title: Off-Season Effects on Functional Performance, Body Composition, and Blood Parameters in Top-Level Professional Soccer Players.
abstract: Requena, B, García, I, Suárez-Arrones, L, Sáez de Villarreal, E, Naranjo Orellana, J, and Santalla, A. Off-season effects on functional performance, body composition, and blood parameters in top-level professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 939-946, 2017-To examine the effects of a standard off-season period (OSP) on aerobic, sprint, and jumping performances, and body and blood composition in a top-level soccer team. Nineteen soccer players were measured. The OSP included to 2 weeks of no training (resting phase) and a 4-week period of moderate-training load (phase in which each player performed the vacation exercise plan). Player's functional performance (15- and 30-m sprint times [seconds], vertical jump [meter], and incremental field test Vam-Eval [kilometer per hour]), percentage of body fat (%) and blood composition (hematological and biochemical data) were measured at mid-season, end-season, and after the OSP. The percentage of body fat was nonaltered during the competitive season (10.8 ± 3.6 and 10.5 ± 3.5%) and increased significantly after the OSP (11.6 ± 3.6%, p ≤ 0.05). Similarly, the maximal aerobic speed (VVam-Eval) velocity (kilometer per hour) decreased (p ≤ 0.05) from 17.4 ± 1 and 17.3 ± 1.2 during the competitive season to 16.6 ± 0.9 after the OSP. The hematocrit and blood hemoglobin concentration increased (p ≤ 0.05) during the OSP, showing a blood hemoconcentration adaptation. However, sprint time (seconds) and jump height (meters) showed no significant changes after the OSP. Soccer players maintained their functional performance during high-intensity activities such as jumping or sprinting after the OSP proposed. By contrast, there was a decrease in aerobic performance (VVam-Eval) accompanied by a blood hemoconcentration, and an increase of body fat mass associated with a reduction of fat-free mass of the lower limbs. Our data suggest that an end-season evaluation is needed to design holiday training programs focused on regaining aerobic capacity and body composition.
authors.affiliation: 1Faculty of Sport, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain; 2Real Madrid CF, Madrid, Spain; 3MasterdeFutbol, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain; and 4Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Requena
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suárez-Arrones
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sáez de Villarreal
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naranjo Orellana
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santalla
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult