Vaczi, et al 2013 wanted to know what measures plyos improve for soccer players. They split a team into control and experimental groups. Both groups participated in soccer training. The plyo group participated single and double leg jumps three times a week. The outcomes measures used pre and post the 6 week intervention were the(…)
Many people who participate in long distance running, cycling or swimming supplement with carbohydrate beverages. The idea is that over long-periods time, the glucose necessary for fatty acid mobilization becomes used up and the athlete ‘hits the wall’ or ‘bonks out’. With replenishment, they can continue properly mobilizing fatty acids to fuel the activity and(…)
We’ve discussed concussions on this site many times before (just put concussion in the search bar). The actual mechanism of concussion and how it adversely affects the brain is still relatively unknown. Marchi et al, 2013 tested the integrity of the blood brain barrier in American football players’ pre and post-game to determine what, if(…)
We introduced the 11+ warm up a few months ago here, and advocate its principles. A new study published in The Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine has demonstrated that the warm up induces a significant training effect. Thirty six Futsal players (mean age 17.3 ± 0.7) were randomly assigned into an experimental (EX) (n=18) and control group (n = 18). The(…)
Hoshiakwa et al’s 2012 study focused in the cross sectional area of the thigh. Soccer players aged 11-13 had their cross sectional area measured along with dynamic knee flexion and knee extension. Knee flexion strength was comparable in the two groups but knee extension strength was much larger in the athlete’s group. We know that(…)
ACL tears, as discussed previously (here & here) are not career ending but require some time and adaptation before returning to play. Therapists and coaches are left with guidelines and no specific protocols when rehabilitating a torn ACL. Few concrete methods exist with signposts along the way. Della Villa et al. (2012) set out to change that.(…)
In professional soccer, both speed and endurance are key physical performance indicators, and while endurance can be tested alone in a high performance lab (VO2max test), the most accurate on-field performance indicator is The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (version 1 & 2) which we talk about here. A study just published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and(…)
Unchained Fitness is delighted to present Federico Moojen as our resident soccer expert. (Incidentally, he’s a ridiculously skilful player that has learned his trade on the sandy beaches of Brazil). Freddy is a professional soccer player currently playing in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the US. During his professional career, he has played for professional(…)