Regional phase angle, not whole-body, is augmented in response to pre-season in professional soccer players

ABSTRACT

The objective of this article was to assess the effects of six-week pre-season training on whole-body and regional bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived parameters, body composition, power, and aerobic performance in professional soccer players. Ten professional soccer athletes participated in the present study. Whole-body and regional hamstrings BIA-derived parameters [resistance, reactance, impedance, phase angle (PhA)], body composition, total body water (TBW), intracellular (ICW), and extracellular (ECW) were measured before, at mid-point, and after sixth week of the pre-season. Power (countermovement jump and squat jump) and aerobic capacity (Yo-Yo test) were measured before and after pre-season. There was a significant increase in the regional PhA (+13.9%) but not in the whole-body. There was a reduction in fat mass (−4.1%), an increase in fat-free mass (+1.7%), TBW (+8.3%), ICW (+8.8%), and ECW (+7.6%), as well as an increase in jump height (+11.0%) and distance covered in the Yo-Yo test (+34.7%). From our results, it is possible to suggest that pre-season training can induce an increase in hamstring PhA as well as body recomposition and improvement of physical fitness in professional soccer players.

KEYWORDS:

• Bioelectrical impedance
• lean soft tissue
• muscle mass
• cellular hydration
• football

Acknowledgments

This study is in memory of Professor Alex Soares Marreiros Ferraz, which devoted his lifetime to science education, family, and friends. His legacy is within us!

The authors thank all subjects for their engagement in the study, and the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES/Brazil) for the scholarship conferred to WK (master). DASS receives funding from CAPES (finance code 001) and CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, 302028/2018-8).

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Disclosure statement

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Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.