title: Aerobic fitness ecological validity in elite soccer players: a metabolic power approach.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the association between match metabolic power (MP) categories and aerobic fitness in elite-level male soccer players. Seventeen male professional soccer players were tested for VO2max, maximal aerobic speed (MAS), VO2 at ventilatory threshold (VO2VT and %VO2VT), and speed at a selected blood lactate concentration (4 mmol·L(-1), V(L4)). Aerobic fitness tests were performed at the end of preseason and after 12 and 24 weeks during the championship. Aerobic fitness and MP variables were considered as mean of all seasonal testing and of 16 Championship home matches for all the calculations, respectively. Results showed that VO2max (from 0.55 to 0.68), MAS (from 0.52 to 0.72), VO2VT (from 0.72 to 0.83), %VO2maxVT (from 0.62 to 0.65), and V(L4) (from 0.56 to 0.73) were significantly (p < 0.05 to 0.001) large to very large associated with MP variables. These results provide evidence to the ecological validity of aerobic fitness in male professional soccer. Strength and conditioning professionals should consider aerobic fitness in their training program when dealing with professional male soccer players. The MP method resulted an interesting approach for tracking external load in male professional soccer players.
authors.affiliation: 1Technical Department, Football Training and Biomechanics Laboratory, Italian Football Association (FIGC), Florence, Italy; and 2Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manzi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Impellizzeri
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castagna
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates