Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of futsal match-related fatigue on running performance, neuromuscular variables, and finishing kick speed and accuracy.Methods: Ten professional futsal players participated in the study (age: 22.2 ± 2.5 years) and initially performed an incremental protocol to determine maximum oxygen uptake (: 50.6 ± 4.9 mL.kg−1.min−1). Next, simulated games were performed, in four periods of 10 min during which heart rate and blood lactate concentration were monitored. The entire games were video recorded for subsequent automatic tracking. Before and immediately after the simulated game, neuromuscular function was measured by maximal isometric force of knee extension, voluntary activation using twitch interpolation technique, and electromyographic activity. Before, at half time, and immediately after the simulated game, the athletes also performed a set of finishing kicks for ball speed and accuracy measurements.Results: Total distance covered (1st half: 1986.6 ± 74.4 m; 2nd half: 1856.0 ± 129.7 m, P = 0.00) and distance covered per minute (1st half: 103.2 ± 4.4 m.min−1; 2nd half: 96.4 ± 7.5 m.min−1, P = 0.00) demonstrated significant declines during the simulated game, as well as maximal isometric force of knee extension (Before: 840.2 ± 66.2 N; After: 751.6 ± 114.3 N, P = 0.04) and voluntary activation (Before: 85.9 ± 7.5%; After: 74.1 ± 12.3%, P = 0.04), however ball speed and accuracy during the finishing kicks were not significantly affected.Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that despite the decline in running performance and neuromuscular variables presenting an important manifestation of central fatigue, this condition apparently does not affect the speed and accuracy of finishing kicks.
Highlights
Absolute variation between halves of distance covered; DCMIN, Absolute variation between halves of distance covered per minute; FPEAK, Absolute variation between moments of maximal 5-s isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) peak force; [La]MEAN, Mean blood lactate concentration; [La]PEAK, Peak blood lactate concentration
Using specific algorithms in MatLab (The Math Works Inc–Natick–MA–USA), the running performances were individually calculated: distance covered (DC), distance covered per minute (DCMIN), number of sprints (SN–every time the athletes exceeded the lowest speed at which the V O2max was reached) and time spent sprinting (ST– of sprints times) (Figure 2)
No differences were found between halves for [La]PEAK (1st half: 5.6 ± 2.6 mmol.L−1; 2nd half: 5.5 ± 3.5 mmol.L−1, effect size (ES) = −0.03, P = 0.93), [La]MEAN (1st half: 4.8 ± 2.3 mmol.L−1; 2nd half: 4.2 ± 2.2 mmol.L−1, ES = −0.25, P = 0.34), heart rate peak (HRPEAK)
Summary
Futsal is characterized by high-intensity intermittent exercises with short recovery periods (Castagna et al, 2009; Caetano et al, 2015), with 5 and 12% of the total playing time being sprinting and high-intensity running, respectively (BarberoAlvarez et al, 2008). The high physical demands of futsal induce match-related fatigue, resulting in impaired performance, as evidenced by a gradual reduction in total distance covered (Castagna et al, 2009; De Oliveira Bueno et al, 2014) and an increase in distance covered at speeds below 6 km.h−1 (i.e., walking and repositioning activities) (De Oliveira Bueno et al, 2014). Accuracy (Ali et al, 2007) and ball speed (Russell et al, 2011; Radman et al, 2016) have been found to be compromised by fatigue development, this may be counteracted by some strategies, such as the ingestion of carbohydrate rich drinks (Currell et al, 2009)
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