Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to compare performance on sand and a firm surface and to describe the physical capacity of male and female beach soccer players.Methods: Sixty-six male and 29 female competitive beach soccer players voluntarily participated in this study. Firstly, within-subjects test scores were compared to scores on a firm surface (criterion validity; n = 15 men) and reconducted on a second occasion (reliability; n = 51 men). Secondly, the best score on sand was retained to compare test performance between ages (classified as below 20, 20–30, and above 30 years) and sexes. Performance assessments included sprint time over 5 and 15 m (once on a firm surface and twice on sand), standing long jump (SLJ, once on a firm surface and twice on sand) and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1, once on a firm surface and once on sand; only data for men were available).Results: Five-m sprint and Yo-Yo IR1 performance on sand were not correlated to performance on a firm surface (P > 0.05). Test-retest reliability was acceptable for the 15-m sprint and SLJ tests (ICC > 0.90; CV < 5%). Performance in 15-m sprint and maximal sprinting speed were moderately lower in male players aged above 30 years. compared to players aged below 30 years (d = 0.35–0.42; P < 0.05). Irrespective of the age group, weight-bearing power-based performance mass was moderately to very largely higher in male players than in female players (d = 0.42–0.88; P < 0.05).Conclusions: The lack of a consistent relationship between performance on sand and on a firm surface might indicate the need to develop specific test batteries for sand-based athletes. Age-related differences in physical performance were evident only in sprint capacity. Further studies are warranted to elucidate our preliminary findings and to develop the sand specific tests.
Highlights
Beach soccer is a relatively new sport, having its beginning in the 1990s, and currently one of the fastest developing sports worldwide (FIFA)
Five-m sprint and Yo-Yo IR1 performance on sand were not correlated to performance on a firm surface (P > 0.05), with correlation coefficients at r = 0.14 and r = 0.34, whereas 15m sprint and SLJ performance on sand and firm service was correlated (r = 0.79 and r = 0.61, irrespectively; P < 0.05)
Test-retest reliability was acceptable for the 15-m sprint and SLJ tests (ICC > 0.90), while it was only found to be moderate for 5-m sprint time (ICC = 0.74)
Summary
Beach soccer is a relatively new sport, having its beginning in the 1990s, and currently one of the fastest developing sports worldwide (FIFA). Beach soccer is characterized as an intermittent sport of high intensity involving specific actions such as accelerations, jumps, and passes with the added difficulty of executing these skills on an unstable surface (sand). This places high demands on energy and the anaerobic system, with the average intensity >90% of maximum heart rate during most of the match (Rosario et al, 2015; Scarfone and Ammendolia, 2017; Leite, 2021). A team consists of more than twice as many players as the five players allowed on the pitch at the same time, which increases the demands on the players’ anaerobic capacity and power, and the importance of fast recovery
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