Raúl Martínez-Santos

Sedentarismo, obesidad y salud mental en la población española de 4 a 15 años de edad

BACKGROUND An active lifestyle and a good weight status are two major health determinants from a public health perspective. AIM To evaluate the degree of association between physical activity, weight status and the emotional and mental health of Spanish schoolchildren. METHOD Mental health status was assessed through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), also leisure time physical activity and body mass index (BMI) in a total of 6 803 children from 4 to 15 years participating in the Spanish National Health Survey 2006. The degree of association between. these variables was estimated by a multinomial logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Among sedentary schoolchildren are more common mental health problems (OR 2.10), emotional problems (OR 1.84), conduct problems (OR 1.53), problems with peers (OR 2.35) and social relationship difficulties (OR 1.36). Obesity is associated with poor general mental health (OR 1.58), and obese schoolchildren show more often emotional problems (OR 1.52) and problems with peers (OR 2.43). CONCLUSIONS In the Spanish schoolchildren, a healthy BMI is associated with increased mental well-being, although an active lifestyle is the best indicator of a good mental health status.Fundamento: Un estilo de vida activo y el mantenimiento de un peso saludable son dos de los principales determinantes del bienestar desde una perspectiva de salud publica. El objetivo del trabajo es evaluar el grado de asociacion entre la actividad fisica y el indice de masa corporal (IMC) con el bienestar emocional y la salud mental de los escolares en Espana. Metodo: Se evaluo el estado de salud mental a traves del Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades (SDQ), la practica de actividad fisica durante el tiempo libre y el IMC en un total de 6.803 escolares de 4 a 15 anos de edad, participantes en la Encuesta Nacional de Salud de Espana 2006. El grado de asociacion entre variables fue estimado a traves de un analisis de regresion logistica multinomial. Resultados: Entre los escolares sedentarios son mas frecuentes los problemas de salud mental (OR 2,10), en concreto problemas emocionales (OR 1,84), los problemas de conducta (OR 1,53), los problemas con los companeros (OR 2,35) y las dificultades de relacion social (OR 1,36). Un indice de masa corporal (IMC) que denota obesidad se asocia a peor salud mental general (OR 1,58), mostrando los escolares obesos en mayor medida problemas emocionales (OR 1,52) y problemas con companeros (OR 2,43). Conclusiones: En los escolares espanoles un IMC saludable se asocia con mayor bienestar psicologico, aunque un estilo de vida activo es en mayor grado un buen indicador del estado de salud mental.

Variability of Objective and Subjective Intensities During Ball Drills in Youth Soccer Players

Abstract Arcos, AL, Martínez-Santos, R, Yanci, J, Martín, J, and Castagna, C. Variability of objective and subjective intensities during ball drills in youth soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 28(3): 752–757, 2014—The aim of this study was to examine the intrasubject (intraclass coefficient correlation [ICC]) and intersubject variability (coefficient of variation [CV]) of soccer ball drills (BD) involving or not opposition in male youth soccer. For this purpose, a collective ball dribbling (DB) exercise and a 7-a-side ball game without coach encouragements were considered. Exercise intensity was assessed as heart rate (HR), training load (TL), and perceived exertion scales. Fourteen U-14 male soccer players (age, 14.79 ± 0.43 years and experience, 6.5 years) of a Spanish First Division club academy participated in the study. Ball drills were examined for variability over 5 successive training sessions in similar field conditions. Results showed that 7-a-side was significantly (p = 0.000) more demanding than DB. Indeed the TL, HRmax, HRmean, overall perceived exertion, and leg muscular perceived exertion (MPE) resulted 141, 8.7, 11, 56, and 72%, higher in 7-a-side than in DB, respectively. In the 7-a-side condition, good intersubject (CV < 10%) and low intrasubject (ICC < 0.7) variability were observed. In the DB condition, CVs were below 10% CV only for HR variables and the ICC values were higher than 0.7 only for MPE. Despite the moderate reproducibility of BD not considering opponents, this condition did not reveal to induce homogeneous physiological responses in young soccer players. Therefore, the use of this kind of drills may be questionable when considered as alternative of moderate intensity generic aerobic training. Despite the higher interaction between players variability in the opposition drills resulted lower, this suggests their use as a specific conditioning exercise.

In-season training periodization of professional soccer players

The aim of this study was to quantify the seasonal perceived respiratory and muscular training loads (i.e., sRPEres-TL and sRPEmus-TL) completed by elite-oriented young professional soccer players. Twenty-four players (20.3 ± 2.0 years) belonging to the same reserve team of a Spanish La Liga club participated in this study. Only the players that were available to train for a whole week with the team and also to play the weekly game were considered: Starters, players that participated in the match for at least 45 min and Non-Starters, players that did not participate or played less than 45 minutes in the match. The competitive period was analysed after the division into 5x6-8 week blocks and 35x1 week microcycles. Data were also analysed with respect to number of days before the immediate match. Weekly TL variation across the in-season blocks was trivial-small for both groups except between Block 2 and Block 3 (ES= moderate). Substantial TL differences (ES= small–very likely) were found between training days, the TL pattern being a progressive increase up to MD-3 followed by a decrease until MD-1. Except for the match, sRPEres-/sRPEmus-TL was very similar between Starters and Non-Starters. In summary, perceived TL across the season displayed limited variation. Coaches periodized training contents to attain the highest weekly TL 72 hours before the match to progressively unload the players between MD-3 and the match day. The data revealed that the TL arising from the weekly game was solely responsible for the observed higher weekly TL of Starters in comparison with Non-Starters.

Influence of initial performance level and tactical position on the aerobic fitness in soccer players after preseason period

ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in aerobic fitness in young elite Spanish soccer players after the pre-competitive period over 12 seasons depending on the initial performance level and the tactical position. Methods: One hundred and thirty players belonging to the same reserve team of a Spanish La Liga Club participated in this study. Aerobic fitness capacity (the velocity associated with a blood lactate concentration [La]b of 3 mmol l–1 [V3]) was assessed in each season at the start of the preseason (i.e. July), Test 1 (T1), and the start of the competitive period (i.e. September), Test 2 (T2), from 1998 to 2013 season. Results: Taking all seasons together a most likely small improvement (effect size (ES) = 0.52; ±0.09) was found in V3 after preseason, but this varied from trivial to moderate among the seasons. A most likely large improvement was found for the players with lower V3 values in T1 (ES = 1.68; ±0.38) while a likely small enhancement was assigned to the group with higher V3 values (ES = 0.53; ±0.42). Conclusions: Technical staff should be cautious about affirming an improvement in aerobic fitness after preseason.

Sprint and jump performances do not determine the promotion to professional elite soccer in Spain, 1994–2012

ABSTRACT The aims of this study are (a) to describe the evolution of neuromuscular performance over an 18 year period within a Spanish elite reserve team; (b) to check if there were any relation between the playing position and sprint and jump performances and (c) to look into the alleged impact of this factor on the top playing level attained by the soccer players. We considered the physical tests (5 m and 15 m sprint times and countermovement jump (CMJ) height) made by 235 players enrolled in the reserve team of the Club from 1994 to 2012 and the highest competitive-level they achieved: Spanish first (n = 39) and second divisions (n = 36) and semi-professional (n = 160). Furthermore, the players were classified according to their playing positions. The main findings were a very-likely/most-likely lower neuromuscular performance (ES = 0.48–0.68, small to moderate) in the last six-season term (2006–2012) than in the first term (1994–2000); possibly/very-likely lower performances in sprinting and CMJ (ES = 0.22–0.55, small) by central defenders (CDs) and midfielders than by other playing positions; very-likely better performances in sprinting and jumping by first and second divisions central defenders than by semi-professional central defenders (ES = 0.90–1.02, moderate). Sprint and jump performances are not a relevant physical parameter to promote to the top level of soccer in Spain except for one in six of the playing positions: CDs.