title: Body composition and physical performance during a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's soccer season.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in body composition (BC) and physical performance tests (PT) resulting from a competitive season in soccer. Twenty-five male collegiate players (age = 19.9 +/- 1.3 years; height = 177.6 +/- 6.4 cm; body mass = 77.6 +/- 8.6 kg, and percentage body fat = 12.8 +/- 5.2%) were tested before (PRE) and after (POST) the 2003-2004 National Collegiate Athletic Association season. The following tests were performed: BC (anthropometric and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements), vertical jump (VJ), 9.1-m (9 m) and 36.5-m (36 m) sprint, lower-body power (LP), total body power (TP), and cardiorespiratory endurance (VO(2)max). Training was divided into soccer-specific training: field warm-up drills, practices, games, and additional conditioning sessions. A daily, unplanned, nonlinear periodization model was used to assign session volume and intensity for strength sessions (total repetitions < or =96 and workload was > or =80% of 1 repetition maximum). For the entire team, body mass significantly increased by 1.5 +/- 0.4 kg from PRE to POST due to a significant increase in total lean tissue (0.9 +/- 0.2 kg). Regionally, lean tissue mass significantly increased in the legs (0.4 +/- 0.0 kg) and trunk (0.3 +/- 0.1 kg). Physical performance variables were very similar for the entire team at PRE and POST; VJ (cm) = 61.9 +/- 7.1 PRE vs. 63.3 +/- 8.0 POST, 9.1-m (s) = 1.7 +/- 0.1 PRE and POST, 36.5-m (s) = 5.0 +/- 0.2 PRE and POST, predicted VO(2)max (ml.kg.min(-1))= 59.8 +/- 3.3 PRE vs. 60.9 +/- 3.4 POST. The only significant improvements across the season were for TP (17.3%) and for LP (10.7%). In conclusion, soccer athletes who begin a season with a high level of fitness can maintain, and in some cases improve, body composition and physical performance from before to after a competitive season. A correct combination of soccer-specific practices and strength and conditioning programs can maintain and develop physical performance, allowing a soccer athlete to perform optimally throughout pre-, in-, and postseason play.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Judelson
authors.forename: Barry A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Spiering
authors.forename: Jakob L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vingren
authors.forename: Disa L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hatfield
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Carl M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Maresh
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*