Recovery of powerful kick biomechanics after intense running fatigue in male and female soccer players.
BACKGROUND
Fatigue seems to have a significant effect on soccer kick performance. However, the duration of these effects has not been previously investigated.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the duration of the acute effects of fatigue on soccer kick performance in males and females.


METHODS
Ten male (age: 26.3 ± 4.9 years, height: 178.1 ± 5.1 cm, mass: 81.3 ± 8.1 kg) and ten female (age: 24.4 ± 4.2 years, height: 169.7 ± 5.7 cm, mass: 61.8 ± 5.1 kg) amateur soccer players performed three instep kicks prior to and after running on a treadmill till exhaustion. Three-dimensional kinematics were collected pre- and post-fatigue.


RESULTS
Analysis of variance indicated a statistically significant decline in ball speed during the first and the second trial after fatigue (P < 0.05), but recovered to pre-fatigue levels during the third post-fatigue kicking trial (P > 0.05). Similarly, maximum ankle, knee and hip linear velocity and ankle angular displacement were significantly lower during the first two trials (P < 0.05), but not during the third trial after fatigue (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Soccer kick parameters recovered to pre-fatigue levels approximately within a minute after the end of the protocol. These findings have a practical meaning for players who have to perform set piece kicks under fatigue conditions and for coaches who have to guide their players.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences of Serres, Serres, Greece.
Athanasios
A
Katis
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences of Serres, Serres, Greece.
Ioannis
I
Amiridis
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences of Serres, Serres, Greece.
Eleftherios
E
Kellis
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Adrian
A
Lees
Fatigue; Gender; Performance; Skill