Soccer practice as an add-on treatment in the management of individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia

Figures & data

Table 1 Patients’ characteristics at baseline

Subjects	Age (years)	Weight (kg)	Height (cm)	BMI (kg/m^2)
TG (n = 10)	36.00 ± 5.00	77.44 ± 13.60	164.44 ± 7.00	28.55 ± 4.06
CG (n = 8)	35.00 ± 4.00	76.71 ± 09.75	163.42 ± 4.99	28.65 ± 2.62
Significance (P < 0.05)	NS	NS	NS	NS

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; TG, trained group; n, number; CG, control group; NS, not significant.

Table 2 Battaglia and Inguglia’s model of training session

Phase	Activities			Minutes
1. Recording	Patients signed their presence in a daily log			∼10
2. Social	Presentation of the activities			∼10
3. Warm-up	Participants executed a standard sequence of exercises: 3 minutes: running, skipping; 3 minutes: two sets of three CC and ACC circumduction of the neck, three sets of eight FC and BC of the shoulders, three sets of eight CC and ACC of the pelvis, two sets of five CC and ACC of the feet; 3 minutes of running with ball; 3 minutes of stretching in an erect posture: upper body stretching by overhead extension of BA (15″); right trunk stretching by overhead and lateral extension of BA (15″); left trunk stretching by overhead and lateral extension of BA (15″); quadriceps stretching of BLL (15″ + 15″); calf stretching of BLL (15″ + 15″) against the wall; hamstring stretching of BLL (15″ + 15″); thigh abductor stretching of BLL (15″ + 15″); hamstring and trunk stretching by forward flexion of upper body (15″); 3 minutes of running with a ball and direction change in response to coach’s whistle; 3 minutes: the same group of four exercises; 5 minutes: players in pairs with one ball per pair, one pair in each 5 × 5 m grid. Players pass inside their own grid.			∼20
4. Central	Recovery	Drink (still water) and socializing	3′	∼40–60
	Game	Patients played with nurses and/or medical doctors in a small-sided game (5 versus 5; 7 versus 7) 50%–85% HRmax	20′–30′
	Recovery	Drink (still water) and socializing	3′
	Game	Patients played with nurses and/or medical doctor in small-sided game (5 versus 5; 7 versus 7) 50%–85% HRmax	20′–30′
5. Cool-down	3 minutes: the same four exercises as in the warm-up phase; One set of three DB; 3 minutes of stretching on the floor: upper body stretching by overhead extension of BA (15″); quadriceps stretching of BLL lying on the right and left side respectively (15″ + 15″); hamstring stretching of BLL (15″ + 15″); thigh abductor stretching by upper abduction of BLL at the same time (15″); hamstring and trunk stretching by forward flexion of upper body with abducted lower limbs (15″); cycling of the lower limbs (15″); quadriceps stretching of BLL (15″ + 15″); hamstring stretching of BLL (15″ + 15″); One set of three DB.			∼10
6. Feedback	Discussion of the activities and game; farewell			∼10
	Total			∼120

Abbreviations: CC, clockwise; ACC, anticlockwise; FC, forward circumduction; BC, backward circumduction; BA, both arms; BLL, both lower limbs; HR_max, maximum heart rate; DB, deep breathings; ′, minutes; ″, seconds.

Figure 1 Patients’ 30-meter sprint test results at baseline and after the training period.

Notes: Means and standard deviations of patients’ best time records before and after the training period. *P < 0.01.
Abbreviations: TG, trained group; CG, control group; BT, before training; AT, after training.

Figure 2 Patients’ slalom test running with ball results before and after the training period.

Notes: Means and standard deviations of patients’ best time records before and after the training period. *P < 0.01.
Abbreviations: TG, trained group; CG, control group; BT, before training; AT, after training.

Figure 3 Mean score of the physical component summary before and after the training period.

Notes: Mean score of physical component summary of the Short Form-12 health survey before and after the training period in the TG and CG. *P < 0.0001.
Abbreviations: TG, trained group; CG, control group; BT, before training; AT, after training.

Figure 4 Mean score of the mental component summary before and after the training period.

Notes: Mean score of the mental component summary of the Short Form-12 health survey before and after the training period in the TG and CG. *P < 0.0001.
Abbreviations: TG, trained group; CG, control group; BT, before training; AT, after training.