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Sports Medicine
Published in: Sports Medicine 7/2011

01-07-2011 | Review Article

Influence of Exercise on Skill Proficiency in Soccer

Authors: Mark Russell, Dr Michael Kingsley

Published in: Sports Medicine | Issue 7/2011

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Abstract

The ability to maintain technical performances (i.e. skills) throughout soccer match-play is considered to be crucial in determining the outcome of competitive fixtures. Consequently, coaches dedicate a large proportion of time to practicing isolated skills, such as passing, shooting and dribbling. Unlike other elements that contribute to team-sport performances, it is unusual for coaches to use methods other than observations to assess changes resulting from technical training. Researchers have employed various tests to measure isolated soccer skills; however, reliance on outcome measures that include number of contacts (ball juggling tasks), time (dribbling tasks) and points scored (criterion-based passing and shooting tests) means that the outcomes are difficult for coaches to interpret. Skill tests that use video-analysis techniques to measure ball speed, precision and success of soccer skills offer valid and reliable alternatives. Although equivocal results are published, skill performances can be affected by assorted factors that threaten homeostasis, including match-related fatigue, dehydration and reductions in blood glucose concentrations. While acknowledging methodological constraints associated with using skill tests with limited ecological validity and cognitive demands, the effects of these homeostatic disturbances might vary according to the type of skill being performed. Shooting performances appear most susceptible to deterioration after exercise. Strategies such as aerobic training, fluid-electrolyte provision and acute carbohydrate supplementation have been found to improve proficiency in technical actions performed after soccer-specific exercise. However, mechanisms that cause deterioration in skill during soccer-specific exercise remain to be fully elucidated and strategies to optimize technical performance throughout match-play are warranted.
Footnotes
1
Ecological validity can be defined as the degree to which congruence exists between the environment that the subject in an investigation experiences and the intended properties of the environment that the investigator assumes[20] or the extent to which research emulates the real world.[21]
 
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Metadata
Title
Influence of Exercise on Skill Proficiency in Soccer
Authors
Mark Russell
Dr Michael Kingsley
Publication date
01-07-2011
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Sports Medicine / Issue 7/2011
Print ISSN: 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2165/11589130-000000000-00000

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