Positive performance and health effects of a football training program over 12 weeks can be maintained over a 1-year period with reduced training frequency

Morten Bredsgaard Randers, Jens Jung Nielsen, Birgitte Rejkjær Krustrup, Emil Sundstrup, Markus D. Jakobsen, Lars Nybo, J. Dvorak, Jens Bangsbo, Peter Krustrup

    77 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We examined whether improvements in the performance and health profile of an intensive 12-week football intervention could be maintained with a reduced training frequency. Seventeen healthy untrained males completed the study. Ten subjects trained 2.4 times/week for 12 weeks and another 52 weeks with 1.3 sessions/week [football group (FG)] and seven subjects acted as controls [control group (CG)]. For FG, fat mass (3.2 kg) and systolic blood pressure (8 mmHg) were lower (P<0.05) after 64 than 0 weeks, and VO(2max) (8%) and Yo-Yo intermittent endurance level 2 test performance (49%) were higher (P<0.05), with no difference between 64 and 12 weeks. After 64 weeks, quadriceps muscle mass (11%), mean fiber area (10%) and citrate synthase activity (18%) were higher (P<0.05) than those at 0 weeks. Leg bone mass (3.5%) and density (2.0%) were higher (P<0.05) after 64 than 0 weeks, but not different between 12 and 0 weeks. Plantar jump force (17-18%), 30-m sprinting velocity (1.3-3.0%) and muscle glycogen concentration (19-21%) were higher (P<0.05) and blood lactate during submaximal exercise was lower (27-72%, P<0.05) after 64 than after 12 and 0 weeks. The above-mentioned variables were unaltered for CG. In conclusion, positive adaptations in cardiovascular fitness obtained over 12 weeks of regular recreational football training can be maintained over a 1-year period with a reduced training frequency, with further development in musculo-skeletal fitness.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalScandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
    Volume20
    Issue numberSuppl. 1
    Pages (from-to)80-89
    Number of pages10
    ISSN0905-7188
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 2010

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