title: Testosterone Concentration and Lower Limb Power Over an Entire Competitive Season in Elite Young Soccer Players.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate salivary T changes and its relationship with power performance over a 1-year competitive season in elite under 15 (U15) and under 17 (U17) soccer players. Soccer players were recruited from 1 soccer club that has been participated in the main state and national leagues for these age groups. The soccer players were divided into 2 age categories (U15, n = 16 and U17, n = 23). A resting saliva sample was taken to determine T level, and power was assessed using the countermovement jump test with a bar of 30% of body mass on the athletes' shoulders on 3 occasions (T1: beginning of the competitive season, T2: end of the regular season, and T3: end of the playoffs). There was a decrease in T concentration at the end of the competitive season (T3) as compared with the beginning of the season (T1) for both age categories (p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, power performance parameters were increased for both age groups (U15: mean power and relative mean power and U17: peak power, mean power, relative peak power, and relative mean power; p ≤ 0.05). No significant correlation was identified between the relative changes in T concentration and power performance in both groups. The findings of this study suggest that T changes and power changes are not related.
authors.affiliation: 1School of Physical Education and Sport, Department of Sport, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 2School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; and 3Desportivo Brazil, Porto Feliz, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ademir F S
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.forename: Marcelo S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Camila G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Leandro M P
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Spigolon
authors.forename: Clovis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franciscon
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone