Ishida, A, Bazyler, CD, Sayers, AL, Mizuguchi, S, and Gentles, JA. Acute effects of match-play on neuromuscular and subjective recovery and stress state in Division I collegiate female soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 35(4): 976–982, 2021—The purpose of this study was to investigate acute effects of match-play on neuromuscular performance and subjective recovery and stress state and the relationship between training load (TL) and changes in neuromuscular performance in female soccer players. Twelve National Collegiate Athlete Association Division I players participated (20.7 ± 2.3 years; 64.4 ± 7.2 kg; 164.5 ± 6.0 cm) and completed countermovement jump (CMJ) at 0 kg (CMJ0) and 20 kg (CMJ20) and the Short Recovery Stress Scale (SRSS) at 3 hours pre-match (Pre), 12 hours post-match (Post12), and 38 hours post-match (Post38). Countermovement jump variables included body mass, jump height (JH), modified reactive strength index (RSI), peak force (PF), relative PF, eccentric impulse, concentric impulse (CI), peak power (PP), relative PP (RPP), eccentric average PP, and concentric average power (CAP). The SRSS consists of 4 Stress Scales (SSs) and 4 Recovery Scales (RSs). Training loads included total distance, total PlayerLoad, high-speed running, and session ratings of perceived exertion. Significant moderate to large decreases were observed from Pre to Post12 in JH, RSI, CI, PP, RPP, and CAP in CMJ0 and CMJ20 (p < 0.05, effect size [ES] = 0.63–1.35). Significant changes were observed from Pre to Post12 in all RSs (p < 0.05, ES = 0.65–0.79) and 3 SSs (p < 0.05, ES = 0.71–0.77). Significant correlations were observed between CMJ20 PP from Pre to Post12 and all TLs (p < 0.05, r = −0.58 to −0.68). CMJ0 and CMJ20 JH and PP may indicate acute neuromuscular changes after match-play. The magnitude of CMJ20 PP decrements from Pre to Post12 may be affected by soccer match-play volumes.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women's soccer players spend 2–3 weeks in preseason, followed by 12–14 weeks in the competitive season. Because of a short, intense preseason followed by the long competitive season, athlete monitoring programs would play an important role in maximizing physical preparation and match performance while minimizing unfavorable adaptations and fatigue during the NCAA Division I collegiate women's soccer competitive season. Athlete monitoring measures can be used to assess training load (TL), the response to TL, and a player's physical and psychological readiness to train or play during the competitive season. Session rating of perceived exertion and global navigation satellite system measures are common load monitoring measures, whereas subjective recovery and stress questionnaires, heart rate measures, performance tests, and biochemical measures are monitoring measures to estimate the response to TL. This article aims to review the roles of these athlete monitoring measures and provide the physical performance demands of women's soccer match play and athlete monitoring strategies. Furthermore, this article provides practitioner examples of athlete monitoring programs based on NCAA Division I women's soccer match schedules and limitations.

The purposes of this study were to investigate effects of partial block periodized strength training on physical performance and to examine relationships between initial muscle strength measured with isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) and performance changes after 7 weeks of strength training. Seventeen collegiate male soccer players participated. Initial muscle strength was determined using IMTP while physical performance included 10 m and 20 m sprints and static vertical jump with a polyvinyl chloride pipe (SJ0), 20 kg barbell (SJ20), and barbell loaded to 40 kg bar (SJ40). Performance testing was performed at three points: before first week (baseline), fourth week (T1), and seventh week (T2). Statistically small to moderate changes were found from baseline to T2 in peak power (PP; p < 0.001, ES = 0.49), net impulse (NI; p < 0.001, ES = 0.49), peak velocity (PV; p < 0.001, ES = 0.62), allometrically scaled PP (PPa; p < 0.001, ES = 0.62) in SJ20 and jump height (JH) in SJ40 (p < 0.001, ES = 0.36). Moderate to large correlations were found between isometric peak force and the changes from baseline to T2 in SJ20 PP (p = 0.04, r = −0.49), SJ20 PF (p = 0.03, r = −0.52), PPa (p = 0.04, r = −0.50), and SJ20 allometrically scaled peak force (p = 0.04, r = −0.49). Properly structured strength training maximizes task-specific physical performance. Initial muscle strength negatively affects the magnitudes of adaptations to physical performance.

Ishida, A, Travis, SK, Draper, G, White, JB, and Stone, MH. Player position affects relationship between internal and external training loads during Division I collegiate female soccer season. J Strength Cond Res 36(2): 513-517, 2022-The purpose of this study was to investigate how competition phase and player position affect the relationship between internal and external training loads (ITL and ETL, respectively) in collegiate female soccer. Seventeen players participated (21.8 6 1.7 years; 165.1 6 6.2 cm; and 63.7 6 7.9 kg). Nineteen match-plays (10 nonconference and 9 conference) were completed during the 2019 competitive season, including 270 observations of 17 players (defenders 5 5, midfielders 5 9, and forwards 5 3). Internal training load was assessed using session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). External training load included total distance and high-speed running (HSR) distance. A linear mixed model was compiled with fixed effects of total distance, HSR, competition phase, and player position (defenders, midfielders, and forwards) and random effects of player. There were statistically significant main effects for total distance (p , 0.001), HSR (p 5 0.047) and player position (p 5 0.045) on the prediction model of sRPE. However, the main effect of competition phase did not statistically contribute to the prediction model of sRPE (p 5 0.38). In the final model, total distance (p , 0.001) and player position for forwards (p 5 0.008) were significant predictors of sRPE. However, there was no statistically significant fixed effect of HSR on sRPE (p 5 0.15). The final model explained 60.6% of the variance in sRPE (R 2 5 0.60), whereas the random effect also explained 6.1% of the variance (R 2 5 0.06). Our findings indicated that total distance and player position were strong predictors of sRPE. The relationship between ITL and ETL should be monitored by player position in female soccer players.