Aerobic and anaerobic power characteristics of Saudi elite soccer players

BACKGROUND

To assess the aerobic and anaerobic characteristics of Saudi elite soccer players, and to examine the interrelationship between measures of aerobic and anaerobic power in the elite soccer players. METHODS.

PARTICIPANT

Twenty-three outfield elite soccer players representing the Saudi national team participated. Their means (+/- SD) for age, body mass, height and estimated fat % were: 25.2 +/- 2.3 years; 73.1 +/- 6.8 kg; 177.2 +/- 5.9 cm; and 12.3 +/- 2.7%, respectively.

MEASURES

Cardiorespiratory parameters, including maximal oxygen uptake (V O2 max), were assessed by open-circuit spirometry during graded treadmill running. Anaerobic power measures were obtained using Wingate anaerobic test, and included peak power (PP), and average power for 5 sec (AP 5), 10 sec (AP 10), 20 sec (AP 20) and 30 sec (AP 30).

RESULTS

Mean (+/-SD) values for V O2max in absolute and relative to body mass were 4.16 +/- 0.34 l x min-1 and 56.8 +/- 4.8 ml x kg-1 x min-1, respectively. Such V O2max value was 118% and 80% of those reported for Saudi college males and distance runners, respectively. The ventilatory anaerobic thereshold (Tvent) averaged 43.6 ml x kg-1 x min-1. There were no significant differences in V O2max and Tvent between players based on positions, although the midfielders and the centre-backs had the highest and the lowest individual values for both measures, respectively. Values (+/- SD) of PP and AP 30 were 873.6 +/- 141.8 W (11.88 +/- 1.3 W x kg-1), and 587.7 +/-55.4 W (8.02 +/- 0.53 W x kg-1), respectively. Only in absolute PP & AP 30 were the centre-backs significantly superior to the other players. In addition, V O2max was inversely related to PP (r = - 0.54; p < 0.05) and positively related to AP 30 (r = 0.45; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The aerobic power, expressed relative to body mass, of Saudi elite soccer players was in the lower range of values normally reported in the literatures for elite soccer players. Both PP and AP 30 were somewhat lower than values previously reported for elite soccer players from other countries.

Effects of split exercise sessions on excess postexercise oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate

This study involved examining how splitting a 30-min exercise bout on a cycle ergometer into two equal sessions affects excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and resting metabolic rate (RMR). In this study, 10 male volunteers (age = 23+/-3.8) participated in two exercise trials, which were randomly assigned in a counterbalanced design and separated by 40 hr. One trial was 30 min of exercise at 70% VO(2)max (CONT), followed by a 40-min measurement of EPOC. The second trial was divided into two 15-min sessions (SPLIT), separated by 6 hr. A 20-min measurement of EPOC followed each SPLIT session. Results indicated that the combined magnitude of EPOCs from SPLIT (7,410+/-1,851 ml) was significantly greater than that from CONT (5,278+/-1305 ml). Data indicate that dividing a 30-min exercise session in to two parts for these individuals significantly increases magnitude of EPOC but does not affect RMR.