BACKGROUND: Well-developed physical qualities may protect athletes from exercise-induced muscle damage and accelerate recovery following exercise. This study examined the influence of muscle strength and aerobic fitness on recovery from competitive soccer matches.METHODS: Fourteen players from the English Premier League 2 (Age, 18 ± 1 yrs; height, 1.78 ± 0.54 m; mass, 73.8 ± 6.3 kg) were equally divided (median split) into a higher or lower group for muscle strength and aerobic fitness, according to their isometric mid-thigh pull (IMPT) and maximal aerobic speed test (MAST) scores, respectively. The following markers of recovery were assessed before (48-h pre-match), 12 h (M+1), 36 h (M+2) and 60 h (M+3) after ~3 matches: countermovement jump height (CMJ), reactive strength index (RSI), muscle soreness (DOMS) and wellbeing.RESULTS: IMTP was positively correlated with the recovery of CMJ, RSI and DOMS following matches (P0.05).CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that stronger players recovered quicker after matches and highlights the importance of lowerbody strength training for soccer players.</div
