Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to quantify maximal aerobic power (VO 2max ) in soccer as a function of performance level, position, age, and time of season. In addition, the authors examined the evolution of VO 2max among professional players over a 23-y period. Methods: 1545 male soccer players (22 ± 4 y, 76 ± 8 kg, 181 ± 6 cm) were tested for VO 2max at the Norwegian Olympic Training Center between 1989 and 2012. Results: No differences in VO 2max were observed among national-team players, 1st-and 2nd-division players, and juniors. Midfielders had higher VO 2max than defenders, forwards, and goalkeepers (P < .05). Players <18 y of age had ~3% higher VO 2max than 23-to 26-y-old players (P = .016). The players had 1.6% and 2.1% lower VO 2max during off-season than preseason (P = .046) and in season (P = .021), respectively. Relative to body mass, VO 2max among the professional players in this study has not improved over time. Professional players tested during 2006-2012 actually had 3.2% lower VO 2max than those tested from 2000 to 2006 (P = .001).
Conclusions:This study provides effect-magnitude estimates for the influence of performance level, player position, age, and season time on VO 2max in men's elite soccer. The findings from a robust data set indicate that VO 2max values ~62-64 mL · kg -1 · min -1 fulfill the demands for aerobic capacity in men's professional soccer and that VO 2max is not a clearly distinguishing variable separating players of different standards.Keywords: relative VO 2max , aerobic capacity, soccer, physical performanceThe importance of high maximal aerobic power (VO 2max ) in modern soccer is heavily debated. Reported test results have varied widely with VO 2max values between 50 and 75 mL · kg -1 · min -1 among outfield athletes. 1 Some investigations indicate that lower-ranked teams have lower VO 2max than the best teams. 2,3 Reilly et al 4 claim that VO 2max is not a sensitive measure of performance capability in soccer and suggest that VO 2max >60 mL represents a threshold to possess the physiological attributes for success in men's elite soccer. In contrast, Stølen et al 1 claim that it would be reasonable to expect about 70 mL · kg -1 · min -1 for a 75-kg professional soccer player, a value similar to that in elite middle-distance athletes. 5 It is also unclear whether there are positional differences in VO 2max among male soccer athletes. 4,6,7 The Norwegian Olympic training center has served as a standard testing facility for a large number of teams across a broad range of performance levels, including essentially all national-team players. A database of VO 2max results collected over 2 decades provided the potential for more rigorously testing the hypotheses presented in previous studies. Thus, the aim of this study was to quantify possible differences in VO 2max as a function of athlete playing standard, field position, age, and time of season. In addition, we evaluated the evolution of VO 2max in the Norwegian national squad over a 23-year period.
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