OBJECTIVE To assess cardiac dimensions in elite Saudi soccer players, and to correlate these measurements with maximal oxygen uptake. METHODS Twenty-three soccer players representing the Saudi National soccer team, and 19 untrained males participated in this study. Cardiac dimensions were measured by M-mode echocardiography, and maximal oxygen uptake was assessed by open-circuit spirometry du...

Exercise training may increase production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species in different ways. The training type and intensity may influence free radicals production, which leads to differences in oxidative stress status between athletes, but the results of the previous studies are incosistent. The aim of our study was to estimate oxidative stress status in elite athletes engaged in ...

The optimal physical preparation of elite soccer (association football) players has become an indispensable part of the professional game, especially due to the increased physical demands of match-play. The monitoring of players' work rate profiles during competition is now feasible through computer-aided motion analysis. Traditional methods of motion analysis were extremely labour intensive an...

Somatotype ratings and percentage body fat of 131 elite Nigerian male athletes, average 24.2 years of age, and belonging to badminton (n = 18), basketball (n = 30), field hockey (n = 24), handball (n = 16), judo (n = 18), and soccer (n = 25) teams were determined. Basketball, handball and soccer players were taller and heavier, and had low percent fat values as compared with the other athletic ...

The rapid rise in female participation in soccer worldwide has not been followed by a corresponding increase in the number of studies biomechanically that target female kicking patterns to determine if differences exist between males and females. The objectives of this study were to examine kinematic instep kicking differences between elite female and male soccer players in dominant and nondomi...

Physical capacity and coordination cannot alone predict success in team sports such as soccer. Instead, more focus has been directed towards the importance of cognitive abilities, and it has been suggested that executive functions (EF) are fundamentally important for success in soccer. However, executive functions are going through a steep development from adolescence to adulthood. Moreover, mo...

*Corresponding author. Address at the end of text Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the physical and technical activities of elite soccer players from the French First League, according to their playing positions. Methods: During the 2005-2006 season, 3540 professional soccer players’ activities were recorded and analysed during competitive matches played by means of a s...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of patellar tendinopathy is elevated in elite soccer compared to less explosive sports. While the burden of training hours and load is comparably high in youth elite players (age < 23 years), little is known about the prevalence of patellar tendinopathy at this age. There is only little data available on the influence of age, the amount of training, the position on the...

The primary aim of this prospective cohort study was to compare the incidence of Achilles tendinopathy symptoms in elite soccer players with and without baseline asymptomatic ultrasound abnormalities. This study also investigated the relationship between baseline tendon thickness and development of symptoms. Using ultrasonography, 18 players were examined in 2009 for the existence of hypoechoic...