Physiology Responses and Players' Stay on the Court During a Futsal Match: A Case Study With Professional Players

The Effects of Players' Rotations on High-Intensity Activities in Professional Futsal Players

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of interchange rotations on players` physical performance during competition, with special reference to high-intensity activity (HIA) according to the playing position. Physical performance data, collected from 19 professional players during seven official matches from the Spanish futsal league using a portable local positioning system, included the number of high-speed running activities (>18 km·h-1), high-intensity accelerations (>3 m·s-2), and high-intensity decelerations (>3 m·s-2). Statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences were observed in the number of HIA efforts across rotations and between positions. Players performed more HIA efforts in the first rotation (n = 17.6), suggesting that their first rotation was more demanding than all subsequent rotations. Wingers demonstrated a higher HIA effort and frequency of HIA efforts when compared to defenders (p ≤ 0.05) and pivots (p ≤ 0.001). For all positions, the first rotation was more physically demanding as the number of HIA efforts per rotation decreased with an increased number of rotations throughout the match. Furthermore, higher HIA profile positions, such as wingers and defenders, were less likely to maintain consistent HIA properties (repetition number, time-frequency, and the work-rate) across subsequent rotations during the match. The findings of the study can inform coaching decisions regarding players' rotations to maintain consistent HIA performance throughout the match.

A new database of the analysis of the physiological needs in amateur female basketball during official matches

The PHYAFB database is a valuable resource for studying the physiological demands of female amateur basketball players during high-stress official games. It contains heart rate data from ten players aged 18 to 26, collected during ten crucial relegation phase matches, with 348,232 HR samples in CSV and Excel formats for easy access and analysis. The database includes Python source code for initial examination. The primary aim of the PHYAFB database is to provide a useful reference for other teams facing similar situations. Furthermore, the database represents a unique and valuable resource for sports scientists, coaches, and trainers seeking to comprehend the physiological demands of female basketball players during official competitions. Through the analysis of heart rate data, coaches and trainers can identify the intensity and duration of physical activity during games, enabling the development of more effective training programs. Additionally, the database can be used to compare the physiological demands placed on male and female basketball players or to investigate the impact of different game strategies on player performance.

Relationship Between Heart Rate, Oxygen Consumption, and Energy Expenditure in Futsal

The primary aim of this study was to compare the measured oxygen consumption (Measured-VO₂) in a simulated futsal game (S-Game) with the estimated oxygen consumption (Estimated-VO₂) through a regression equation between heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO₂) (HR-VO₂) in treadmill running, and a secondary aim was to calculate the total energy expenditure (EE) in S-Game. Ten professional players (22.20 ± 3.22 years) were evaluated. HR-VO₂ was determined individually in the continuous test on the treadmill (Cont_Test). The Measured-VO₂ in S-Game was compared with the Estimated-VO₂ in the Cont_Test. Alactic and lactic pathways were estimated by VO₂. The Estimated-VO₂ presented no statistically significant difference with the Measured-VO₂, using the paired t-test (p = 0.38). However, the correlation between Estimated- and Measured-VO₂ was very weak (r = −0.05), and it presented poor agreement (concordance correlation coefficient = −0.04). In addition, a Bland–Altman plot presented bias of −2.8 ml/kg/min and individual difference as large as 19 ml/kg/min. The HR-VO₂ determined by the Cont_Test was not a good individual predictor of VO₂. The high intensity and intermittent nature of the futsal game possibly caused dissociation in the HR-VO₂ relationship. Cont_Test is not recommended for estimating VO₂ and calculating individual EE in the futsal game. This is recommended only for the group mean. The total EE in S-Game was 13.10 ± 1.25 kcal.min⁻¹ (10.81 ± 1.57 metabolic equivalents). The contributions from the metabolic pathways were as follows: aerobic (93%), alactic (5%), and lactic (2%).

Effects of acute caffeine ingestion on futsal performance in sub-elite players

PURPOSE

To date, no previous investigation has studied the effect of acute caffeine ingestion on futsal performance during futsal-specific testing and during a simulated match. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to establish the effects of acute caffeine intake on futsal-specific tests and match-play running performance in male futsal players.

METHODS

Sixteen high-performance futsal players participated in a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled and double-blind experiment. Each player completed two identical trials after ingesting either caffeine (3 mg/kg) or a placebo (cellulose). The trials consisted of a battery of futsal-specific tests (countermovement jump, 20-m sprint test, and a futsal kicking velocity and accuracy test) followed by a simulated futsal match (2 halves of 7.5 min). During the match, players' running performance was assessed with local positioning system devices.

RESULTS

In comparison to the placebo, caffeine ingestion increased jump height by 2.8% (p = 0.048; ES = 0.29) and reduced the time to complete the 20-m sprint test by -2.2% (p = 0.044; ES = - 0.54). Additionally, acute caffeine intake improved the distance covered at above 14.4 km/h by 19.6% (p = 0.021; ES = 0.58), the number of body impacts by 8.1% (p = 0.040; ES = 0.27) and the number of accelerations/decelerations by 4.2% (p = 0.044; ES = 0.57) during the simulated futsal match. However, no differences were reported in ball velocity or shooting accuracy in the futsal kicking test. There were no differences in the prevalence of side effects reported in the hours after the ingestion of the treatments.

CONCLUSION

Three mg/kg of caffeine enhanced several physical variables associated with futsal such as jump and sprint performance, and improved high-speed running and accelerations/decelerations during a simulated futsal match. Caffeine supplementation with a moderate dose can be considered as an effective ergogenic aid for futsal performance with low prevalence of side effects.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with the following ID: NCT04852315. The study was retrospectively registered by 18 April 2020.

Physiological and Anthropometric Determinants of Performance Levels in Professional Futsal

There is an evident lack of studies examining the pursuit of excellence in futsal. The aims of this study were to evaluate anthropometric and physiological variables that may contribute to distinguishing among performance levels in professional futsal players and to evaluate correlates of those variables. The participants were 75 male professionals (age = 25.1 ± 5.1 years, body height = 182.3 ± 6.2 cm, body mass = 80.8 ± 10.4 kg), who were divided into performance levels using two criteria: (i) starters (first teams) vs. non-starters (substitutes) and (ii) top-level players (members of the national team and players who participated in top-level team competition in Europe) vs. high-level players (team players competing at the highest national competitive rank). Variables included anthropometrics (body height and mass, BMI, body fat percentage), generic tests of physiological capacities [5- and 10-m sprints, countermovement jump, broad jump, 20-yard test, reactive strength index (RSI)], and futsal-specific fitness tests [kicking speed by dominant and non-dominant leg, futsal-specific tests of change of direction speed, and reactive agility (FSRAG) involving/not involving dribbling the ball]. Top-level players outperformed high-level players in RSI, broad jump, kicking speed, and FSRAG involving dribbling. Starters achieved better results than non-starters in fewer variables, including kicking speed and RSI. Body fat percentage negatively influenced FSRAG involving dribbling, and RSI. FSRAG, RSI, and kicking speed were significantly correlated, indicating the similar physiological background of these capacities. The findings suggest that enhanced reactive strength and the ability to rapidly change direction speed in response to external stimulus while executing futsal-specific motor tasks (e.g., dribbling), along with players' ability to kick the ball speedily, can be considered essential qualities required for advanced performance in futsal. Consequently, futsal strength and conditioning training should be targeted toward lowering relative body fat, maximizing lower-body reactive strength and including futsal-specific skills (e.g., dribbling, shooting) in reactive agility drills.