The current study determined the area-per-player during small-or large-sided games with or without goalkeeper that replicates the relative (m�min-1) total distance, high-intensity running distance, sprint distance and metabolic power covered during official matches. Time-motion analysis was performed on twenty-five elite soccer-players during 26 home-matches. A total of 2565 individual samples for SSGs using different pitch sizes and different number of players were collected and classified as SSGs with (SSG-G) or without goalkeeper (SSG-P). A between-position comparison was also performed. The area-per-player needed to replicate the official match demands was largely higher in SSG-G vs SSG-P for total distance [187±53 vs 115±35 m 2 , effect size (ES): 1.60 95%CI 0.94/2.21], high-intensity running distance [262±72 vs 166±39 m 2 , ES: 1.66(0.99/2.27)] and metabolic power [177±42 vs 94±40, ES: 1.99(1.31/2.67)], but similar for sprint distance [(316±75 vs 295±99 m 2 , ES: 0.24(-0.32/0.79)] with direction of larger area-perplayer for sprint distance > high-intensity running > total distance metabolic power for both SSG-G and SSG-P. In SSG-G, forwards required higher area-per-player than central-defenders [ES: 2.96(1.07/4.35)], wide-midfielders [ES: 2.45(0.64/3.78)] and widedefenders [ES: 3.45(1.13/4.99)]. Central-midfielders required higher area-per-player than central-defenders [ES: 1.69(0.20/2.90)] and wide-midfielders [ES: 1.35(-0.13/ 2.57)]. In SSG-P, central defenders need lower area-per-player (ES:-6.01/-0.92) to overall replicate the match demands compared to all other positions. The current results may be used to gain knowledge of the SSGs relative to the match demands. This imply manipulating SSGs using higher or lower ApP, the presence of the goalkeeper or design specific rules to increase or decrease the position-specific demands with respect to the desired external load outcomes.

The present study investigated the effects of in-season enhanced negative work-based training (ENT) vs weight training in the change of direction (COD), sprinting and jumping ability, muscle mass and strength in semi-professional soccer players. Forty male soccer players participated in the eight-week, 1 d/w intervention consisting of 48 squat repetitions for ENT using a flywheel device (inertia=0.11 kg·m-2) or weight training (80%1 RM) as a control group (CON). Agility T-test, 20+20 m shuttle, 10 m and 30 m sprint, squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ), lean mass, quadriceps and hamstrings strength and the hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio were measured. Time on agility T-test and 20+20 m shuttle decreased in ENT (effect-size =-1.44, 95% CI -2.24/-0.68 and -0.75, -1.09/-0.42 respectively) but not in CON (-0.33, -0.87/0.19 and -0.13, -0.58/0.32). SJ and CMJ height increased in both ENT (0.71, 0.45/0.97 and 0.65, 0.38/0.93) and CON (0.41, 0.23/0.60 and 0.36, 0.12/0.70). Overall, quadriceps and hamstrings strength increased in both ENT and CON (0.38/0.79), but the hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio increased in ENT (0.31, 0.22/0.40) but not in CON (0.03, -0.18/0.24). Lean mass increased in both ENT (0.41, 0.26/0.57) and CON (0.29, 0.14/0.44). The repeated negative actions performed in ENT may have led to improvements in braking ability, a key point in COD performance. Semi-professional soccer players may benefit from in-season ENT to enhance COD and the negative-specific adaptations in muscle strength and hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio.

Sundowning syndrome (SDS) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the intensification of behavioral disorders at sunset. Despite SDS etiology being unclear, a strong relationship between high cortisol levels and SDS has been reported. Aerobic exercise (AE) and cognitive training (CT) can reduce cortisol levels. However, whether SDS would benefit from AE and CT is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether AE and CT treatments are effective in reducing SDS via downregulation of cortisol levels. The possible additive effects of combined AE+CT were also assessed. Eighty AD patients were randomly assigned to AE (n = 20), CT (n = 20), AE+CT (n = 20), and standard therapy (no treatment, NT; n = 20). Treatments were administered for 3 months, 5 days/week, 1 hour before sunset. Before and after treatments, salivary cortisol levels were sampled at 7, 11, 15, at sunset, and 20 (time of day). Blind assessment of behavioral disorders (neuropsychiatric inventory, NPI) and agitation (agitated behavior scale, ABS) were also performed. After interventions, cortisol levels were reduced in AE and AE+CT by ∼26%. In the same groups, NPI and ABS decreased by ∼50%. By contrast, cortisol and behavioral disorders were similar to baseline in CT and NT. Changes in NPI and ABS were significantly correlated with the reduction in cortisol levels. AE or AE+CT effects on SDS and cortisol levels and the lack of effect of CT alone indicate the effectiveness of an exercise-based treatment on SDS, suggesting a possible hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation underpinning SDS.

While fatigue increased all EMD components, muscle cooling affected only the electrochemical but not the mechanical processes of EMD.

Acute passive stretching has been shown to alter muscle-tendon unit (MTU) stiffness and to reduce peak tetanic force (pF). MTU mechanical properties and electro-mechanical delay (EMD) are closely related. Thus, EMD changes would be expected after stretching. The aim of the study was to assess the stretching-induced changes in both contractile and viscoelastic contributors to EMD. The time course of these changes will be also evaluated. Tetanic stimulations were delivered on the medial gastrocnemius muscle of 16 active males, before and after (every 15 min, for 2 h) passive stretching administration. During contractions, electromyographic (EMG), mechanomyographic (MMG) and force signals were recorded. The delays between EMG and force (Δt EMG-F, which corresponds to EMD), EMG and MMG (Δt EMG-MMG) and MMG and force (Δt MMG-F) signals were calculated, together with pF and EMG conduction velocity (CV). After stretching (i) pF decreased by 31% (P < 0.05) and remained depressed for the entire recovery period, while EMG CV did not change; (ii) Δt EMG-F, Δt EMG-MMG and Δt MMG-F increased significantly from 45.4 ± 3.0 ms, 2.2 ± 0.3 ms and 42.4 ± 3.1 ms to 52.7 ± 3.4 ms, 2.4 ± 0.3 ms and 50.3 ± 3.5 ms, respectively; (iii) Δt EMG-F and Δt MMG-F remained lengthened for the entire recovery period, while Δt EMG-MMG recovered to its pre-stretching condition within 15 min. These findings suggest that after stretching, the reduction in pF was accompanied by an elongation of the overall EMD. However, stretching had effects of short duration at the contractile level, but more persisting effects on MTU viscoelastic characteristics.