title: Evaluating a Nationwide Recreational Football Intervention: Recruitment, Attendance, Adherence, Exercise Intensity, and Health Effects.
abstract: The present study evaluated a nationwide exercise intervention with Football Fitness in a small-scale society. In all, 741 adult participants (20-72 yrs) were successfully recruited for Football Fitness training in local football clubs, corresponding to 2.1% of the adult population. A preintervention test battery including resting heart rate (RHR), blood pressure, and body mass measurements along with performance tests (Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance level 1 (Yo-Yo IE1), the Arrowhead Agility Test, and the Flamingo Balance Test) were performed (n = 502). Training attendance (n = 310) was 1.6 ± 0.2 sessions per week (range: 0.6-2.9), corresponding to 28.8 ± 1.0 sessions during the 18 wk intervention period. After 18 wks mean arterial pressure (MAP) was -2.7 ± 0.7 mmHg lower (P < 0.05; n = 151) with even greater (P < 0.05) reductions for those with baseline MAP values >99 mmHg (-5.6 ± 1.5 mmHg; n = 50). RHR was lowered (P < 0.05) by 6 bpm after intervention (77 ± 1 to 71 ± 1 bpm). Yo-Yo IE1 performance increased by 41% (540 ± 27 to 752 ± 45 m), while agility and postural balance were improved (P < 0.05) by ~6 and ~45%, respectively. In conclusion, Football Fitness was shown to be a successful health-promoting nationwide training intervention for adult participants with an extraordinary recruitment, a high attendance rate, moderate adherence, high exercise intensity, and marked benefits in cardiovascular health profile and fitness.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural and Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, 100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
authors.forename: Liljan Av
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fløtum
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Laila S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ottesen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, St. Luke's Campus, EX1 2LU Exeter, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krustrup
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural and Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, 100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; Center for Health and Human Performance, Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magni
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5611-4504
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003718:Denmark; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005538:Football; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006262:Health; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011998:Recreation; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult