Association of Training Load with Body Composition and Physical Fitness during Preseason in Collegiate Male Soccer Players

Tomohiro Kai, Yuhei Anbe, Hirotsugu Morinaga, Katsuyuki Shiokawa, Takuya Akamine and Yohei Takai

[Received August 23, 2019; Accepted July 7, 2020] 

This study examined the relationships between training load, body composition and physical fitness in collegiate male soccer players during preseason. Eight soccer players completed regular training and informal games with a global positioning system sensor and a telemetry heart rate (HR) monitor for 79 days from the middle of January to the end of March. As indices of external load, total distance and the distance covered over 18 km/h (DHIR) were measured. As indices of internal load, HR during training sessions was normalized to the maximal HR obtained from the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 2 (YYIR2), and expressed to relative value (%HRmax). Training impulse (TRIMP) was calculated from Edward’s equation. Before (Pre) and after (Post) the preseason, whole body fat mass (FM) and fat-free soft tissue mass (FFSTM) were measured with a whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. The velocity of a 30-m sprint test and proagility test was determined by a photo cell. Height of vertical jump was calculated from the flight time. There was no significant change in physical fitness during the preseason. The %Δ in FFSTM was largely related to DHIR (r = 0.76). The %Δ in the score of YYIR2 was positively related to TRIMP (r = 0.81) and %HRmax (r = 0.83). These findings indicate that the intra-individual variation in FFSTM may partially depend on external load, and that aerobic fitness may be affected by internal load in collegiate male soccer players.

Keywords: global positioning system, heart rate, time-motion analysis

[Football Science Vol.17, 98-107, 2020]


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