Relationships between match activities and peak power output and Creatine Kinase responses to professional reserve team soccer match-play

• Published in: Human movement science 2016-02, Vol.45, p.96-101
• Main Authors: Russell, M., Sparkes, W., Northeast, J., Cook, C.J., Bracken, R.M., Kilduff, L.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Creatine Kinase - blood; Eccentric; Fatigue; Football; Geographic Information Systems; GPS; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Motion analysis; Motor Activity - physiology; Muscle damage; Physical Exertion - physiology; Running - physiology; Soccer - physiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0167-9457; 1872-7646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2015.11.011

•Soccer movements relate to the disturbance of recovery variables at 24h post-match.•Player training loads 24h after soccer match-play may be informed by GPS outcomes.•GPS variables elicit no relationships to recovery markers at 48h post soccer match. The specific movement demands of soccer that are linked to post-match recovery and readiness to train are unclear. Therefore, we examined the relationship between Global Positioning System (GPS) variables and the change (Δ; from baseline) in Creatine Kinase (CK) concentrations and peak power output (PPO; during the countermovement jump) at 24h and 48h post-match. Fifteen English Premier League reserve team players were examined over 1–4 matches. Measurements of CK and PPO were taken before (24h prior to match-play) and after (+24h and +48h) each game during which movement demands were quantified using 10Hz GPS data. High intensity distance covered (r=0.386, p=0.029; r=−0.349; p=0.050), high intensity distance covered⋅min−1 (r=0.365, p=0.040; r=−0.364, p=0.040), high speed running distance (r=0.363, p=0.041; r=−0.360, p=0.043) and the number of sprints⋅min−1 (r=0.410, p=0.020; r=−0.368, p=0.038) were significantly related to ΔCK and ΔPPO at +24h post-match, respectively. No relationships were observed between any match variables and ΔCK and ΔPPO after +48h of recovery. These findings highlight that high intensity match activities are related to ΔCK and ΔPPO in the 24h, but not 48h, following soccer match-play. Such information is likely of interest to those responsible for the design of soccer player’s training schedules in the days following a match.