The physiology of soccer refers to the study of the functioning of a soccer athlete's body. In the course of a 90-minute game, your body must meet demands placed on its aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, which handle steady running and bursts of speed, respectively. If you play at an elite level, you are especially likely to cover ground at speed. Sophisticated new measuring devices find, for example, that David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy might run 3.3 miles at a rate of 4.7 mph during a game, while Kyle Beckerman of Real Salt Lake manages nearly three times the distance: 9.5 miles at a rate of 4.9 mph.
Expert Opinions
Certified fitness trainer Phil Davies writes on his Sports Fitness Advisor website that "soccer is the most physically demanding of all sports." While soccer requires greater overall fitness than less aerobically demanding sports such as American football and baseball, others qualify Davies' statement. Exercise physiologist Donald T. Kirkendall of the University of North Carolina writes in the textbook "Exercise and Sports Science" that a lack of timeouts suggests that the game is one of "constant running with no stoppages in play." But out-of-bound balls, injuries and fouls reduce the time the ball is in play to about 60 minutes, he states.
Metrics
Soccer players at the elite level have been found to cover about 6 miles at 4 mph, an average distance right between those of Beckham and Beckerman. While it is tempting to describe soccer as a monumental physical effort, Kirkendall notes that many people can cover the same distance in 90 minutes merely by walking. He thus in effect disputes Davies' depiction of soccer as tremendously demanding, concluding that while the levels of exertion are high when considering the population as a whole, they are moderate in the range of values for team athletics.
Training
Serious soccer players need aerobic training to prepare the cardiovascular system to handle jogs and strolls for the best part of 90 minutes, and anaerobic preparation to intermittently sprint and jump effectively. The game requires strength training so that the legs avoid injury, the core can provide the power and balance needed, and the arms can help in holding off challenges; strength training also can improve jump height and sprint technique. Flexibility and agility training help you change of direction on the field, volley the ball in the air and hurdle fallen players and the goalkeeper in the frantic battle to score.
Application
Soccer players score similarly to other athletes in strength and aerobic and anaerobic capacity, Kirkendall writes. Although they score poorly in flexibility, they are off the charts in agility, routinely achieving the 99th percentile in the Illinois agility test, which requires them to lie down, jump to their feet and run an M shape around cones in the fastest time possible. The physiologist concludes that the average physiological profile of soccer players in metrics other than agility paradoxically conveys good news: the game is accessible to a wide range of people, including those of average overall ability.
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