The Impact of Hardiness on Aerobic and Anaerobic Power Changes During a College Soccer Season

Abstract

1516 Though recent research has highlighted soccer-specific fitness changes that occur over the course of a competitive season in elite foreign players and referees, little is known about the performance changes in high-level collegiate soccer players in the U.S. or about proposed psychological factors that may moderate the response to the stress of training. PURPOSE: To determine physical performance changes of Division I college soccer players throughout the competitive season and the relationship of these changes to levels of psychological hardiness. METHODS: Aerobic and anaerobic power were assessed in male (N = 23) collegiate soccer players using the Yo-Yo N = intermittent recovery test and vertical jump, respectively. The fitness assessments were administered at the beginning and end of the preseason, and at midseason. Players also completed the Hardiness Scale (Nowack, 1991). RESULTS: Repeated measures MANOVA revealed significant fitness changes over the competitive season (P<.001). Follow-ups indicated that these changes occurred for both the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test and vertical jump (Ps<.01). From preseason to the start of the season, aerobic fitness improved 37.3 ± 17.1% (P<.001) while anaerobic power remained unchanged (−1.0 ± 2.8%, p>.20). From the start of the season to mid-season, aerobic fitness decreased slightly (−7.4 ± 14.9%, p = .051), but still remained higher than preseason values (P<.01). Anaerobic power decreased 3.2 ± 4.1% (P<.01) during this same period and was below preseason values (P<.01). Hardiness was only found to be related to changes in vertical jump during the period between the end of preseason and midseason (r = −.56, p<.01). CONCLUSIONS: Typical training prior to and during a competitive soccer season appears to favor improvements in aerobic power at the expense of anaerobic power. Thus, it may be advisable to increase training specifically devoted to anaerobic power in order to prevent deteriorations over the competitive season. Hardiness appears to be a better predictor of psychological changes than of performance changes seen with training.