Title: A Physiological Profile of the Elite Soccer Athlete
Abstract:The purpose of this study was to develop a physiological profile of the elite soccer athlete. Protocols were developed to assess flexibility, knee ligament translation, body composition, anaerobic pow...The purpose of this study was to develop a physiological profile of the elite soccer athlete. Protocols were developed to assess flexibility, knee ligament translation, body composition, anaerobic power, lower extremity functional performance, and muscle strength. Eighty-three male U.S. National Team players provided data for this study. Different protocols were used over the years the data was gathered. Each area was tested, using a subset of the total group. The physiological profile of the elite soccer player was compiled from results in each area tested. The players were flexible, on the whole, although 17% of the players demonstrated hamstring tightness. All but one player tested had less than 2.5 mm anterior/posterior (A/P) knee ligament translation. The average body fat was 9.5%, and all athletes performed normally on the function tests. The mean power output on Wingate testing was 8.1 Watts per kilogram body weight. The average hamstring-to-quadricep torque ratio (H/Q) at 60°/sec was 56% (right) and 56.6% (left), and at 450°/sec, was 67.1% and 70.1%. Identification and measurement of these key physiological qualities for the elite soccer athlete will provide standards and a baseline for trainers, coaches, players, and future investigators.Read More
Publication Year: 1990
Publication Date: 1990-10-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 69
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