Effects of congested fixture and matches' participation on internal and external workload indices in professional soccer players.

This study aimed to verify the effects of congested fixture and matches' participation on internal and external workload indexes in professional Brazilian soccer players. Rate of perceived exertion-based training load (sRPE), distance- and accelerometry-based measures were daily monitored over 119 training sessions and 33 matches performed by 29 male outfield players. Weeks were classified as congested (n = 11, two or more matches within a 7-day period) and regular (n = 10, one match or less within a 7-day period). The players were divided based on the matches' participation: (1) players who played ≥ 60 min (G1); (2) players who played < 60 min (G2); (3) players who did not participate of the match (G3). The findings showed that independent of the levels of participation during the matches, regular weeks presented greater acute, monotony, and strain indices for internal and external workload measures than congested weeks. The G1 presented the highest values for most of the workload indices in both regular and congested weeks, except for monotony indices (internal and external load) that G2 showed greater values than G1 and G3. Coaches and practitioners should plan the training "doses" to reduce disparities of these different match's participation and congested schedule weeks.

The Effects of Physical Fitness on Postactivation Potentiation in Professional Soccer Athletes.

ABSTRACT: Guerra, MA Jr, Caldas, LA, Souza, HL, Tallis, J, Duncan, MJ, and Guimarães-Ferreira, L. The effects of physical fitness on postactivation potentiation in professional soccer athletes. J Strength Cond Res 36(6): 1643-1647, 2022-To investigate the relationship of the response to postactivation potentiation (PAP) with scores of physical fitness. Twenty-four professional male soccer players undertook tests of agility, muscular power, aerobic capacity, and body composition. Conditioning activities (CAs) were performed consisting of plyometrics exercises and sprints with sled towing. In the first and second sessions, body composition, agility, power, and aerobic capacity were assessed. At the third session, countermovement jumps (CMJ) were performed with 1, 3, and 5 minutes after the execution of the CA. Significant differences were found for CMJ height 1, 3, and 5 minutes after the CA compared with baseline values (3.58, 5.10, 5.48%, respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between the level of general physical fitness and PAP (CMJ height increase) 5 minutes after (r = 0.73). When the athletes were divided into groups with higher and lower physical fitness, the CA caused a significant increase in CMJ height in both groups, but a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed at all times after PAP induction, with better performance in higher versus lower fitness level. The results suggest that plyometrics exercises associated with sled towing sprints as a CA result in an increase in CMJ performance in athletes and that physical fitness directly influences the PAP occurrence, with higher fit players demonstrating an enhanced PAP response.

Acute Caffeine Ingestion did not Enhance Punch Performance in Professional Mixed-Martial Arts Athletes.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport where competitors utilize strikes (punches, kicks, knees, and elbows) and submission techniques to defeat opponents in a cage or ring. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acute caffeine ingestion on punching performance by professional MMA athletes. The study used a double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design. Eleven professional MMA competitors (27.6 ± 4.3 years and 83.5 ± 7.8 kg of body weight) ingested a dose of caffeine (5 mg·kg-1) or placebo 60 min prior to three sets of punching. Each set consisted of 15 s, at which participants were asked to perform straight punches with maximum strength and frequency with his dominant arm. After each set, a 45 s recovery time was applied. Using a force transducer attached to a cushioned plate, the punch frequency, and mean and maximal punch force was measured. The readiness to invest in both physical (RTIPE) and mental (RTIME) effort was assessed prior to the protocol, and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded after. Caffeine ingestion did not result in increased punching frequency, mean and maximum punch force, RTIPE, RTIME, and RPE when compared to the placebo condition. Based on these results, acute caffeine ingestion did not improve punching performance in professional MMA athletes.

The acute effects of plyometric and sled towing stimuli with and without caffeine ingestion on vertical jump performance in professional soccer players.

BACKGROUND: Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is the phenomenon by which muscular performance is enhanced in response to a conditioning stimulus. PAP has typically been evidenced via improved counter movement jump (CMJ) performance. This study examined the effects of PAP, with and without prior caffeine ingestion, on CMJ performance. METHODS: Twelve male professional soccer players (23 ± 5 years) performed two trials of plyometric exercises and sled towing 60 min after placebo or caffeine ingestion (5 mg.kg- 1) in a randomized, counterbalanced and double-blinded design. CMJ performance was assessed at baseline and 1, 3 and 5 min after the conditioning stimulus (T1, T3 and T5, respectively). RESULTS: Two way ANOVA main effects indicated a significant difference in jump height after the PAP protocol (F[3, 11] = 14.99, P < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.577). Analysis also indicated a significant difference in CMJ performance across conditions, with caffeine eliciting a greater response (F[1, 11] = 10.12, P = 0.009, partial η2 = 0.479). CMJ height was increased at T1, T3 and T5 in caffeine condition (5.07%, 5.75% and 5.40%, respectively; P < 0.01) compared to baseline. In the placebo condition, jump performance was increased at T3 (4.94%; P < 0.01) only. Jump height was higher in caffeine condition on T1, T3 and T5 (P < 0.05) but not on baseline (P > 0.05) compared to placebo. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that acute plyometric and sled towing stimuli enhances jump performance and that this potentiation is augmented by caffeine ingestion in male soccer players.