The “Football is Medicine” platform—scientific evidence, large‐scale implementation of evidence‐based concepts and future perspectives

Abstract

A. Seabra http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6788-4555 A. N. Rebelo http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9105-7421 S. Póvoas http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6661-3673 C. Castagna http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8320-6404 Z. Milanovic http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3224-0506 M. B. Randers

Submaximal field testing validity for aerobic fitness assessment in recreational football

“…These results parallel those referring to criterion validity in both the untrained and trained status that have shown a moderate association between HR 2min and VO 2max . The recreational football training intervention implemented in this study was successful in producing large improvements in aerobic fitness, in line with previously published studies addressing different populations . Despite the reported large (range 25‐44%) decrease in HR 2min across the field tests, the magnitude of test changes was only small by comparison with VO 2max inter‐individual changes.…”

“…The recreational football training intervention implemented in this study was successful in producing large improvements in aerobic fitness, in line with previously published studies addressing different populations. [1][2][3][4][5] Despite the reported large (range 25-44%) decrease in HR 2min across the field tests, the magnitude of test changes was only small by comparison with VO 2max inter-individual changes. These data suggest an apparent mismatch between HR variations and aerobic fitness improvement when Yo-Yo 2min versions are considered.…”

“…The published literature has provided convincing evidence of the wide‐ranging health and physical fitness benefits of systematic recreational football practice . Indeed, recreational football has been shown to be a motivating and enjoyable exercise mode that is effective in promoting clinically relevant improvements in body composition, aerobic fitness, physical function, and metabolic health across age, gender, and health status …”

Biomarkers of insulin action during single soccer sessions before and after a 12-week training period in type 2 diabetes patients on a caloric-restricted diet

“…As widely investigated in several studies conducted by Krustrup et al [22] recreational soccer training can be defined as warm-up, pair-based drills and small-sided football…”

Long-Term Recreational Football Training and Health in Aging

“…A large body of evidence indicates recreational football as an effective tool to improve healthy status at all ages, representing a milestone for the prevention and the management of several chronic non-communicable diseases [58,59]. In particular, many studies have demonstrated that football training, like other team sports, with high intensity anaerobic actions interspersed with periods of low intensity recovery, is an intermittent exercise, effective to improve CV, musculo-skeletal and metabolic fitness, including neuromuscular and cognitive functions, in all subjects who practice it, including older subjects [5,51,53,55,58,59].…”