Movement Economy in Soccer: Current Data and Limitations

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Soccer performance relies on physical, technical, tactical, and psychological factors.
• Endurance is critical for maintaining running performance during soccer matches.
• Movement economy, the aerobic energy cost of submaximal running, is a key determinant of endurance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the nature, impact, and trainability of movement economy in soccer players.
• To highlight the importance of movement economy for soccer-specific running performance.
• To identify limitations in current knowledge and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on movement economy in endurance athletes and soccer players.
• Analysis of the physiological determinants of endurance in intermittent team sports.
• Synthesis of existing research on movement economy's role in soccer.

Main Results:

• Movement economy has been extensively studied in endurance athletes but less so in soccer players.
• Understanding movement economy can help counteract fatigue-related declines in running performance.
• Current research on movement economy in soccer is limited, hindering its application in training and assessment.

Conclusions:

• Movement economy is a potentially significant factor in soccer performance.
• Further research is needed to fully understand and utilize movement economy in soccer.
• Improving movement economy could enhance soccer players' running performance and endurance during matches.