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- Body composition variations between injured and non-injured professional soccer playersPublication . Martins, Francisco; França, Cíntia; Henriques, Ricardo; Ihle, Andreas; Przednowek, Krzysztof; Marques, Adilson; Lopes, Helder; Sarmento, Hugo; Gouveia, Élvio RúbioProfessional soccer is characterized by its physical demands, making players’ exposure to high injury risks a growing problem. It is crucial to study the factors associated with injuries in professional soccer. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between age, body composition, and others variables related with the injury profle of professional soccer players of a specifc Portuguese team. Also, it analyzed the impact of the injury profle on soccer’s variations in body fat (BF%), skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and total body water (TBW) throughout the season. The sample comprised 31 male professional soccer players competing in the First Portuguese Soccer League. Older players had a higher prevalence of muscular injuries. Midfelders and forwards showed the highest number of muscular injuries during the season being quadriceps the most afected zone. Considering players’ BF% [Wilks’ Lambda = 0.42, F (7, 23) = 4.61, p= 0.002, r = 0.58], SMM [Wilks’ Lambda = 0.59, F (6, 23) = 2.70, p= 0.039, r = 0.41] and TBW [Wilks’ Lambda = 0.54, F (7, 23) = 2.80, p= 0.029, r = 0.46] there was a substantial main efect for the assessments performed throughout the season and the injury status. Age assumes relevance in explaining the injury profle. The impact of the injury profle on soccer’s variations in BF%, SMM and TBW throughout the season must be analyzed considering the clinical relevance.
- Changes in Estimated Body Composition and Physical Fitness of Adolescent Boys after One Year of Soccer TrainingPublication . França, Cíntia; Martinho, Diogo V.; Gouveia, Élvio Rúbio; Martins, Francisco; Marques, Adilson; Ribeiro, Tiago; Nascimento, Marcelo de Maio; Lopes, Helder; Rodrigues, Ana; Ihle, AndreasSports participation is one of the most popular forms of physical activity among youngsters. This study aimed to examine the changes in the estimated body composition, strength, and flexibility of adolescent boys after 12 months of soccer training compared with those of age-matched controls with non-sports participation. We assessed 137 boys (62 soccer players and 75 controls) at baseline (TM1) and 12 months later (TM2). The differences in estimated body composition, strength, and flexibility were investigated using a repeated measure analysis of variance. The analysis revealed a significant main effect of soccer training on fat mass (F = 73.503, p ≤ 0.01, η2 = 0.59) and fat-free mass (F = 39.123, p ≤ 0.01, η2 = 0.48). Over time, the soccer group decreased their fat mass and increased their fat-free mass, while the opposite results were observed for the controls. Among physical fitness tests, a substantial effect of soccer training was evidenced for the sit-up performance (F = 16.224, p ≤ 0.01, η2 = 0.32). Regarding the time factor, significant effects were noted for height and handgrip strength. No significant differences were detected for flexibility. Overall, the benefits of soccer training were exhibited by the larger improvements in fat mass, fat-free mass, sit-ups, and handgrip strength performance, underlining the important role of soccer participation during adolescence.
- Physical Development Differences between Professional Soccer Players from Different Competitive LevelsPublication . França, Cíntia; Ihle, Andreas; Marques, Adilson; Sarmento, Hugo; Martins, Francisco; Henriques, Ricardo; Gouveia, Élvio Rúbio: In soccer, physical development is crucial for developing optimal performance. This study aimed to assess and compare the physical development of elite and non-elite professional soccer players. Seventy-eight male professional football players divided into four competitive levels par ticipated in this study: the elite group (EG), the non-elite group A (NEG-A), the non-elite group B (NEG-B), and the under 23 group (U23). Body composition, static strength, lower-body explosive strength, flexibility, and balance were assessed. No significant statistical differences between elite and non-elite players were seen in body composition parameters. However, the EG performed better in static strength, lower-body explosive strength, flexibility, and balance, even after adjusting for the effects of chronological age. The analysis showed that the competitive level (group) explained 25% to 29% of the variance observed in the lower-body explosive strength tasks. Sports staff and coaches in different age categories or competitive levels should include specific lower-body explosive strength content during soccer training to promote players’ long-term development towards the elite level.