Weekly Variations of Short-Duration Maximal Jumping Performance in Soccer Players: Exploring Relationships With Accumulated Training Load and Match Demands.

Rui Silva,André Bernardo,Filipe Manuel Clemente,Francisco Tomás González-Fernández,Luca Paolo Ardigò

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.690353

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was 2-fold: (1) to analyze variations of short-duration maximal jumping performance in players exposed to a match and those who were not and (2) to analyze the relationships between changes in the short-duration maximal jumping performance and different accumulated training load and match demands measures.Methods: Twenty-four professional soccer players (age: 20.3 ± 1.7 years) were monitored daily for their training load and match demands over 6 weeks. In addition, they performed a weekly short-duration maximal jumping performance test (72 h after the last match).Results: Negative moderate correlations were found between percentage of change of countermovement jump (CMJ) height and Acummulated training load (ATL) of total distance (TD), high metabolic load (HML), accelerations (ACC), and decelerations (DEC) (r = −0.38, p = 0.004; r = −0.33, p = 0.013; r = −0.39, p = 0.003; and r = −0.30, p = 0.026). No correlations were found for match load (ML). TD, HML, ACC, and DCC (r = 0.27, r = 0.25, r = 0.31, and r = 0.22, respectively) were used to predict the percentage of change of CMJ height.Conclusion: Match participation has negative effects on CMJ performance. The ATL of HML, ACC, DCC, and TD have a significant influence on both CMJ measures changes. Also, the ATL values of those metrics are the best predictors of the percentage changes of CMJ performance.

Highlights

Research done over the past few years shows that modern soccer players experience substantial increases in high-intensity activities during training and competitions (Barnes et al, 2014)
Over a repeated-sprint-ability exercise viz. a proxy for soccer running, a countermovement jump (CMJ)-based recovery was effective in increasing training load [e.g., the subjective rate of perceived exertion (RPE); Foster et al, 2001] without harming running mechanics (i.e., stretchshortening cycle (SSC))
The results revealed that none of the CMJ metrics manifested any changes (Lombard et al, 2020)

Summary

Introduction

Research done over the past few years shows that modern soccer players experience substantial increases in high-intensity activities during training and competitions (Barnes et al, 2014). These increased demands are accompanied by a training schedule that limits recovery after a training week that ends with a highly demanding match. After a single soccer match, athletes experience decreased physical performance for up to 72 h, as a result of fatigue (Silva et al, 2018). Neuromuscular fatigue results in decreased force-production capacity concurrent with impairments in the muscle-stretchshortening cycle (SSC), which are relevant issues for injury prevention and soccer performance maintenance perspectives (Debenham et al, 2015). Over a repeated-sprint-ability exercise viz. a proxy for soccer running, a countermovement jump (CMJ)-based recovery was effective in increasing training load [e.g., the subjective rate of perceived exertion (RPE); Foster et al, 2001] without harming running mechanics (i.e., SSC)

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