Muscular and Physical Response to an Agility and Repeated Sprint Tests According to the Level of Competition in Futsal Players.

Jorge García-Unanue,José Luis Felipe,Leonor Gallardo,Enrique Colino,Esther Ubago-Guisado,Jorge López-Fernández,Javier Sánchez-Sánchez,Enrique Hernando,David Bishop

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.583327

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuromuscular response to an agility and repeated sprint ability (RSA) test according to the level of competition in futsal players. A total of 33 players from two elite teams and one amateur team participated in the study. The participants completed an agility t-test, a 30 m-speed test, and a RSA test. A countermovement jump (CMJ) test and a tensiomyography test of the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) of both legs were carried out before and after the tests. RSA test revealed better sprint times in elite players compared to amateurs in the seven bouts, as well as in the 30 m sprint and in the agility test (p < 0.05). Before the tests, elite players showed higher sustain time (Ts) in RF (+31.03 ms; ES: 0.76) and BF (+28.73 ms; ES: 0.73), higher half-relaxation time (Tr) in BF (+20.79 ms; ES: 0.94), and lower delay time (Td) in BF (−2 ms; ES: 1.19) compared to amateur players. However, post-test values did not present any significant differences (p > 0.05). In conclusion, elite players showed greater performance in the RSA test, in the 30 m tests and in the agility test compared to amateur players. The contractile properties were not a key factor in the RSA performance of the futsal players.

Highlights

Futsal is a sport in which players have an average heart rate greater than 85% of their maximum (Rodrigues et al, 2011) and is characterized by a great number of high-intensity efforts such as sprint, accelerations or decelerations (Caetano et al, 2015)
The results showed better times in the 30 m sprint (−0.17 s; effect size (ES): 0.86; CI 95%: −0.31 to −0.03; p = 0.01) and agility test (−0.62 s; ES: 2.30; CI 95%: −0.81 to −0.42; p < 0.001) in elite players
The variance analysis revealed a significant reduction in the Td (−1.22 ms; ES: 0.87; CI 95%: 0.003–2.436; p = 0.049), Ts (−49.16 ms; ES: 1.21; CI 95%: 26.19–72.14; p < 0.001), and Tr (−9.85 ms; ES: 0.90; CI 95%: 10.97–48.73; p = 0.002) in the rectus femoris (RF), and the Ts (−56.23 ms; ES: 1.31; CI 95%: 33.01–79.44; p < 0.001) in the biceps femoris (BF), of elite players

Summary

Introduction

Futsal is a sport in which players have an average heart rate greater than 85% of their maximum (Rodrigues et al, 2011) and is characterized by a great number of high-intensity efforts such as sprint (actions run over 5.08 m/s), accelerations (actions with a speed increment over 2 m/s2) or decelerations (break actions run over 2 m/s2) (Caetano et al, 2015). Futsal seems to demand a greater amount of high-intensity actions than other team sports like basketball, handball, or soccer (Naser et al, 2017). It can be expected high-intensity actions like sprints to be affected by a decrement in torque production of the knee flexor and the extensor muscles of futsal players due to acute fatigue (Dal Pupo et al, 2017). The repeated sprints actions separated by a short period of rest (15, 30, 45, or 60 s) are frequent in futsal (Caetano et al, 2015), so players’ neuromuscular response and resistance to fatigue play a fundamental role in decisive actions of the game despite the unlimited changes (Loturco et al, 2015)

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