title: Broad-spectrum health improvements with one year of soccer training in inactive mildly hypertensive middle-aged women.
abstract: The study tested the hypothesis that long-term soccer training has positive impact on cardiovascular profile, body composition, bone health, and physical capacity in inactive, pre-menopausal women with mild hypertension. The study applied a randomized controlled design in which physically inactive middle-aged women were separated into a soccer training group (n=19; SOC) and a control group (n=12; CON). SOC performed 128±29 (±SD) one-h small-sided soccer training sessions over one year. Blood pressure, body composition, blood lipid profile, and fitness level were determined pre- and post-intervention. Over one year, mean arterial pressure decreased more in SOC than in CON (-5±7 vs +4±5 mmHg; P<.05). Total-body fat mass decreased more (P<.05) in SOC than in CON (-2.5±2.5 vs +0.6±3.2 kg; P<.05), while the change scores for lean body mass were not significantly different in SOC (2.6±2.7 kg) compared to CON (1.1±1.9 kg, P=.09). Over one year, change scores in whole-body bone mineral density (0.004±0.032 vs -0.019±0.026 g·cm2) as well as bone mineral content (30±70 vs -39±113 g) were positive in SOC compared to CON (P<.05). Post-intervention plasma triglycerides decreased more (-0.1±0.7 vs +0.2±0.2 mmol·L-1) and HDL cholesterol increased more (0.2±0.7 vs -0.2±0.2 mmol·L-1) in SOC than in CON (P<.05). Yo-Yo intermittent endurance level 1 (122±105 vs 2±21%) and 20-m sprint performance (6±6 vs -1±2%) increased more (P<.05) in SOC than in CON. In conclusion, long-term soccer training resulted in broad-spectrum improvements in the health profile of untrained, pre-menopausal women with mild hypertension, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and musculo-skeletal benefits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, SDU Sport and Health Sciences Cluster (SHSC), University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.|Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krustrup
authors.affiliation: Centre of Health Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
authors.forename: M-B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Skoradal
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, SDU Sport and Health Sciences Cluster (SHSC), University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Randers
authors.affiliation: Centre of Health Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.|Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weihe
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, SDU Sport and Health Sciences Cluster (SHSC), University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.|University Hospitals Centre for Health Research (UCSF), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uth
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The Faroese National Hospital, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.|Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.affiliation: Centre of Health Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.|Center of Health and Human Performance, Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D015519:Bone Density; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D017697:Premenopause; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: association football; blood lipid profile; blood pressure; bone mass; fat percentage; fitness