Current Research

Abstract

I t is well established that strength and endurance are codeterminants for soccer-specific performance tasks. Specifically, maximal strength is often related to acceleration, overall movement velocity, and jumping ability. These types of strength power activities contribute to the most decisive moments in a soccer match, and the ability to repetitively perform these types of activities is of particular importance to all levels of soccer players. However, much of the research on the relationship of strength, power, and high-intensity endurance capacity has been conducted on lower tier soccer players. To address this deficiency in the scientific literature, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology examined the effects of concurrent strength and endurance training on performance markers in elite soccer players. Specifically, 21 male, first league, elite soccer players between the ages of 20 and 31 years who recently took part in the Union des Associations Europeennes de Football Champions’ League participated in an 8-week training period that used aerobic interval training and high-intensity squat training. A pre-post research design was employed for this investigation because of the restrictions of working with elite athletes and the inability to find a suitable control population.