Soccer half-time strategy influences thermoregulation and endurance performance

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Soccer Performance

Background:

• Professional soccer players experience reduced high-intensity performance and increased injury risk in the second half, potentially linked to decreased body temperature during half-time (HT).
• Investigating effective HT strategies is crucial for optimizing player condition and performance throughout matches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of active and passive re-warm-up strategies during HT on cardiovascular stress, thermoregulation, and second-half soccer-specific endurance performance (SSEP).

Main Methods:

• Seven professional soccer players participated in intermittent field tests with a 15-minute HT interval.
• Four randomized trials involved different HT strategies: passive control (CON), passive heating (PH), non-specific active heating (NAH), and soccer-specific active heating (SSAH).
• Heart rate (HR), core temperature (Tc), and body weight were monitored, with active strategies targeting 70% maximum HR.

Main Results:

• Active re-warm-up strategies (NAH, SSAH) significantly maintained SSEP in the second half compared to CON (P<0.01), while passive heating (PH) did not (P>0.05).
• Active heating increased HR during HT, whereas PH did not. Core temperature decreased significantly in CON (0.97°C), with PH and SSAH failing to attenuate this drop, but NAH increased Tc (P<0.01).
• Differences in HR and Tc during HT were not significant by the end of the trials.

Conclusions:

• Active re-warm-up strategies during HT effectively attenuate performance decrements in the second half of professional soccer matches.
• Active heating interventions appear more beneficial than passive heating for maintaining soccer-specific endurance performance after HT.