Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of recreational soccer (SOC) compared to moderate-intensity continuous running (RUN) on all health-related physical fitness
components in healthy untrained men. Sixty-nine participants were recruited and randomly
assigned to one of three groups, of which sixty-four completed the study: a soccer training
group (SOC; n = 20, 34±4 (means±SD) years, 78.1±8.3 kg, 179±4 cm); a running group
(RUN; n = 21, 32±4 years, 78.0±5.5 kg, 179±7 cm); or a passive control group (CON; n = 23,
30±3 years, 76.6±12.0 kg, 178±8 cm). The training intervention lasted 12 weeks and consisted of three 60-min sessions per week. All participants were tested for each of the following
physical fitness components: maximal aerobic power, minute ventilation, maximal heart rate,
squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJ), sit-and-reach flexibility, and
body composition. Over the 12 weeks, VO2max relative to body weight increased more
(p-0.24), partly due to large changes in body mass (-5.9, -5.7 and +2.6 kg, pRUN and CON, respectively). Over the 12 weeks, SJ and CMJ performance increased more
(pand 0.19) and CON (0.3 and 0.2%), while flexibility also increased more (p(94%, ES = 0.97) than in RUN and CON (0–2%). In conclusion, untrained men displayed
marked improvements in maximal aerobic power after 12 weeks of soccer training and moderate-intensity running, partly due to large decreases in body mass. Additionally soccer training induced pronounced positive effects on jump performance and flexibility, making soccer
an effective broad-spectrum fitness training intervention.
components in healthy untrained men. Sixty-nine participants were recruited and randomly
assigned to one of three groups, of which sixty-four completed the study: a soccer training
group (SOC; n = 20, 34±4 (means±SD) years, 78.1±8.3 kg, 179±4 cm); a running group
(RUN; n = 21, 32±4 years, 78.0±5.5 kg, 179±7 cm); or a passive control group (CON; n = 23,
30±3 years, 76.6±12.0 kg, 178±8 cm). The training intervention lasted 12 weeks and consisted of three 60-min sessions per week. All participants were tested for each of the following
physical fitness components: maximal aerobic power, minute ventilation, maximal heart rate,
squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJ), sit-and-reach flexibility, and
body composition. Over the 12 weeks, VO2max relative to body weight increased more
(p-0.24), partly due to large changes in body mass (-5.9, -5.7 and +2.6 kg, pRUN and CON, respectively). Over the 12 weeks, SJ and CMJ performance increased more
(pand 0.19) and CON (0.3 and 0.2%), while flexibility also increased more (p(94%, ES = 0.97) than in RUN and CON (0–2%). In conclusion, untrained men displayed
marked improvements in maximal aerobic power after 12 weeks of soccer training and moderate-intensity running, partly due to large decreases in body mass. Additionally soccer training induced pronounced positive effects on jump performance and flexibility, making soccer
an effective broad-spectrum fitness training intervention.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e0135319 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | PloS one |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Aug 2015 |
Keywords
- sports
- running
- physical fitness
- heart rate
- adipose tissue
- exercise
- fats
- physical activity
- male
