Time-Course of Changes in Oxidative Stress, Anthropometric Measurements, and Physical Performance Responses Following...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Soccer training involves intense physical demands, potentially leading to oxidative stress.
• Monitoring physiological responses to training is crucial for athlete development and injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of an eight-week soccer training program on oxidative stress, anthropometric measurements, and physical performance in U-17 male players.
• To assess changes in creatine kinase, protein carbonyls, and catalase activity in response to training and physical testing.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen U-17 male soccer players underwent an eight-week training program with daily two-hour sessions.
• Physical performance tests (30-m sprint, countermovement jump, dribbling, Yo-Yo IR2) and blood sample collections were conducted at baseline, pre-training, and post-training.
• Assays for creatine kinase, protein carbonyls, and catalase activity were performed on blood samples.

Main Results:

• Physical performance, including acceleration and 30-m sprint time, improved post-training.
• Creatine kinase levels were elevated pre-training compared to baseline and post-training.
• Protein carbonyl levels increased at both pre- and post-training compared to baseline.
• Catalase activity was higher post-training than at baseline, and Yo-Yo IR2 performance and VO₂max increased.

Conclusions:

• An eight-week structured soccer training program enhances physical performance in young athletes.
• The training intervention positively modulated oxidative stress markers, increasing catalase activity and stabilizing creatine kinase and protein carbonyl levels after strenuous testing.