Monitoring the post-match neuromuscular fatigue of young Turkish football players

Abstract

Neuromuscular fatigue tests have been used in previous studies to organize post-match training programs and to minimize injuries. The aim of this study is to describe the neuromuscular fatigue that occurs after a football match and to examine the relationship between internal and external load values in the match and fatigue parameters obtained at different time intervals. Twenty male U19 academy league soccer players (age: 19; height: 181.3 ± 4.3; weight: 73.4 ± 6.7) participated in the study. The countermovement jump (CMJ) test was applied to the players 24 h before, as well as 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h after a football match. During the CMJ tests, the maximum velocity of each player during the jump was recorded by using the GymAware linear position transducer. The CMJ maximum velocity values 24 h before and 24 h after the match, as well as the CMJ height values (Cohen’s d: 1.210; p < 0.001), were statistically different from the values recorded 24 h before and 24 and 48 h after the match (Cohen’s d: 1.578; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d: 0,922; p < 0.009). The correlation values were not statistically significant. The results suggest, CMJ height and CMJ maximum velocity values, which determine neuromuscular fatigue after a football match, can be used by practitioners to display post-match neuromuscular fatigue measurements.