Effects of Non-Sport-Specific Versus Sport-Specific Training on Physical Performance and Perceptual Response in Young Football Players

The Effects of Motor Imagery on Static and Dynamic Balance and on the Fear of Re-Injury in Professional Football Players with Grade II Ankle Sprains

Lateral ankle sprains are one of the most frequent athletic injuries in football, causing deficits in balance. Motor Imagery (MI) has been successively included in sports rehabilitation as a complementary therapeutic intervention. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of MI on static and dynamic balance and on the fear of re-injury in professional football players with Grade II ankle sprains. Fifty-eight participants were randomly allocated into two groups: First-MI group (n = 29) and second-Placebo group (n = 29), and they each received six intervention sessions. The first MI group received MI guidance in addition to the balance training program, while the second Placebo group received only relaxation guidance. One-way ANOVA showed statistically significant results for all variables, both before and 4 weeks after the interventions for both groups. The t-test showed statistically significant differences between the two groups for static balance for the right lower extremity (t = 3.25, S (two-tailed) = 0.002, p < 0.05) and also for heart rate (final value) in all time phases. Further research is needed in order to establish MI interventions in sports trauma recovery using stronger MI treatments in combination with psychophysiological factors associated with sports rehabilitation.

Effects of 6-Week Motor-Cognitive Agility Training on Football Test Performance in Adult Amateur Players - A Three-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial

Agility, defined as the ability to rapidly respond to unforeseen events, constitutes a central performance component in football. Existing agility training approaches often focus on change of direction that does not reflect the complex motor-cognitive demands on the pitch. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of a novel motor-cognitive dual-task agility training (Multiple-object tracking integrated into agility training) on agility and football-specific test performance parameters, compared to agility and a change of direction (COD) training. Adult male amateur football players (n = 42; age: 27±6; height: 181±7cm; weight: 80±12kg) were randomly allocated to one of the three intervention groups (COD, agility, agility + multiple object tracking). The Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT), a dribbling test with/without cognitive task as well as the Random Star Run (with/without ball) and the modified T-Test were assessed before and after a 6-week training period. Time effects within the T-Test (F = 83.9; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.68) and dribbling test without cognitive task (F = 23.9; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.38) with improvements of all intervention groups (p < 0.05) were found. Dribbling with cognitive task revealed a time effect (F = 7.8; p = 0.008; η2 = 0.17), with improvements exclusively in the agility and dual-task agility groups (p < 0.05). Random Star Run with and without ball exhibited a time (F = 38.8; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.5; F = 82.7; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.68) and interaction effect (F = 14.14; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.42; F = 27.8; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.59), with improvements for the agility and dual-task agility groups. LSPT showed no time, group or interaction effect. The effects of change of direction training are limited to change of direction and dribbling test performance within preplanned scenarios. In contrast, motor-cognitive agility interventions result in notable enhancements in football-specific and agility tests, incorporating decision-making and multitasking components. No differences were observed between agility and agility + multiple object tracking. To achieve a transfer to game-relevant performance, coaches should focus on integrating cognitive challenges into motor training.

Study on the Impact of Implementing an Exercise Program Using Fitlight Technology for the Development of Upper Limb Coordinative Abilities in Basketball Players

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of implementing a basketball-specific exercise program using Fitlight technology on the coordinative abilities (reactive coordination, reactive reaction time, and reactive movement combination capacity) of U14 and U16 junior basketball players. This study included 70 male basketball players, 36 subjects U14 and 34 subjects U16, divided into two equal groups for each age category: the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). This study included an initial and a final test, between which, training was conducted over a period of 18 weeks. For the EG, the program aimed to develop coordinative abilities through an experimental program that utilized Fitlight technology, while the control groups underwent an identically timed program, but their training did not include the use of technology. Four tests were adapted and applied: the Reactive Reaction Test, Choice Reactive Reaction Test, Reactive Hand-Eye Coordination Test, and a test to evaluate the reactive capacity for combining movements. The results of this study showed statistically significant progress between the initial and final tests for the experimental group, p < 0.05. The Cohen's d values for the experimental groups were above 0.8, indicating a very large effect size, while for the control group, these values were small to medium. The comparative analysis of the experimental groups U14 and U16 and control groups shows statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental groups U14 and U16. This study highlights the effectiveness of implementing specific training programs that use modern technologies in developing coordinative abilities in the training and evaluation process of junior basketball players.

Are Dryland Strength and Power Measurements Associated with Swimming Performance? Preliminary Results on Elite Paralympic Swimmers

This study aimed to identify the relationship between dryland tests and swimming performance in elite Paralympic swimmers. Fifteen competitive swimmers (age: 27.4 ± 5.4 years, height: 1.70 ± 6.8 m, body mass: 67.9 ± 9.2 kg; 9 males, 6 females) performed a lat pull-down and a bench press incremental load test to determine maximum power (Pmax), the strength corresponding to maximum power (F@Pmax), and the barbell velocity corresponding to maximum power (V@Pmax) from the force-velocity and power-velocity profiles. These outcomes were also normalized by the athlete's body mass. Swimming performance was carried out from the best result in a 100 m freestyle race registered during an international competition. Lat pull-down F@Pmax was significantly associated with 100 m freestyle chronometric time (ρ = -0.56, p < 0.05), and lat pull-down V@Pmax presented a relationship with mean swimming velocity (ρ = 0.71, p < 0.01). Similarly, bench press F@Pmax and the normalized F@Pmax were significantly related to the mean swimming velocity (ρ = -0.51, ρ = -0.62, p < 0.05). Stepwise multiple regression showed that lat pull-down V@Pmax, bench press normF@Pmax, and V@Pmax accounted for 40.6%, 42.3%, and 65.8% (p < 0.05) of the mean swimming velocity variance. These preliminary results highlighted that simple dryland tests, although with a moderate relationship, are significantly associated with 100 m freestyle swimming performance in elite Paralympic swimmers.

SAQ training on sprint, change-of-direction speed, and agility in U-20 female football players

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) training on performance changes in linear sprint speed, change-of-direction (COD) speed, and reactive agility of U-20 female football players. Nineteen female football players randomly served as either experimental (n = 9) or control groups (n = 10). The players were tested for physical fitness tests: linear sprint speed including both short and long distances (5- and 10-m sprints without a ball and 20- and 30-m sprints with and without dribbling), COD speed (arrowhead agility test with and without dribbling a ball, Southeast Missouri [SEMO] agility test, and 22-m repeated slalom dribbling test), and reactive agility. Significant group × time interactions were observed for sprint over long distances and COD speed but not for short sprint and reactive agility performances. Paired t-tests revealed considerable improvements in all performances from the pre-test to post-test for the SAQ group, except for the arrowhead agility (left; p = .07). The control group only exhibited significant improvements in 10-m sprint performance after general football training. Eight weeks of SAQ training were effective at enhancing acceleration, maximum sprint speed, and agility performances amongst highly trained U-20 female football players.

Acute Effect of Four Stretching Protocols on Change of Direction in U-17 Male Soccer Players

BACKGROUND

The ability to rapidly change direction while sprinting is a desirable athletic skill in soccer. Enhancing change of direction (COD) performance depends almost exclusively on specific training, with stretching traditionally considered one such intervention. However, the comparative impact of diverse stretching methods on COD in soccer players remains an area of interest. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of different stretching methods on COD ability in soccer players.

METHODS

Twelve male soccer players playing in the national championship football division II (age: 16.3 ± 0.3 years, height: 1.81 ± 0.10 m, body mass: 67.7 ± 7.2 kg) were tested for COD performance (i.e., Illinois agility test) after (1) control condition (20 min general warm-up without stretching), (2) static stretching, (3) dynamic stretching, (4) combined static-dynamic stretching, and (5) combined dynamic-static stretching. The duration of stretching intervention was approximately 6 min for static and dynamic stretching and 12 min for both the combined stretching conditions. The experimental sessions were separated by 72 h.

RESULTS

COD improved after dynamic stretching when compared to any other condition (p: 0.03-0.002; ηp2: 0.56-0.73), except for the control condition (p = 0.146; ηp2 = 0.18). In contrast, static stretching induced a detrimental effect on COD when compared only to the dynamic stretching condition (p < 0.01; ES = 1.35).

CONCLUSION

Dynamic stretching exercises used by male soccer players in the warm-up improved COD. Other forms of stretching exercises, particularly static stretching, negatively impacted the COD performance. Therefore, coaches can consider integrating dynamic stretching protocols tailored to the athletes' specific needs. Moreover, extending the investigation to encompass a wider range of athletes, including different age groups and genders, would enhance the applicability and generalization of the findings.

How Do Football Playing Positions Differ in Body Composition? A First Insight into White Italian Serie A and Serie B Players

The present study aimed to investigate how playing positions differ in specific body composition variables in professional soccer players with respect to specific field zones and tactical lines. Five hundred and six Serie A and B professional soccer players were included in the study and analyzed according to their playing positions: goalkeepers (GKs), central backs (CBs), fullbacks (FBs), central midfielders (MIDs), wide midfielders (WMs), attacking midfielders (AMs), second strikers (SSs), external strikers (ESs), and central forwards (CFs), as well as their field zones (central and external) and tactical lines (defensive, middle, and offensive). Anthropometrics (stature and body mass) of each player were recorded. Then, body composition was obtained by means of bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). GKs and CFs were the tallest and heaviest players, with no differences from each other. Likewise, GKs and CFs, along with CBs, were apparently more muscular (for both upper and lower limbs) and fatter at the same time compared with the other roles. Overall, players of the defensive line (CBs and FBs), along with those playing in central field zones (CBs, MIDs, AMs, SSs, and CFs), were significantly (p < 0.05) superior in almost all anthropometric and body composition variables than those of middle and offensive line and external zones, respectively.

Occupational Performance Coaching for Adults with Heart Failure: Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) usually experience functional disabilities and face participation challenges. Self-care behavior is an essential component of long-term management of HF. Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of occupational performance coaching (OPC) on self-care behaviors and participation in people with HF. Method: This study is a parallel group, single-blind, randomized controlled trial of 44 adults with HF, to evaluate the efficacy of OPC. Patients will be randomly allocated (1:1) into two groups. Both groups will receive usual self-care education and the intervention group will receive eight weekly sessions of OPC as well. We will measure the primary and secondary outcomes at baseline, 8, and 12 weeks after the intervention initiation. Implications: If OPC is superior to usual self-care education on improving self-care behavior and participation, the finding will support the integration of OPC into practice to improve participation and self-care behaviors of HF patients.

The Association of Sport Specialization With Youth Ice Hockey Position and Youth Ice Hockey Parents’ Perceptions of Sport Specialization

Attitudes and beliefs of parents about sport specialization may indicate why youth athletes decide to specialize. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between sport specialization level, ice hockey position, and the parent/guardians’ attitudes and beliefs on sport specialization. Our results demonstrate that goalies were the most likely to specialize, and parents of specialized ice hockey players tend to believe that sport specialization helps their child achieve future sporting aspirations. Increased sport specialization may put ice hockey goalies at an increased risk for overuse injuries, and parents’ beliefs about sport specialization may impact their child’s sporting behaviors.

Effects of speed, agility and quickness training programme on cognitive and physical performance in preadolescent soccer players

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a short-term (4 weeks) non-soccer-specific training programme based on speed, agility and quickness (SAQ) and a soccer-specific training programme based on small-sided games (SSG) on cognitive and physical performance in preadolescent soccer players. Twenty-one participants were randomly assigned to SAQ group (n = 11) or SSG group (n = 10). They were tested pre and post interventions on physical (5 m sprint, 20 m sprint and sprint with turns of 90°) and cognitive (inhibitory control by means of the Flanker task and perceptual speed by means of the visual search task) performances. Although no significant time x group interactions were observed, the main effect of time was significant for cognitive performance and 5 m and 20 m sprint, showing improvements after both SAQ and SSG. These findings highlight that 4 weeks of SAQ training programme induced comparable improvements in cognitive and physical performance with respect to a soccer-specific training programme based on SSG in preadolescent soccer players. Non-sport-specific activities targeting speed, agility and quickness combined with cognitive engagement (i.e., SAQ) should be useful strategies as soccer-specific activities to be included within a soccer training programme for promoting both physical and cognitive domain in preadolescent individuals.

Whole-body sensorimotor skill learning in football players: No evidence for motor transfer effects

Besides simple movement sequences, precise whole-body motor sequences are fundamental for top athletic performance. It has long been questioned whether athletes have an advantage when learning new whole-body motor sequences. In a previous study, we did not find any superior learning or transfer effects of strength and endurance athletes in a complex whole-body serial reaction time task (CWB-SRTT). In the present study, we aimed to extend this research by increasing the overlap of task requirements between CWB-SRTT and a specific sports discipline. For this purpose, we assessed differences between football players and non-athletes during motor sequence learning using CWB-SRTT. 15 non-athletes (CG) and 16 football players (FG) performed the CWB-SRTT over 2 days separated by one week. Median reaction times and movement times were analyzed as well as differences in sequence-specific CWB-SRTT learning rates and retention. Our findings did not reveal any differences in sequence-specific or non-sequence-specific improvement, nor retention rates between CG and FG. We speculate that this might relate to a predominately cognitive-induced learning effect during CWB-SRTT which negates the assumed motor advantage of the football players.

Association of phase angle and appendicular upper and lower body lean soft tissue with physical performance in young elite soccer players: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

In soccer, a better understanding of the bioimpedance parameters with physical performance may be useful to efficiently monitor and interpret players' performance variation throughout a certain period of the season. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between phase angle (PhA) and arms and legs lean soft tissue (ALST and LLST) with physical performance in young elite soccer players.

METHODS

Fifteen young male elite soccer players (age = 14.2±1.2 years, BMI = 20.51±1.38 kg/m2) participated in this investigation. Raw bioimpedance parameters (reactance, resistance, and phase angle) were obtained by a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device. Then, ALST and LLST were estimated. All players underwent a physical testing battery including countermovement jump (CMJ), 10-m and 20-m sprint, and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (YoYo IRTL1) in the domains of anaerobic and aerobic performance, respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed that LST (total, arms and legs) positively correlated with CMJ (0.64 < r < 0.69; p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with 10-m (-0.59 < r < -0.63; p < 0.05) and 20-m sprint (-0.67 < r < -0.73; p < 0.001), while PhA positively correlated with CMJ (r = 0.57; p < 0.05) and negatively correlated (r = -0.54; p < 0.05) only with 20-m sprint. No significant association was found between the BIA-related parameters (PhA and LST) and Yo- Yo IRT level 1.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings highlight the existing association of PhA and LST with jumping and sprinting performance in young elite soccer players. This result supports the use of BIA-related measures as a simple and practical approach to monitoring anaerobic performance changes, rather than aerobic, over time throughout the season.

Comparison of whole-body sensorimotor skill learning between strength athletes, endurance athletes and healthy sedentary adults

Motor sequences represent an integral part of human motor ability. Apart from simple movement sequences, complex coordinated movement sequences are the building blocks for peak athletic performance. Accordingly, optimized temporal and spatial coordination of muscle action across multiple limbs may be a distinguishing feature between athletes and non-athletes in many sports. In the present study, we aimed to assess differences between strength and endurance athletes and non-athletes during learning of a complex whole-body serial reaction time task (CWB-SRTT). For this purpose, 26 nonathletes (NAG) and 25 athletes (AG) learned the CWB-SRTT over 2 days separated by 7 days. Mean response times of participants were recorded and statistically analyzed for sequence-specific and non-sequence-specific improvements, as well as differences in learning rates and retention. Furthermore, AG was subdivided into strength (SG) and endurance (EG) athletes, and all analysis steps were repeated. Our results show a better mean response time of AG compared to NAG. However, we could not detect differences in sequence-specific or non-sequence-specific learning, as well as different retention rates between NAG and AG or SG and EG. We assume here that a potential lack of motor transfer between general athletic abilities and the specific complex motor sequence mainly accounts for our findings.