As previous literature updates, I have performed a PubCrawler search looking for football articles in NCBI Medline (PubMed) and GenBank databases.

Following studies were retrieved for this week:

1 Well-being fluctuations and injuries during an entire season in male professional soccer players: an observational study

Reference: Res Sports Med. 2024 Mar 19:1-13. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2024.2330959. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Christian Castilla-López, Natalia Romero-Franco
Summary: This study aimed to describe and relate the well-being perception and injury incidence of soccer players in an entire soccer season. For 37 weeks, twenty-eight male professional soccer players (25.2 ± 4.3 years old; 22.8 ± 1.4 kg/m2) daily scored (from 1: bad; to 5: perfect) well-being perception (fatigue, sleep, muscle soreness, stress and mood and Hooper Index (HI) as general status). Injuries were also registered. Results showed that players had the lowest well-being perception during Preseason (in terms of HI, fatigue, muscle soreness and stress), being lower than EarlySeason (ps < 0.05, ds > 1.0) and/or InSeason (ps < 0.05, ds > 1.0). The injury incidence was 8.3 ± 9.2/1000 h, being always higher in training compared to competition (35.0 vs 11.1/1000 h). A lower stress perception (worse) correlated with a higher rate of new injuries during PreSeason (r = -0.84), while a greater muscle soreness and fatigue correlated with the new injuries occurring in the following week during the whole season (r = -0.38 and r = -0.39, respectively). As a conclusion, the well-being perception of professional soccer players was especially low during Preseason, with fatigue, muscle soreness and stress as the most affected items that correlated with injury incidence.

2 Efficacy of a new injury prevention programme (FUNBALL) in young male football (soccer) players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Reference: Br J Sports Med. 2024 Mar 22:bjsports-2023-107388. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-107388. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Rilind Obërtinca, Rina Meha, Ilir Hoxha, Bujar Shabani, Tim Meyer, Karen Aus der Fünten
Download link: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2024/03/22/bjsports-2023-107388.full.pdf
Summary: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a new multicomponent, exercise-based injury prevention programme in football players 13-19 years old. Two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial with clubs as the unit of randomisation. 55 football teams from Kosovo of the under 15, under 17 and under 19 age groups were randomly assigned to the intervention (INT; 28 teams) or the control group (CON; 27 teams) and were followed for one football season (August 2021-May 2022). The INT group performed the ‚FUNBALL‘ programme after their usual warm-up at least twice per week, while the CON group followed their usual training routine. The primary outcome measure was the overall number of football-related injuries. Secondary outcomes were region-specific injuries of the lower limbs (hip/groin, thigh, knee, lower leg, ankle and foot) and injury severity. 319 injuries occurred, 132 in the INT and 187 in the CON group. The INT group used the ‚FUNBALL‘ programme in 72.2% of all training sessions, on average 2.2 times per week. There was a significantly lower incidence in the INT group regarding the overall number of injuries (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.87), the number of thigh injuries (IRR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.98), of moderate (time loss between 7 and 28 days) (IRR 0.65, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.97) and of severe injuries (time loss >28 days) (IRR 0.51, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.91). The ‚FUNBALL‘ programme reduced the incidence of football-related injuries among male adolescent football players, and its regular use for injury prevention in this population is recommended.

3 Acute pre- and post-competitive soccer match-play changes in neuromuscular factors, physical performance, and muscle response in youth male players

Reference: Sci Med Footb. 2024 Mar 18:1-11. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2024.2329273. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Imanol Martin-Garetxana, Jonathan Hughes, Mark De Ste Croix, Jon Larruskain, Jose A Lekue, Francisco Ayala
Summary: There is a paucity of literature analyzing the impact of fatigue from actual competitive soccer match-play on measures of neuromuscular function and muscle damage markers in youth players. Aims The main purpose was to analyze the acute pre- and post-competitive soccer match-play changes in measures of landing mechanics, stretch-shortening cycle capability, physical performance, muscle damage, and match intensity. A secondary purpose was to explore whether the players‘ maturity status and chronological age were associated with post-soccer match-play responses. Methods Thirty-two male youth outfield soccer players from two chronological competition age groups (U14 and U16) were assessed pre-and post-competitive soccer match-play for 2D dynamic knee valgus at landing (DKV), leg stiffness, reactive strength index, 20 m sprint time, CMJ-Abalakov jump height, creatine kinase and urea activity and visual analogue scale for muscle soreness (VAS). Players‘ maturity status was also estimated using a previously validated regression equation. Results There were statistically significant (p < 0.05) post-competitive soccer match-play impairments in all measures of stretch-shortening cycle capability and muscle damage markers assessed irrespective of the age group. Likewise, significant post-match play alterations in landing mechanics (DKV of the dominant leg) and physical performance (sprint time and jump height) scores were documented for the U14 players. Significant interactions between maturity and landing mechanics and VAS responses to competitive soccer match-play were also found whereby more mature players demonstrated larger post-match changes. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest the existence of a negative influence of competitive match-play on neuromuscular function and muscle damage in youth soccer.

4 The effects of football juggling learning on executive function and brain functional connectivity

Reference: Front Hum Neurosci. 2024 Mar 7:18:1362418. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1362418. eCollection 2024.
Authors: Xiaoxiao Dong, Xiang Gui, Sebastian Klich, Lina Zhu, Dandan Chen, Zhiyuan Sun, Yifan Shi, Aiguo Chen
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10954781/pdf/fnhum-18-1362418.pdf
Summary: This study aimed to explore the relationship between motor skill learning and executive function (EF), with an emphasis on the potential effects of football juggling learning. A randomized controlled trial involving 111 participants aged 17-19 years was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to either the football juggling learning (FJL) group or a control group. The FJL group underwent 70 sessions of football juggling learning, while the control group engaged in their normal daily activities without any exercise intervention during the same time frame. Both groups were assessed for EF performance and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans before and after the experiment. The executive function test included three tasks, namely, inhibition, working memory, and shifting. The results showed significant improvement in inhibition and shifting in both groups, and the FJL group showed greater improvement in these aspects of EF compared to the control group. Additionally, in comparison to the control group, the FJL group exhibited increased functional connectivity within the frontal, temporal, and cerebellar regions from the pre-test to the post-test. Notably, enhanced functional connectivity between the right superior temporal gyrus (posterior division) and left cerebellum 6 was identified in the FJL group and was associated with improved EF performance induced by football juggling learning. These findings shed light on the potential causal relationship between motor skill learning, EF, and brain plasticity. Importantly, our study provides preliminary evidence supporting the use of motor skill learning, such as football juggling, as a potential avenue for cognitive enhancement.

5 A comprehensive two-dimensional scoring system to assess the single-leg squat task in football players

Reference: Knee. 2024 Mar 20:48:52-62. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2024.02.016. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Stefano Di Paolo, Francesca Musa, Giovanni Maria d’Orsi, Alberto Grassi, Maria Chiara Vulpiani, Stefano Zaffagnini, Francesco Della Villa
Summary: The single-leg squat (SLS) is a safe and widespread functional test commonly performed in the mid-stages of rehabilitation after severe knee injuries. The use of reliable objective measures has been advocated to improve the quality of SLS assessment. The aim of this study was to describe a qualitative whole-body scoring system based on two-dimensional (2D) video analysis during SLS test and validate it against three-dimensional (3D) kinetics and kinematics. Thirty-four competitive football (soccer) players performed a series of SLS tasks. 3D kinematics and kinetics were collected through infrared cameras, and 2D video analysis was performed through a scoring system with sub-scores ranging from 0/2 (non-adequate movement) to 2/2 (adequate movement) based on frontal and lateral planes objective measurements. 3D kinematics and kinetics were grouped according to the results of the 2D evaluation and compared through the analysis of variance (P < 0.05). Higher hip adduction, hip internalrotation, and knee valgus collapse were found in trials rated 0/2 or 1/2 compared with theone rated 2/2 in the limb stability score. Hip flexion and hip/knee moment ratio were lower in those scoring 0/2 comparedwith those scoring 2/2 in the movement strategy criterion. A low total score was associated with higherknee valgus collapse and lower hip/knee extensor moment ratio. Compensatory strategieswere found in frontal plane scores. The 2D scoring system described was strongly associated with kinematics and kinetics from gold-standard 3D motion capture and might represent a valid tool to describe the movement quality of an SLS task.

6 Physical Demands of Walking Football in Patients With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Diseases

Reference: Clin J Sport Med. 2024 Mar 21. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001218. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Florian Egger, Anja Ditscheid, Markus Schwarz, Tim Meyer
Summary: The aim was to compare the exercise intensity of walking football (WF) with walking (WA) and to describe specific movement characteristics of WF. Eighteen patients with cardiovascular risk factors CVRFs and diseases (13 men and 5 women, age: 69 ± 10 years) took part in this study. Patients completed a WF match and WA session of 2 x 10 min each. Video analysis was used to characterize movements during WF. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE, Borg Scale 6-20), % maximum heart rate (HRmax), musculoskeletal pain on a visual analog scale (VAS, 1-100 mm) before and up to 72 hours after exercise, and movement patterns during WF were used as outcome measures. The mean RPE during WF (12.1 ± 2.7) and WA (11.9 ± 3.0) did not differ (P = 0.63). The mean HR during WF (79 ± 12% of HRmax) was higher than during WA (71% ± 11%; P < 0.01). The HR variability coefficient of variation during WF (10.3% ± 5.8%) and WA (7.1 ± 5.5%) did not differ (P = 0.13). There was no influence of exercise mode (WF vs WA) on musculoskeletal pain perception (P = 0.96 for interaction). Injury-inciting activities such as lunges (median: 0.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 0-1.3]) and goal kicks (median: 4 [IQR: 1.8-5.3]) occurred rarely during WF. Walking football might represent an alternative to WA for health prevention programs in patients with CVRF and diseases as it is characterized by a manageable cardiocirculatory strain, moderate RPE, low pain induction, and a low number of injury-inciting activities.

7 Changes in hamstring contractile properties during the competitive season in young football players

Reference: PeerJ. 2024 Mar 18:12:e17049. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17049. eCollection 2024.
Authors: Paweł Pakosz, Mariusz Konieczny, Przemysław Domaszewski, Tomasz Dybek, Mariusz Gnoiński, Elżbieta Skorupska
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10954257/pdf/peerj-12-17049.pdf
Summary: The study aimed to examine alterations and imbalances in hamstring muscle contractile properties among young football players throughout their competitive season, and to understand how these changes might contribute to the risk of muscle injuries. Hamstring injuries are particularly common in football, yet the underlying causes and effective prevention methods remain unclear. The research involved 74 young footballers who were assessed before the season (pre-test) and after 12 weeks of training (post-test). To evaluate changes in hamstring muscle contractile properties, specifically the left and right biceps femoris (BF) and semitendinosus (ST), tensiomyography (TMG) parameters were utilized. In comparison to the BF muscle, significant differences in time delay (Td) between the left and right sides in the post-test (p = 0.0193), and maximal displacement (Dm) between the left and right sides at the pre-test (p = 0.0395). However, significant differences in Dm were observed only in the left ST muscle between the pre- and post-tests (p = 0.0081). Regarding lateral symmetry, BF registered measurements of 79.7 ± 13.43 (pre-test) and 77.4 ± 14.82 (post-test), whereas ST showed measurements of 87.0 ± 9.79 (pre-test) and 87.5 ± 9.60 (post-test). These assessments provided TMG reference data for hamstring muscles in young footballers, both before the season and after 12 weeks of in-season training. The observed changes in the contractile properties and decrease in lateral symmetry of the BF in both tests suggest an increased risk of injury.

8 TacticAI: an AI assistant for football tactics

Reference: Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 19;15(1):1906. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45965-x.
Authors: Zhe Wang, Petar Veličković, Daniel Hennes et al.
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10951310/pdf/41467_2024_Article_45965.pdf
Summary: Identifying key patterns of tactics implemented by rival teams, and developing effective responses, lies at the heart of modern football. However, doing so algorithmically remains an open research challenge. To address this unmet need, we propose TacticAI, an AI football tactics assistant developed and evaluated in close collaboration with domain experts from Liverpool FC. We focus on analysing corner kicks, as they offer coaches the most direct opportunities for interventions and improvements. TacticAI incorporates both a predictive and a generative component, allowing the coaches to effectively sample and explore alternative player setups for each corner kick routine and to select those with the highest predicted likelihood of success. We validate TacticAI on a number of relevant benchmark tasks: predicting receivers and shot attempts and recommending player position adjustments. The utility of TacticAI is validated by a qualitative study conducted with football domain experts at Liverpool FC. We show that TacticAI’s model suggestions are not only indistinguishable from real tactics, but also favoured over existing tactics 90% of the time, and that TacticAI offers an effective corner kick retrieval system. TacticAI achieves these results despite the limited availability of gold-standard data, achieving data efficiency through geometric deep learning.

9 Psychological readiness of football players for the match and its connection with self-esteem and competitive anxiety

Reference: Heliyon. 2024 Mar 11;10(6):e27608. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27608. eCollection 2024 Mar 30.
Authors: Adriana Kaplánová
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10944273/pdf/main.pdf
Summary: For athletes, failure in a match is psychologically difficult. Since the movement abilities of athletes are often comparable, it is assumed that one of the key elements of victory is also their psychological readiness. Many experts recommend rigorously examining all factors affecting the performance of football players, especially in matches. The aim of our study is to determine whether a football player’s coping with adversity, coachability, motivation to succeed, goal setting, peaking under pressure, or fear of failure are significantly predicted by their self-esteem or a specific aspect of competitive anxiety, which can be crucial for the direction of psychological preparation in collective sports. The research sample consisted of 107 male football players in the age range of 18-29 years registered with the Slovak Football Association, who actively participated in the team’s matches. Football players filled out a booklet of psychological tests, including the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory, the Sport Anxiety Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results of the regression analysis showed that the self-esteem of football players is a significant predictor of achievement motivation and their ability to listen to the coach’s instructions. Along with the somatic component of anxiety, it also predicts goal-setting. Cognitive anxiety of football players, characterized by negative thoughts, turned out to be a significant predictor of coping with adversity during a football match and their peaking under pressure, and together with concentration disruption, it also predicts the ability of football players to free themselves from worries about what the audience thinks about their sporting performance in the match.

10 Monitoring of sprint and change of direction velocity, vertical jump height, and repeated sprint ability in sub-elite female football players throughout their menstrual cycle

Reference: Sci Med Footb. 2024 Mar 16:1-9. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2024.2328674. Online ahead of print.
Authors: P H Igonin, F Cognasse, P Gonzalo, P Philippot, I Rogowski, T Sabot, N Boisseau, C Martin
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between the early follicular (EF, i.e., menstruation), late follicular (LF), and middle luteal (ML) phases of the menstrual cycle and different factors that may influence football performance. To this end, 11 eumenorrheic sub-elite female football players underwent field tests to assess sprint speed, lower extremity power, repeated sprint ability, velocity on change of direction, and technical skills at each cycle phase. Performance during the 15-m change of direction ability test, 15-m ball dribbling test, squat jump height, total sprint time [sum of 7 sprints] and decrement score [(mean sprint time/best sprint time × 100) – 100], maximum and mean heart rate, and perceived exertion did not significantly differ among menstrual cycle phases. Conversely, the linear sprint velocity over 10, 20, 30-m distances was decreased in EF vs LF (10-, 20- and 30-m) and in ML vs LF (10- and 20-m) (p < 0.05). The 40-m sprint velocity did not change in the different menstrual cycle phases. Overall, our study suggests that sex hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle are not associated with vertical jump, velocity on change of direction, and repeated sprint ability, but may influence linear sprint velocity over short distances (10, 20, and 30 m).

11 Negotiating periodised training programmes in youth soccer development: A social process

Reference: J Sports Sci. 2024 Mar 29:1-8. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2024.2335433. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Greg Doncaster, Jimmy O’Gorman, Mark Partington, Lee Nelson
Summary: The purpose of the study was to develop new knowledge about the everyday realities when implementing periodised training programmes in professional soccer Academies. Specifically, this project enhances understanding in relation to 1) those stakeholders involved in periodised training programmes in professional soccer Academies, 2) factors that facilitate and constrain the design, implementation, and monitoring of periodised programmes, 3) the extent to which practitioners perceive that education programmes adequately prepared them for this aspect of their work. Academy managers, coaches and sport science support staff were approached to complete an online survey, with 30 individuals (33.6 ± 9.5 years old) agreeing to do so. Findings highlight that practitioners „have“ to adapt their practices accordingly in response to contextually constraining factors. Here, the importance of developing richer insights into the social aspects of work in applied settings, greater recognition of facilitating and constraining factors, and an improved awareness and development of the educational interventions that can prepare practitioners in applied practice is emphasised.

12 Professional soccer player’s perceptions of the English Football Association 4 corner model in supporting first team transitions

Reference: J Sports Sci. 2024 Mar 28:1-6. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2024.2335583. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Moussa Diouf, Joe Miller, Martyn Rothwell
Summary: The English Football Association (FA from hereon in) 4 Corner Model is a multidisciplinary framework that aims to enhance player talent identification and development, and is characterised by physical, social, technical/tactical and psychological components. Despite the framework being prominent within English football development pathways, player insights into the effectiveness of the framework in supporting academy to first team transitions are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore established first team professional footballer’s perceptions of the FA 4 Corner Model, in relation to the attributes that they perceived to facilitate the successful transition to a professional first team environment. Twelve current (n = 8) and ex (n = 4) professional players who had successfully transitioned from a youth academy, and subsequently became an established first team player, were interviewed for the study. Interpretations across the qualitative data set highlighted the importance of players adapting to physical and tactical demands, while also dealing with different psychosocial factors when entering a first team setting. The study highlights that disparities can exist between players, coaches, practitioners, and sport scientists perceived development needs, a situation that could hinder players progression through the player pathway.

13 Analysis of Fluid Balance and Urine Values in Elite Soccer Players: Impact of Different Environments, Playing Positions, Sexes, and Competitive Levels

Reference: Nutrients. 2024 Mar 21;16(6):903. doi: 10.3390/nu16060903.
Authors: Jaime Sebastiá-Rico, Jose M Soriano, Jesús Sanchis-Chordà, Ángel F García-Fernández, Pedro López-Mateu, Sandra de la Cruz Marcos, José Miguel Martínez-Sanz
Summary: Exercise can disrupt the fluid balance, hindering performance and athlete health. Limited data exist on fluid balance responses in varying climates, sexes, and ages. This study aimed to measure and compare fluid balance and urine values among elite soccer players during training at high and low temperatures, examining the differences between sexes, playing positions, and competitive levels within men’s soccer. During the 2022-2023 competitive season, a descriptive observational study was conducted on 87 soccer players from an elite Spanish soccer team. The study found that none of the groups exceeded weight loss values of 1.5% of their body mass. Additionally, the soccer players studied experienced higher weight loss, fluid intake, and a higher sweat rate (SR) during summer training compared to winter training. During the summer, male U23-21 soccer players exhibited higher levels of weight loss, fluid intake, and a higher SR compared to female soccer players or the U19-17 male category. No significant differences were found between playing positions. In conclusion, differences in the fluid balance were observed based on the climatic conditions, competitive level, and sex.

14 Fast and Stable Responses during Decision Making Require Strong Inhibitory Processes in Soccer Players

Reference: Brain Sci. 2024 Feb 22;14(3):199. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14030199.
Authors: Takahiro Matsutake, Hiroki Nakata, Genta Matsuo, Takayuki Natsuhara, Kisho Zippo, Kouki Watanabe, Takayuki Sugo
Summary: Quick decision making is a vital factor for a successful pass in soccer games. Many previous studies of decision making in soccer focused on motor execution, but inhibitory processing has remained unclear. This study aimed to clarify the differences in motor execution and inhibitory among Japanese collegiate soccer players with different skill levels. We evaluated the behavioral data and event-related potentials in the high-skilled, low-skilled, and novice groups during the Go/No-go and pass choice reaction tasks. The reaction time (RT) was significantly shorter in the high group than in the novice group, and RT variability was small in the high group. The amplitude of the N2 component was significantly larger in the high group than in the low and novice groups, and the latency of the P3 component was significantly shorter in the high and low groups than in the novice group during the pass choice reaction task. The subtracted No-go N2 amplitude was also significantly larger in the high and low groups than in the novice group, and correlations existed between the RT, RT variability, and the subtracted No-go N2 amplitude during these tasks. These data indicate that soccer players‘ behavioral responses and inhibition processing decision-making activities are associated with skill levels.

15 Normative Reference Centiles for Sprint Performance in High-Level Youth Soccer Players: The Need to Consider Biological Maturity

Reference: Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2024 Mar 27:1-9. doi: 10.1123/pes.2023-0186. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Ludwig Ruf, Stefan Altmann, Christian Kloss, Sascha Härtel
Summary: The aim was to compute reference centiles for 5- and 30-m sprint times relative to chronological and skeletal age in youth soccer players. Subsequently, to compare individual’s sprint performance scores derived from the chronological and skeletal age reference centiles. Sprint times were collected for a sample of male U11 to U19 soccer players (n = 1745 data points). Skeletal age data were available for a subsample (n = 776 data points). Reference centiles were fitted using generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape. Individual z scores relative to chronological and skeletal age reference centiles were computed and compared for each maturity group (late, on-time, early, and very early) using standardized mean differences (SMD). Reference centiles for chronological age increased more rapidly between 10.5 and 15.5 years, while reference centiles for skeletal age increased more rapidly between 13.0 and 16.5 years. Differences in chronological and skeletal z scores for very early (SMD: -0.73 to -0.43) and late (SMD: 0.58 to 1.29) maturing players were small to large, while differences for early (SMD: -0.30 to -0.19) and on-time (SMD: 0.16 to 0.28) were trivial to small. Reference centiles provide a valuable tool to assist the evaluation of sprint performance in relation to chronological and skeletal age for talent identification purposes in youth soccer players.

16 Seasonal Variation and the Effect of the Transition Period on Physical Fitness Parameters in Youth Female Soccer Players

Reference: Sports (Basel). 2024 Mar 20;12(3):84. doi: 10.3390/sports12030084.
Authors: Koulla Parpa, Borko Katanic, Marcos Michaelides
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/12/3/84
Summary: This study examined seasonal variation and the effect of the transition period on physical fitness parameters in female youth soccer players. Twenty-four players (13-17 years old) were assessed through field and laboratory testing. They completed laboratory testing three times: (1) at the beginning of the season (post-preseason), (2) at the end of the regular season (postseason), and (3) following the transition period (preseason). Field testing was conducted post-preseason and postseason. Results indicated that weight and body fat significantly increased from post-preseason to postseason and following the transition period. A paired samples T-test revealed that the players performed significantly better in the vertical jump and 30 m sprint test (all p < 0.01) postseason compared to post-preseason. Also, it was indicated that torque production for the right quadriceps, left quadriceps, and right hamstring (all p < 0.01) was significantly reduced after the transition period by 10%, 11.8%, and 10.5%, respectively. Cardiorespiratory measurements demonstrated that performance on an incremental cardiopulmonary treadmill test, maximal oxygen consumption, velocity at the first ventilatory threshold, velocity at the second ventilatory threshold, and velocity at maximal oxygen consumption (all p < 0.01) were significantly reduced postseason and following the transition period. Based on the results, coaches and trainers should primarily focus on maintaining the aerobic capacity of the players during the season, as it has been indicated to be reduced from the beginning to the end of the competitive period (VO2max reduced by 3.3%). In addition, they should focus on maintaining lower body strength and aerobic capacity during the transition period.