Elite Gaelic Football Research Articles

A comparison of the physiological profiles of elite Gaelic footballers, hurlers, and soccer players

Background: Gaelic football, soccer, and hurling are prominent field games in Ireland and involve participants undertaking a variety of playing tasks and skills which place various physiological demands on the...

Physiological profile in relation to playing position of elite college Gaelic footballers

Objective: To examine the physiological profile, and its relation to playing position, of elite college Gaelic footballers.Method: The subjects were 28 elite Gaelic footballers (12 backs, 12 forwards, and four...

Creatine Use in Elite Team Sports in Ireland: Exploring Prevalence, Knowledge and Attitudinal Patterns

Creatine is a nutritional supplement that is commonly, if controversially, used as an ergogenic aid in sport. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence, use and knowledge of this substance among a sample of elite Gaelic football, rugby, and soccer players in Ireland. 460 male athletes completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire that examined their use and knowledge of creatine. Overall, 18.9% of the sample (n = 87) had not heard of creatine, 56.7% (n = 261) reported that they had heard of it but had never used it, a further 16.3% (n = 75) had used creatine in the past but were no longer doing so and 5.2% (n = 24) were currently using it. Further analysis showed some differences in patterns of use among those who had heard of creatine. In general, although there were more users at adult level than at school level, there was no difference in percentage of users across sport types. However, when school and adult players were examined separately, there were significantly more users in rugby at the adult level. The data indicate a higher awareness of this substance among adult rugby players than among players of other sports tested in the sample.

A pilot study examining injuries in elite gaelic footballers

Objectives—To quantify injuries in elite gaelic footballers and to determine the nature, sites, and outcome of injuries and the possible risk factors involved. Methods—Information on injuries was collected from six...

Physical and fitness characteristics of successful Gaelic footballers.

Anthropometric and fitness observations were made on 32 members of a top level Gaelic football squad that reached the All Ireland final in the year in which these measurements were taken. The subjects were found to be large and well muscled with a mean somatotype of 2.6:5.6:3.1 (endomorphy:mesomorphy:ectomorphy). Body fat content of the whole squad averaged 15.0% but the most successful group of players averaged 12.4%. The body mass index (BMI) of the group was high and averaged 24.7 km.m-2. This group of Gaelic footballers was found to be taller and heavier than top level soccer players but smaller than Australian rules and American footballers. At 58.6 ml.min-1.kg-1 maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) was higher than that reported for rugby players and American footballers and is probably similar to that of professional soccer players. Scores on three lung function tests: (1) forced vital capacity (FVC), (2) forced expiratory volume during 1 s (FEV1), and (3) peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were between 112% and 115% of the values predicted from height and age. There were wide variations in flexibility among the members of the group, the best individuals being as flexible as elite track and field athletes while the worst were less flexible than untrained subjects. Vertical jump scores were high and averaged 503 mm. The fitness observations made on this group of elite Gaelic footballers showed that they were not only fitter but more homogeneously fit than rugby players and American footballers and their fitness was generally similar to that reported for professional soccer players.