Naslov
Does aerobic performance define match running performance among professional soccer players? A position-specific analysis

Autori
Modric, Toni ; Versic, Sime ; Sekulic, Damir

Izvornik
Research in Sports Medicine (1543-8627) 29 (2021); 1-13

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Aerobic fitness ; aerobic threshold ; anaerobic threshold ; football ; relationships

Sažetak
Aerobic performance is considered an important determinant of match running performance in soccer, but studies have rarely investigated this issue in top-level players. This study examined the possible associations between direct measures of aerobic performance and match running performance in elite soccer players. Aerobic performance was tested at the beginning of the season in laboratory settings. The match-running performance was measured by a global positioning system over a competitive half-season for a total of 82 match performances in professional players from Croatia (age: 23.76 ± 2.64) and clustered as central player (n = 57) and side player (n = 25) performance. No significant differences in aerobic performance were noted between central and side players. The anaerobic threshold was correlated with high-speed running (19.8–25.1 km/h), sprint running (>25.1 km/h), and high- intensity running (>19.8 km/h) among side players (r = 0.52, 0.53, and 0.59, respectively ; p < 0.01). For central players, the aerobic threshold was correlated with the total distance covered, low-intensity running (<14.3 km/h), and distance covered in the zone of running (14.4–19.7 km/h) (r = 0.47, 0.49, and 0.39 ; p < 0.01, 0.01, and 0.03, respectively). Conditioning for central players should include activities with intensities corresponding to aerobic thresholds, while conditioning of side players should be focused on the development of anaerobic thresholds.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kineziologija

POVEZANOST RADA