Specificity of Acceleration, Maximum Speed, and Agility in Professional Soccer Players

Abstract

High-speed actions are known to impact soccer performance and can be categorized into actions requiring maximal speed, acceleration, or agility. Contradictory findings have been reported as to the extent of the relationship between the different speed components. This study comprised 106 professional soccer players who were assessed for 10-m sprint (acceleration), flying 20-m sprint (maximum speed), and zigzag agility performance. Although performances in the three tests were all significantly correlated (p < 0.0005), coefficients of determination (r(2)) between the tests were just 39, 12, and 21% for acceleration and maximum speed, acceleration and agility, and maximum speed and agility, respectively. Based on the low coefficients of determination, it was concluded that acceleration, maximum speed, and agility are specific qualities and relatively unrelated to one another. The findings suggest that specific testing and training procedures for each speed component should be utilized when working with elite players.

ACTN3 genotype in professional soccer players

“…Despite the evolutionary conservation of α-actinin-3, a significant proportion of healthy individuals (for example, ∼18% of Caucasians of European ancestry) are totally deficient in this protein as they are homozygous for a premature stop codon polymorphism (577X) in ACTN3 14. Although this genetic variant is not associated with a known disease phenotype, it is believed to preclude top-level athletic performance in power and sprint activities, as opposed to the 577R polymorphism 16 17. However, no data are available on elite soccer players.…”

Relationship between the modified star excursion balance test and the 4x10 m shuttle run test in children

“…Some authors have speculated about the relationship between dynamic balance and agility. For instance, balance training induced a positive transference to agility performance (Little & Williams, 2005). Additionally, sports requiring agility skills have demonstrated superior static unipedal and dynamic balance ability compared with control participants (Bressel, Yonker, Kras, & Heath, 2007).…”

“…Indeed, balance is considered an agility subcomponent (Ruiz et al, 2009) and agility is de ned as a body movement with velocity or direction changes in response to a stimulus (Sheppard & Young, 2006). Studies showed an agility/balance relationship through agility improvements after a balance training intervention (Little & Williams, 2005). Nevertheless, scienti c literature that provides direct agility/balance relationship is scarce, especially in children.…”

Agility, acceleration, speed and maximum speed relationship with age factor in soccer players<p>Futbolcularda yaşa bağlı çeviklik, ivmelenme, sürat ve maksimum sürat ilişkisi

“…A study has revealed a high correlation with the maximal speed and acceleration (Mendez-Villanueva et al, 2011), while the same relationship is not observed between agility and linear sprints. (Little & Williams, 2005;Sheppard & Young, n.d.;Warren B Young et al, 2001) The more interesting result of another study is with 36 male participants. In this study one group made agility training while other made linear sprint training for 6 weeks.…”

“…(Little & Williams, 2005;Sheppard & Young, 2006;Warren B Young, Mcdowell, & Scarlett, 2001) Ayrı bir çalışmada 15 futbolcu ile yapılan toplu ve topsuz zigzag testleri ile 10m, 20m testleri arasında pozitif ilişkiye rastlanırken, (Köklü, Alemdaroğlu, Özkan, Koz, & Ersöz, 2015) yine futbolcularda yapılan araştırmada 20m sprint ve 20m çeviklik testleri arasında bir ilişki çıkmamıştır. (D. Buttifant, K. Graham, 2002) Fakat genel olarak ortaya koyulan bulgular sürat ve çevikliğin farklı motorik özellikler olduğunu, aralarındaki ilişkinin düşük olduğunu göstermektedir.…”