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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
10:08
Effects of a Novel Neuromuscular Training Intervention on Jump, Sprint, and Change of Direction in Adult Female Soccer Players
Published on: June 10, 2025
Changes in jump performance and muscle activity following soccer-specific exercise.
Jon Oliver1, Neil Armstrong, Craig Williams
1Cardiff School of Sport, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Cyncoed Road, Cardiff CF23 6XD, UK. joliver@uwic.ac.uk
Journal of Sports Sciences
|September 14, 2007
Summary
Soccer-specific exercise significantly impairs jump performance and reduces muscle activity in youth players. Reductions were most pronounced in the drop jump, indicating fatigue effects on stretch-loading mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Youth soccer players undergo demanding training regimens.
- Assessing the impact of fatigue on neuromuscular performance is crucial for injury prevention and performance optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of soccer-specific exercise on jump performance and lower limb muscle activity in adolescent players.
- To determine if fatigue influences different jump types (squat, countermovement, drop) and muscle activation patterns.
Main Methods:
- Ten youth soccer players (mean age 15.8 years) performed squat, countermovement, and drop jumps before and after 42 minutes of soccer-specific exercise.
- Jump performance was measured using force platforms, and surface electromyography (EMG) recorded lower limb muscle activity.
Main Results:
- Jump height significantly decreased across all jump types post-exercise.
- Impact force in the drop jump significantly increased with fatigue.
- Total muscle activity reductions were significant for the drop jump and approached significance for the countermovement jump.
Conclusions:
- Soccer-specific exercise leads to decrements in jump performance in youth players.
- Fatigue influences neuromuscular control, with greater reductions in muscle activity observed in the drop jump, suggesting stretch-loading mechanisms are affected.
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