Effect of preseason training on the physical condition of young soccer players: analysis by demarcations

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the effect of preseason training on the physical condition of young players according to the playing position occupied in the field.

Method: The study involved 31 young soccer players (age: 15.5 ± 0.7 years; height: 174.4 ± 6.3 cm; weight: 62.4 ± 13.4 kg; experience: 8.5 ± 1.3 years) who were divided into three groups based on their playing position: central defenders and forwards (CD-FW, n = 13), central midfielders (CM, n = 6) and external defenders and external midfielders (ED-EM, n =12). At the beginning (M1) and at the end (M2) of a preseason period of 6 weeks all the players performed physical condition tests: intermittent endurance test (30-15_VFIT), repeated sprint test (RSA_mean and RSA_best), horizontal jump test (TH_bilateral), speed test (sprint 40 m) and change of direction test (T-Test).

Results: The results showed better values in TH_bilateral for CD-FW and ED-EM that for CM in both M1 (5/4/92%, likely and 99/1/0%, very likely, respectively) and in M2 (5/7/88%, likely and 97/2/1%, very likely, respectively). In the M2 measure, better results were also observed in ED-EM than CD-FW in the variables RSA_mean (5/8/87%, likely), RSA_best (2/8/90%, likely) and T-Test (2/10/82%, likely).

Conclusions: While at the beginning of the training period there are only differences between demarcations in TH_bilateral, the specific training can cause differences between demarcations in the ability to repeat sprints and in the ability to change direction.