Latest research in football - week 43 - 2019

#1 Acute sleep hygiene strategy improves objective sleep latency following a late-evening soccer-specific training session: A randomized controlled trial
Reference: J Sports Sci. 2019 Dec;37(23):2711-2719. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2019.1661938. Epub 2019 Sep 6.
Authors: Vitale JA, La Torre A, Banfi G, Bonato M
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6768094/pdf/fphys-10-01187.pdf
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sleep hygiene (SH) education on sleep quality in soccer players after a late-evening small-sided-game (SSG) training session. Twenty-nine non-professional players were recruited and allocated to either an experimental group (EG, n = 17) that received SH education, or a control group (CG, n = 12). SSG consisted of 3 × 4 min in a 4vs4, with 3 min of recovery and was performed at 8.00 p.m. Sleep quality was monitored via actigraphy and sleep diary entries before (PRE) and two nights after (POST1, POST2) the SSG. Sleep latency (SL) differed between the two groups at POST1 (4.9 ± 5.4 vs. 15.5 ± 16.1 for EG and CG, respectively; p = 0.017, effect size [ES] = 2.0); SL values were lower at POST1 compared to PRE for the EG (-47%; p = 0.021, ES = 0.6). Subjective sleep quality was better in the EG than the CG at POST1 (8.6 ± 1.0 vs. 7.1 ± 2.0 for EG and CG, respectively; p = 0.016, ES = 0.9) with a significant improvement over PRE-values (+11.0%, p = 0.004, ES = 0.8). Although SL and subjective sleep quality did not decrease significantly from POST1 to POST2 values at POST2 no longer differed significantly form baseline and, hence, indicate that observed effects may be short-lasting. No other objective sleep indices were influenced by late-evening training or SH practices implemented by the EG. Soccer players may benefit from acute SH strategies to reduce the time to sleep onset after late-evening training sessions.


#2 New curve sprint test for soccer players: Reliability and relationship with linear sprint
Reference: J Sports Sci. 2019 Oct 13:1-6. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2019.1677391. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Fílter A, Olivares J, Santalla A, Nakamura FY, Loturco I, Requena B
Summary: The speed performance is involved not only in linear sprints, but also in a wide spectrum of multi-directional movements, such as curve sprinting. Curved sprint can be defined as sprint with gradual and continuous change of direction (COD). Although ~85% of the actions performed at maximum velocity in a professional soccer league are curvilinear sprints, there is not any specific test to assess this ability. This study aimed to analyse the reliability of a new curve sprint test, and compare its results with those obtained by soccer players in linear sprint. Forty experienced soccer players performed 3 attempts of curve sprint (using the penalty arc) to right and left side (17 m), and 3 linear sprints (17 m) in two different days. The ICCs (inter-session reliability) were 0.93 for sprint curve right side (CSRS) and 0.89 for sprint curve left side (CSLS), considered "acceptable". The CVs (intra-session reliability) were 0.87% in CSRS and 1.15% in CSLS. The coefficient of determination (R2) between linear and curve sprinting was ~35%. The association between curve sides was "very large" (r = 0.878; p < 0.01). In summary, we showed that "curve sprint test" is highly reliable, and that curvilinear and linear sprints are different and independent actions.


#3 The most demanding passages of play in football competition: a comparison between halves
Reference: Biol Sport. 2019 Sep;36(3):233-240. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2019.86005. Epub 2019 Jun 14.
Authors: Casamichana D, Castellano J, Diaz AG, Gabbett TJ, Martin-Garcia A
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6786330/pdf/JBS-36-86005.pdf
Summary: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the differences between halves in the most demanding passages of play in football players according to playing position and duration-specific activity. Global positioning system data were collected from twenty-three football players from a reserve squad of the Spanish La Liga. A total of 265 individual match half data were analysed across the competitive season. Players were categorised based on positional groups: full-back (FB), central defender (CD), midfielder (MF), offensive midfielder (OMF) and forwards (FW). The most demanding passage of match play was analysed using a rolling average method, where maximal values were calculated for five different time durations (1, 3, 5, 10 min and half completed) using distance (m·min-1), high metabolic load distance (HMLD; m·min-1) and average metabolic power (AMP; W·kg-1) as variables of interest. The differences between the first and second half increased as the rolling duration increased, reaching the greatest difference between halves in the complete half (45 min) in all the variables studied (ES = 0.54 ± 0.15, 0.75 ± 0.15 and 0.76 ± 0.15 in distance, HMLD and AMP). The CDs were the players that presented the greatest differences, and it was in the AMP variable where the greatest differences between the first and second half were found. Large decreases in AMP were found for CD (ES = -1.30 ± 0.36) and moderate decreases were found in AMP for FB (ES = -0.84 ± 0.30) and OMF (ES = -0.78 ± 0.37). These results provide insight into the most demanding passages of play to inform training practices for specific football playing positions.


#4 A method for predicting background advertisement exposure parameters in sporting events: Televised football game approach
Reference: PLoS One. 2019 Oct 17;14(10):e0223662. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223662. eCollection 2019.
Authors: Xiao Y, John C, Ren X, Zhang P
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6797103/pdf/pone.0223662.pdf
Summary: The background advertisement exposure parameters (BAEP) forms a premise for sponsorship negotiation and the basis for estimating the sponsorship value of background advertising. Prediction of the BAEP has a great contribution to the sporting events organizers and sponsors in terms of negotiating, decision-making for bidding, and income-generating. Virtual Reality (VR), technology was utilized to construct a virtual three-dimensional model of the sports venue and simulate the telecast of the event. Based on VR technology and computer graphics theory, a pre-event prediction method for estimating the background advertisement exposure parameters of sporting events was put forward. The pre and post measures of the thirty BAEP of televised football games were compared to verify the effectiveness of the prediction method. There was no significant difference between the pre- and post-measurement results for the same football game. The pre- and post-measurement results of the thirty BAEP of televised football games were tightly matched. Using the prediction method can predict the BAEP of televised football games effectively and overcomes the shortcomings of current prediction methods that inhibits the effectiveness of the prediction of exposure parameters due to changes such as the type of the sporting events, the size of the sports venue, the layout of the background advertisements, and the placement of the television cameras, etc.


#5 Trait Self-Control Discriminates Between Youth Football Players Selected and Not Selected for the German Talent Program: A Bayesian Analysis
Reference: Front Psychol. 2019 Sep 26;10:2203. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02203. eCollection 2019.
Authors: Wolff W, Bertrams A, Schüler J
Download link:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6775196/pdf/fpsyg-10-02203.pdf
Summary: Trait self-control predicts success in various walks of life. Sports is a prototypical domain, where self-control is required, and there is evidence that successful athletes display superior self-control. Here, we assess if self-control already differs between athletes that were selected for a talent development program and non-selected athletes. Self-reported trait self-control was assessed in n = 25 (7 = female, 13.2 ± 1.7 years) youth football players who were part of the German talent development program and in n = 27 (6 = female, 13.6 ± 1.8 years) age and sex matched youth football players, who trained at the same clubs but had not been selected for the program. A one-sided Bayesian two-sample t-test yielded a Bayes factor of 54.99, indicating very strong evidence for the hypothesis that elite youth football players have higher trait self-control than non-elite youth football players. The 95% credibility interval indicates that the true value of δ lies between 0.28 and 1.42, indicating some uncertainty regarding the effects' magnitude. We show that already at young age, elite athletes display higher levels of self-control than their less successful peers. This underlines the importance of self-control as an important personality factor for success. These findings might have implications for talent selection and for sport psychological training.


#6 Clinical Features and isokinetic Parameters in Assessing Injury Risk in elite Football Players
Reference: Int J Sports Med. 2019 Oct 15. doi: 10.1055/a-1014-2911. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Liporaci RF, Saad M, Grossi DB, Riberto M
Summary: Football players frequently face the occurrence of non-contact injuries. Although there are likely multiple factors that contribute to increased risk of non-contact injury, it remains a challenge to correlate all these factors. However, it is not clear how much of individual training abilities may interfere in these events. As such, the primary aim of the present study was to determine whether the reduction of functional performance of the thigh in the isokinetic knee tests, anthropometric and morbid history can establish risk factors for lower-limb musculoskeletal injuries throughout the season. The incidence of injuries and odds ratios were calculated for suspected risk factors. Hamstring/Quadriceps conventional ratio outside of the safety range (55-64%) may be involved in the occurrence of non-contact muscle injuries and the risk for any musculoskeletal injuries in the lower extremities is 16 times higher when extensor peak of torque exceeds 10% and 12 times higher when flexor peak of torque difference was greater than 10%. This kind of evaluation can result in intervention programs that may decrease the risk of lower-limb musculoskeletal injuries. Based on these results we can establish a specific and individualized exercise program for each athlete and thus protect them during the season.


#7 Psychological characteristics of developing excellence in elite youth football players in English professional academies
Reference: J Sports Sci. 2019 Oct 13:1-7. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2019.1676526. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Saward C, Morris JG, Nevill ME, Minniti AM, Sunderland C
Summary: This mixed-longitudinal prospective study examined the development of psychological characteristics of developing excellence in relation to the career progression of elite youth football players. In a 20-month period, 111 academy football players aged 11-16 completed the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire (PCDEQ) on 1-5 occasions. This combination of single and repeated assessments resulted in a mixed-longitudinal sample of 226 completed PCDEQs. Players were then prospectively tracked, and their scholarship status assessed at follow-up, at age U17. Multilevel modelling revealed that coping with performance and developmental pressures scores increased with age, and that Category 1-2 academy scholars (4.35 ± 0.61) scored higher than Category 3-4 academy scholars (3.99 ± 0.67) and non-scholars (4.02 ± 0.78) (p < .05). Evaluating performances and working on weaknesses scores increased with age for Category 1-2 academy scholars (U12-U14 vs. U15-U16 = 5.16 ± 0.48 vs. 5.38 ± 0.45), compared to non-scholars (U12-U14 vs. U15-U16 = 5.11 ± 0.59 vs. 5.03 ± 0.71) (p < .05). Imagery use during practice and competition scores decreased with age (U12-U14 vs. U15-U16 = 4.45 ± 0.66 vs. 4.29 ± 0.70) (p < .05). A blend of PCDEs may facilitate optimal career progression. Football academies should develop players' PCDEs, with a particular focus on developing their coping skills and their ability to realistically evaluate performances and work on weaknesses.


#8 How does the modern football goalkeeper train? - An exploration of expert goalkeeper coaches' skill training approaches
Reference: J Sports Sci. 2019 Jul 16:1-9. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2019.1643202. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Otte FW, Millar SK, Klatt S
Summary: The football goalkeeper position arguably represents a unique role within the team sport. Despite its highly complex skill demands, research on football goalkeeping has only sporadically examined the position within isolated and limited parameters. In particular, there is limited literature on "modern" skill acquisition training methods and approaches within the field of goalkeeper training. In a cross-cultural study with fifteen expert goalkeeper coaches, researchers here examined the overarching research question of "how does the modern football goalkeeper train?". Semi-structured interviews explored expert coaches' views on critical skills for performance in goalkeeping and the training approaches used to develop these critical skills. Results indicate that four skill sets are considered essential by goalkeeper coaches, these are: decision-making skills, athleticism, mentality, and technical skills. In terms of developing these skills in goalkeeper-specific training, the majority of expert coaches apply a similar microstructure to training sessions. This structure involves a steady progression from simple to complex training tasks, where for large parts, isolated technical training appears to be prioritised over a holistic training approach that integrates technical skills and perceptual-cognitive components (e.g., decision making). Scientific and practical recommendations for researchers and practitioners in the field of football goalkeeper coaching are provided.


#9 The effect of age on between-match physical performance variability in professional soccer players
Reference: Res Sports Med. 2019 Oct 20:1-9. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2019.1680985. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Lorenzo-Martínez M, Rey E, Padrón-Cabo A
Summary: This study aimed to analyse the effect of age on between-match variability of physical performance in professional soccer players. For this purpose, observations on entire match performance were collected on 787 professional soccer players competing in the first or second division of Spanish league during the 2017-2018 season. Players were classified into six groups according to their age: G1 (≤22.5 years), G2 (22.6-25.1 years), G3 (25.2-27.5 years), G4 (27.6-30.1 years), G5 (30.2-33.1 years) and G6 (≥33.2 years). Coefficients of variation (CVs) were calculated individually for each player and performance variable: total distance, low- intensity, medium-intensity, high-intensity running (HIR), sprinting, number of HIR, number of sprints, average speed and maximal speed. The main finding of this study was that players under 25.2 years (G1 and G2) showed lower CVs for high-intensity activities (HIR and sprinting) in comparison with players over 33.1 years (G6). These findings provide useful information for soccer coaches, who could put extra attention on physical performance of the oldest players when they have to play an entire match, because their performance is more variable and uncertain in comparison with the youngest.


#10 Basal Serum Cortisol and Testosterone/Cortisol Ratio Are Related to Rate of Na+ Lost During Exercise in Elite Soccer Players
Reference: Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019 Oct 17:1-6. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2019-0129. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Castro-Sepulveda M, Cancino J, Fernández-Verdejo R, Pérez-Luco C, Jannas-Vela S, Ramirez-Campillo R, Del Coso J, Zbinden-Foncea H
Summary: During exercise, the human body maintains optimal body temperature through thermoregulatory sweating, which implies the loss of water, sodium (Na+), and other electrolytes. Sweat rate and sweat Na+ concentration show high interindividual variability, even in individuals exercising under similar conditions. Testosterone and cortisol may regulate sweat Na+ loss by modifying the expression/activity of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. This has not been tested. As a first approximation, the authors aimed to determine whether basal serum concentrations of testosterone or cortisol, or the testosterone/cortisol ratio relate to sweat Na+ loss during exercise. A total of 22 male elite soccer players participated in the study. Testosterone and cortisol were measured in blood samples before exercise (basal). Sweat samples were collected during a training session, and sweat Na+ concentration was determined. The basal serum concentrations of testosterone and cortisol and their ratio were (mean [SD]) 13.6 (3.3) pg/ml, 228.9 (41.4) ng/ml, and 0.06 (0.02), respectively. During exercise, the rate of Na+ loss was related to cortisol (r = .43; p < .05) and to the testosterone/cortisol ratio (r = -.46; p < .01), independently of the sweating rate. The results suggest that cortisol and the testosterone/cortisol ratio may influence Na+ loss during exercise. It is unknown whether this regulation depends on the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator.


#11 Comparison of Drop Jump and Tuck Jump Knee Joint Kinematics in Elite Male Youth Soccer Players: Implications for Injury Risk Screening
Reference: J Sport Rehabil. 2019 Oct 18:1-6. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2019-0077. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Lloyd RS, Oliver JL, Myer GD, De Ste Croix MB, Wass J, Read PJ.
Summary: Despite the popularity of jump-landing tasks being used to identify injury risk factors, minimal data currently exist examining differences in knee kinematics during commonly used bilateral jumping tasks. This is especially the case for rebounding-based protocols involving young athletes. The aim was to compare the frontal plane projection angles (FPPAs) during the drop vertical jump (DVJ) and tuck jump assessment (TJA) in a cohort of elite male youth soccer players of varying maturity status. A total of 57 male youth soccer players from an English championship soccer club participated in this study. Participants performed 3 trials of the DVJ and TJA, during which movement was recorded with 2-dimensional video cameras. FPPA for both right (FPPA-r) and left (FPPA-l) legs, with values <180° indicative of medial knee displacement. On a whole-group level, FPPA-r (172.7° [7.4°] vs 177.2° [11.7°]; P < .05; effect size [ES] = 0.46) and FPPA-l (173.4° [7.3°] vs 179.2° [11.0°]; P < .05; ES = 0.62) were significantly greater for both limbs in the TJA compared with the DVJ; however, these differences were less consistent when grouped by maturity status. FPPA-r during the TJA was significantly and moderately greater in the circa-peak height velocity (PHV) group compared with the post-PHV cohorts (169.4° [6.4°] vs 175.3° [7.8°]; P < .05; ES = 0.49). Whole-group data showed moderate relationships for FPPA-r and FPPA-l between the TJA and DVJ; however, stronger relationships were shown in circa- and post-PHV players compared with the pre-PHV cohort. Considering that the TJA exposed players to a larger FPPA and was sensitive to between-group differences in FPPA-r, the TJA could be viewed as a more suitable screen for identifying FPPA in young male soccer players.