Effect of pre-season training phase on anthropometric, hormonal and fitness parameters in young soccer players

Abstract

The aims of the study were to investigate 1) the effect of 8 weeks of PSP training on anthropometrics, salivary hormones and fitness parameters in youth soccer players, 2) the correlations between fitness and hormonal parameters, and 3) the impact of the experience of the coach and his methodology of training on these parameters. Weight, height, BMI, pubertal development (PDS), salivary Cortisol (sC), salivary Testosterone (sT), salivary sDHEAS, intermittent tests (VO2max), and countermovement jump test (CMJ) modifications of 35 youth soccer players (age: 14±0 yrs; BMI: 20.8±1.8 k/m2) from two Italian clubs (“Lupa Frascati” -LF-; “Albalonga” -AL) were analysed. A significant (p<0.05) time by club effect was observed in sC (F(1,31) = 9.7, ES = 1.13), sT (F(1,31) = 4.2, ES = 0.74), CMJ (F(1,28) = 26.5, ES = 1.94), and VO2max (F(1,28) = 8.5, ES = 1.10). Statistical differences (p<0.05) in weight (F(1,32) = 25.5, ES = 0.11), sC (F(1,31) = 32.1, ES = 1.43), sT/sC ratio (F(1,31) = 10.1, ES = 0.97), sDHEAS/sC ratio (F(1,31) = 6.3, ES = 0.70), and VO2max (F(1,28) = 64.3, ES = 1.74) were found within time factor. Between clubs, differences (p<0.05) in sC (F(1,32) = 8.5, ES = 1.17), sT (F(1,31) = 4.2, ES = 0.74), CMJ (F(1,28) = 26.5, ES = 1.50), and VO2max (F(1,28) = 8.5, ES = 1.10) were found. CMJ was inversely correlated with sDHEAS (r = -0.38) before PSP, while Δ of CMJ showed significant correlations with Δ of sC (r = 0.43) and ΔVO2max was inversely correlated with ΔBMI (r = -0.54) and ΔsC (r = -0.37) in all subjects. Considering each single club, ΔVO2max showed correlations with ΔBMI (r = -0.45) in AL, while ΔCMJ showed correlations with ΔPDS (r = 0.72) in LF club. Since the PSP is often limited training time to simultaneously develop physical, technical and tactical qualities, an efficient method to distribute the training load is important in youth soccer players to increase the performance and to avoid injuries.

Blood Biomarkers Variations across the Pre-Season and Interactions with Training Load: A Study in Professional Soccer Players

“…Cortisol and testosterone hormones play a role in catabolic and anabolic processes [ 80 ], are frequently used in studies as training stress markers, and these markers are closely associated with overreaching and overtraining syndromes [ 28 , 81 ]. The results found in the present study demonstrated that both cortisol and testosterone were significantly augmented in response to a soccer pre-season period.…”

Monitoring of overtraining and motivation in elite soccer players

“…This can be explained by the fact that, in the preseason, players do not play official matches. During this period, the players train daily, and this process is better controlled by the coaching staff, which monitors and adjusts the workloads according to the previously planned periodization 1,2 . In addition, during this period, soccer players participated in base camps, where they are allowed to feed and sleep better, favoring the state of overcompensation 10,15 .…”

“…In soccer, the purpose of athletic planning is to appropriately manage the training load to optimize sports performance 1 through a process of planning, monitoring, and load adjustment. Effective training loads are among the key issues for coaches and players 2 .…”

Can Haematological and Hormonal Biomarkers Predict Fitness Parameters in Youth Soccer Players? A Pilot Study

“…Nevertheless, great interindividual variability in serum CK has been observed, which complicates its usefulness [ 5 ]. C and T, commonly measured in conjunction, are generally modified by acute as well as prolonged physical stress, but their possible correlation with an optimal fitness level is not automatic [ 5 , 12 , 47 ]. Haematocrit increase following a prolonged period of training is a matter of debate [ 5 , 51 ], whereas the exercise-induced muscle stress is a well-accepted mechanism of pro- (e.g., IL-6; TNF-α) and anti- (e.g., IL-10) inflammatory cytokine production [ 4 , 14 , 18 , 21 , 52 ].…”

“…The T/C ratio has been positively related to changes in physical performance and indicated as a balance of anabolic/catabolic activity [ 10 ], representing a useful tool in the early detection of overtraining [ 11 ]. Our group [ 12 ] found significant correlations between fitness and hormonal parameters in youth soccer players before the beginning of 8-weeks of the preseason training phase. Other authors [ 13 , 14 ] showed significant alterations in the hormonal concentrations in the young soccer players during the six-month of the competitive season.…”