end-PS. Changes in wDOMS, wStress, and wFatigue were in line with the changes in Hooper’s scoring. All PS daily monitoring results can provide a great standpoint from which coaches can determine wellness status throughout the season in elite youth level athletes. This information can be used to avoid the risk of injury, overtraining, and non-functional overreaching

Somatotype, Accumulated Workload, and Fitness Parameters in Elite Youth Players: Associations with Playing Position

The purpose of this study was three-fold: (1) to describe anthropometric, maturation, and somatotype differences of players based on playing positions; (2) to analyze variations of accumulated load training (AcL) and fitness parameters between playing positions; and finally (3) to explain the variation of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and peak power (PP) through the AcL, body fat (BF), maturity, somatotype and fitness levels. Twenty-seven male youth soccer players under-16 were divided by the following positions participated in this study: six central midfielders, four wingers (WG), five forwards, eight defenders, and four goalkeepers (GK). They were evaluated on two occasions: pre-season and after-season. Height, sitting height, body mass, BF, girths, percentage of BF (BF%), lean body mass, maturity, somatotype, sprint test, change of direction test, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1, Wingate, PP, VO2max and fatigue index were assessed. Then, AcL was monitored during training sessions. The main results revealed significant differences between player positions for maturity offset (p = 0.001), for BF (p = 0.006), BF% (p = 0.015), and lean body mass kg (p = 0.003). Also, there were significant differences for AcL and fatigue index in pre-season between player positions (p < 0.05). In addition, there were some significant differences in pre- and after-season for VO2max and PP between player positions (p < 0.05). In conclusion, GK showed higher values in anthropometric, body composition variables and maturity offset compared to the other positions, while WG presented lower levels of BF. In pre-season, there were more differences by player positions for the different variables analyzed than after-season that reinforces the tactical role of the positions, and the emphasis in increased load in the beginning of the season. This study could be used by coaches, staff, and researchers as a reference for athletes of the same sex, age, and competitive level.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., Grant/Award Number UIDP/ 04748/202

Effect of COVID-19 on Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents and Children: A Systematic Review

The aim of the present systematic review was to assess and provide an up-to-date analysis of the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children and adolescents. Thus, an electronic search of the literature, in two well-known databases (PubMed and Web of Science), was performed until February 2021 (without date restriction). PRISMA guideline methodology was employed and data regarding the HRQoL were extracted from eligible studies. Articles were included if they met the following inclusion criteria: (a) children and/or adolescent population (4 to 19 years old); (b) HRQoL as a main assessment; (c) German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English language; and (d) pre-pandemic and during pandemic HRQoL data. Following the initial search, 241 possible related articles were identified. A total of 79 articles were identified as duplicates. Moreover, 129 articles were removed after reading the title and abstract. Of the remaining 33 articles, 27 were removed since they were not focused on children or adolescents (n = 19), articles did not report pre- and post- pandemic HRQoL values (n = 6), articles were not focused on HRQoL (n = 6), and one article was an editorial. Finally, six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and, therefore, were included in the systematic review. A total of 3177 children and/or adolescents during COVID-19 were included in this systematic review. Three articles showed that COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the HRQoL of children and adolescents, and another did not report comparison between pre- and during COVID-19 pandemic, although a reduction in the HRQoL can be observed. Nevertheless, two articles did not find significant changes and another one did not report p-values. Regarding sex differences, only two studies analyzed this topic, observing no differences between girls and boys in the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on HRQoL. Taking into account these results, this systematic review might confirm that COVID-19 has a negative impact on the HRQoL of children and/or adolescents

Relationship between training load and match running performance in men's soccer

This study was done as part of a master thesis in sports training, Escola Superior de Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Portugal.Objectives: The main aim of this study was to test the relationship of volume and weekly training intensities with match-running demands of professional male soccer players. Methods: The training volume and intensity load and match demands of 18 professional soccer players (age: 20.7 ± 1.8 years) were monitored daily for 15 weeks. Results: Match high-speed running (mHSR) and match accelerations (mACC) were found to be moderately positively correlated with weekly HSR (wtHSR) and weekly ACC volume (wtACC) (r = 0.497; p < 0.01; r = 0.367; p < 0.01), respectively. Moderate positive correlations were also found between mHSR, mACC and mHSR and mean training intensity of ACC (mtACC) (r = 0.366; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Weekly HSR and ACC training volume and intensity have moderate associations with match HSR and ACC loads. Coaches should prioritize weekly HSR and ACC during the training process, for ensuring that players perform more HSR and ACC actions during the subsequent match

Associations between bio‑motor ability, endocrine markers and hand‑specific anthropometrics in elite female futsal players: a pilot study

Background: The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) has been calculated for individual athletes and sports, but it has not been investigated in futsal performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate any relationships between 2D:4D of the dominant and non-dominant hands and physical capacity performances, selected functional variables and hormone concentrations in elite female futsal players. Methods: Twenty-four elite female futsal players were measured for 2D:4D in the dominant (2D:4DD) and non-dominant (2D:4DND) hand. The futsal specific performance test (FSPT), hand-grip strength (HGS) and aerobic power were also assessed. In addition, selected circulatory hormones were measured (estradiol, cortisol, growth hormone and insulin like growth factor-1). Pearson’s correlation test was used to identify correlational relationships. Results: Total test-time and performance time (total time + penalty time) for the FSPT showed a significant correlation with 2D:4DD (r = 0.53, p = 0.005 and r = 0.55, p = 0.003, respectively). HGSND also displayed a significant correlation with the 2D:4DD (r = 0.59, p = 0.002). Aerobic power and time spent running on the treadmill also showed a significant relationship with 2D:4DND (both, r = 0.54, p = 0.006). Cortisol showed a significant correlation with 2D:4DD (− 0.58, p = 0.003) and 2D:4DND(− 0.52, p = 0.008). Conclusions: The measurement of 2D:4D ratio could be an important factor in determining potential performance attributes and talent identification of elite female futsal players. Further studies are needed in this area to further examine the results presented here

Acute Effects of Low Dose of Caffeine Ingestion Combined with Conditioning Activity on Psychological and Physical Performances of Male and Female Taekwondo Athletes

This study investigated low-dose caffeine ingestion, conditioning activity (CA) effects on psycho-physical performances in young taekwondo athletes. In a randomized, double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design, 20 athletes (10 males; 17.5 +/- 0.7 yrs) performed taekwondo-specific agility test (TSAT), 10 s/multiple frequency speed of kick test (FSKT-10s/FSKT-mult) after ingesting 3 mg.kg(-1) caffeine (CAF) or placebo (PL) 60 min before performing standard warm-up without (NoCA) or with CA (3 x 10 vertical jumps above 40 cm), resulting in four experimental (PL + NoCA, CAF + NoCA, PL + CA, and CAF + CA) and one control (warm-up session without CAF or CA) conditions. Mood/physical symptoms (MPSS), subjective vitality (SVS), and feeling (FS) scales were analyzed post-to-pre for all conditions. Ratings of perceived-exertion and perceived-recovery status were determined after tests. For TSAT, CAF + CA induced better performance compared with all conditions (p < 0.001). For FSKT-10s and FSKT-mult, CAF + CA induced better performance compared with all conditions (p < 0.001). For MPSS, FS, CAF + NoCA induced higher scores than PL + NoCA and PL + CA (p = 0.002, 0.009 for MPSS; p = 0.014, 0.03 for FS). For SVS, PL + CA elicited lower scores than PL + NoCA and CAF + NoCA (p = 0.01, 0.004). Sex comparisons resulted in better performances for males for TSAT (p = 0.008), FSKT-10s (p < 0.001), FSKT-mult (p < 0.01), MPSS (p = 0.02), SVS (p = 0.028), and FS (p = 0.020) scores. Caffeine and conditioning activity are two efficient performance-enhancing strategies, which could synergistically result in greater psycho-physical performances

The influence of opponent level on professional soccer players’ training and match performance assessed by using wearable sensor technology

Purpose. The study aim was 2-fold: to quantify and compare the weekly external training load that preceded matches; to compare in-match activities depending on the opponent level (top, middle, bottom) in a top-level team from the first profes sional Asian national league. Methods. The load for 6 matches played against top-, 11 against middle-, and 11 against bottom-level teams was monitored. With a 15-Hz Global Positioning System, total duration, total distance, high-speed (18–23 km ∙ h–1) running distance, sprint (> 23 km ∙ h–1) distance, maximal speed, acceleration zone 1 (AccZ1) ( 4 m ∙ s–2), deceleration zone 1 (DecZ1) (> –2 m ∙ s–2), DecZ2 (–2 to –4 m ∙ s–2), DecZ3 (< –4 m ∙ s–2), player load, and metabolic power were collected in 12 players. Results. DecZ3 showed higher values against top-level compared with middle- (effect size [ES] = 0.91) and bottom-level opponents (ES = 1.50). The training was significantly longer against middle-level compared with top- and bottom-level opponents (all, p 0.001). Total distance was bigger against middle-level compared with top- (p = 0.011, ES = –0.92) and bottom-level opponents (p = 0.027, ES = 1.50). AccZ2 presented higher values when middle-level came close compared with bottom-level opponents (p = 0.05, ES = 0.79). Conclusions. Opponent’s level influences the load experienced by soccer players during matches. Total distance, high speed running distance, AccZ1, and AccZ2 exhibited higher training values when a win or a draw approached. Decelerations in all zones were highest in matches against top-level teams.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio