Soccer Match-Play as an Important Component of the Power Training Stimulus in Premier League Players

PURPOSE: Competitive match-play is a dominant component of the physical load completed by soccer players within a training micro-cycle. Characterising the temporal disruption in homeostasis that follows exercise may provide some insight into the potential for match-play to elicit an adaptive response. METHODS: Countermovement jump (CMJ) performance was characterised 3 days post-match for 15 outfield players from an English Premier League soccer team (age: 25.8 ± 4.1 yrs; stature: 1.78 ± 0.08 m; mass: 71.7 ± 9.1 kg) across a season. These players were classified as either starters (n=9), or non-starters (n=6), according to the average individual playing time (higher/lower than 60 min/match). Linear mixed models were used to investigate the influence of indicators of match-activity (total distance covered (TD), and high-intensity running distance (HI)) on CMJ height and peak power (PP) values. RESULTS: Starting players covered largely greater TD (ES=1.5) and HI (ES=1.4) than non-starters. Furthermore, there was a possible positive effect of HI on CMJ height and PP. This relationship suggests that an additional 0.6 km high-intensity distance covered would increase CMJ height and PP by slightly more than the smallest worthwhile change values of 0.6 cm and 1.0 W/kg, respectively. This small yet practically relevant increase in performance may suggest that match-play, more specifically the intense activities that are associated with the match, provides a physiological stimulus for neuromuscular adaptation. CONCLUSION: This data may have implications for the management of preparation of soccer squads, especially the training requirements of starting and non-starting players.