Recovery during Successive 120-min Football Games: Results from the 120-min Placebo/Carbohydrate Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the recovery kinetics (i.e., time-dependent changes) of performance-related variables between two 120-min male football games performed 3 d apart with and without carbohydrate supplementation. METHODS: Twenty male players (20 ± 1 yr; body fat, 14.9% ± 5.1%; maximal oxygen consumption, 59.4 ± 3.7 mL·kg -1 ·min -1 ) participated in two 120-min football games (G1, G2) according to a randomized, two-trial, repeated-measures, crossover, double-blind design. Participants received carbohydrate/placebo supplements during recovery between games. Field activity was monitored during the games. Performance testing and blood sampling were performed before and at 90 and 120 min of each game. Muscle biopsies were collected at baseline and at 90 and 120 min of G1 and pre-G2. RESULTS: Compared with G1, G2 was associated with reduced total distance (10,870 vs 10,685 m during 90 min and 3327 vs 3089 m during extra 30 min; P = 0.007-0.038), average (6.7 vs 6.2 km/h during extra 30-min game-play; P = 0.007) and maximal speed (32.2 vs 30.2 km/h during 90 min and 29.0 vs 27.9 km/h during extra 30 min; P < 0.05), accelerations/decelerations ( P < 0.05), and mean heart rate ( P < 0.05). Repeated sprint ability ( P < 0.001), jumping ( P < 0.05), and strength ( P < 0.001) performance were compromised before and during G2. Muscle glycogen was not restored at G2 baseline ( P = 0.005). Extended game-play reduced lymphocyte, erythrocyte counts, hematocrit, hemoglobin, reduced glutathione ( P < 0.05) and increased delayed onset of muscle soreness, creatine kinase activity, blood glycerol, ammonia, and protein carbonyls ( P < 0.05) before and during G2. Pax7 + ( P = 0.004) and MyoD + cells ( P = 0.019) increased at baseline G2. Carbohydrate supplementation restored performance and glycogen, reduced glycerol and delayed onset of muscle soreness responses, and increased leukocyte counts and Pax7 + and MyoD + cells. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that extended football games induce a prolonged recovery of performance, which may be facilitated by carbohydrate supplementation during a congested game fixture.

Post-Game High Protein Intake May Improve Recovery of Football-Specific Performance during a Congested Game Fixture: Results from the PRO-FOOTBALL Study.

The effects of protein supplementation on performance recovery and inflammatory responses during a simulated one-week in-season microcycle with two games (G1, G2) performed three days apart were examined. Twenty football players participated in two trials, receiving either milk protein concentrate (1.15 and 0.26 g/kg on game and training days, respectively) (PRO) or an energy-matched placebo (1.37 and 0.31 g/kg of carbohydrate on game and training days, respectively) (PLA) according to a randomized, repeated-measures, crossover, double-blind design. Each trial included two games and four daily practices. Speed, jump height, isokinetic peak torque, and muscle soreness of knee flexors (KF) and extensors (KE) were measured before G1 and daily thereafter for six days. Blood was drawn before G1 and daily thereafter. Football-specific locomotor activity and heart rate were monitored using GPS technology during games and practices. The two games resulted in reduced speed (by 3-17%), strength of knee flexors (by 12-23%), and jumping performance (by 3-10%) throughout recovery, in both trials. Average heart rate and total distance covered during games remained unchanged in PRO but not in PLA. Moreover, PRO resulted in a change of smaller magnitude in high-intensity running at the end of G2 (75-90 min vs. 0-15 min) compared to PLA (P = 0.012). KE concentric strength demonstrated a more prolonged decline in PLA (days 1 and 2 after G1, P = 0.014-0.018; days 1, 2 and 3 after G2, P = 0.016-0.037) compared to PRO (days 1 after G1, P = 0.013; days 1 and 2 after G2, P = 0.014-0.033) following both games. KF eccentric strength decreased throughout recovery after G1 (PLA: P=0.001-0.047-PRO: P =0.004-0.22) in both trials, whereas after G2 it declined throughout recovery in PLA (P = 0.000-0.013) but only during the first two days (P = 0.000-0.014) in PRO. No treatment effect was observed for delayed onset of muscle soreness, leukocyte counts, and creatine kinase activity. PRO resulted in a faster recovery of protein and lipid peroxidation markers after both games. Reduced glutathione demonstrated a more short-lived reduction after G2 in PRO compared to PLA. In summary, these results provide evidence that protein feeding may more efficiently restore football-specific performance and strength and provide antioxidant protection during a congested game fixture.