title: Soccer specific aerobic endurance training.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In professional soccer, a significant amount of training time is used to improve players' aerobic capacity. However, it is not known whether soccer specific training fulfils the criterion of effective endurance training to improve maximal oxygen uptake, namely an exercise intensity of 90-95% of maximal heart rate in periods of three to eight minutes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether ball dribbling and small group play are appropriate activities for interval training, and whether heart rate in soccer specific training is a valid measure of actual work intensity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six well trained first division soccer players took part in the study. To test whether soccer specific training was effective interval training, players ran in a specially designed dribbling track, as well as participating in small group play (five a side). Laboratory tests were carried out to establish the relation between heart rate and oxygen uptake while running on a treadmill. Corresponding measurements were made on the soccer field using a portable system for measuring oxygen uptake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exercise intensity during small group play was 91.3% of maximal heart rate or 84.5% of maximal oxygen uptake. Corresponding values using a dribbling track were 93.5% and 91.7%. No higher heart rate was observed during soccer training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Soccer specific exercise using ball dribbling or small group play may be performed as aerobic interval training. Heart rate monitoring during soccer specific exercise is a valid indicator of actual exercise intensity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7489 Trondheim, Norway. Jan.Hoff@medisin.ntnu.no
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wisløff
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Engen
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Kemi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Helgerud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*