Abstract
Purpose: This observational longitudinal investigation aimed to investigate whether change in bioelectrical regional phase angle (PhA) is a predictor of change in vertical jump performance in elite soccer players. Methods: Fifteen soccer players (age: 28.7 ± 5.0 years, body weight: 82.4 ± 6.8 kg, height: 186.0 ± 0.1 cm, body mass index: 23.8 ± 1.2 kg/m2) competing in the first Italian division (Serie A) were included in this study and tested before the pre-season period and after the first half of the championship. Whole body and lower hemisoma PhA were obtained with a phase-sensitive 50 kHz bioelectrical impedance analyzer and legs lean soft tissue was estimated using specific bioimpedance-based equation developed for athletes. Vertical jump performance was assessed using the countermovement jump (CMJ). Results: The major findings of the study are that changes in lower hemisoma PhA are more strongly related with changes in jump performance (r2 = 0.617, p = 0.001) than changes in whole-body PhA (r2 = 0.270, p = 0.047), even after adjusting for legs lean soft tissue and for body mass index (β = 5.17, p = 0.004). Conclusions: These data suggest that changes in lower hemisoma PhA might be used as a tool for evaluating performance related parameters in sports where specific body segments are involved, in preference to the whole-body measured value.
Highlights
In elite soccer players, higher levels of strength and power are required in order to reproduce intense muscular bursts such as accelerations and decelerations, maximal sprinting (30–40 times), turning (>700 times), tackling and jumping (30–40 times) [1].Notably, vertical jump performance is utilized to assess isometric and dynamic strength and is widely used in prescribing lower limb explosive strength training in elite soccer players [2].It is well known how different physical performance parameters including jumps are related to body composition features [3,4]
It has been shown that phase angle (PhA) is higher in soccer players than general population, while differences between athletes and controls seem to vary according to the sport/physical activity modality [7]
2: adjusted for legs lean soft tissue and body mass index. The aim of this investigation was to test the association between changes in lower hemisoma PhA and vertical jump in elite soccer players
Summary
Vertical jump performance is utilized to assess isometric and dynamic strength and is widely used in prescribing lower limb explosive strength training in elite soccer players [2]. It is well known how different physical performance parameters including jumps are related to body composition features [3,4]. It has been shown that PhA is higher in soccer players than general population, while differences between athletes and controls seem to vary according to the sport/physical activity modality [7]. Physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on PhA, which is higher in active individuals and significantly increases in active subjects in longitudinal studies when compared with controls [3,7]
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