Salter, Jamie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7375-1476, De Ste Croix, Mark De Ste Croix and Hughes, Jonathan (2020) The moderating impact of maturation on acute neuromuscular and psycho-physiological responses to simulated soccer activity in academy soccer players. European Journal of Sport Science.

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Abstract

Resource constraints complicate load monitoring practices in some academies, which is problematic based on load-injury associations surrounding periods of rapid non-linear growth. Limited research has explored relationships between maturation and perceived psycho-physiological response to activity and associated neuromuscular performance changes. This study aimed to quantify neuromuscular and psycho-physiological responses to standardised activity and analyse whether dose-responses were moderated by maturation. Fifty-seven male soccer players (age: 14.1  0.9 years; stature: 165  10 cm; body mass, 57  9 kg; percentage of predicted adult height 92.7  5%) from two Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) academies completed the youth soccer-specific aerobic fitness test (Y-SAFT 60). Countermovement jump (CMJ), reactive strength index (RSI), absolute (ABS) and relative leg stiffness (REL) were measured pre-post the Y-SAFT 60 with player-load (PL), heart rate (HR), total distance (TDist) and differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) used as markers of load and intensity. A moderation model was employed to analyse interactions of maturation as a continuous variable. Analysis indicated no significant interaction (p <0.05) between maturation and neuromuscular performance but RPE-Technical demonstrated significant interactions (p = 0.01). Slope analysis indicated four variables (PL, RSI, ABS and REL) that demonstrated significance at various stages of maturation, most notably aligning with peak height velocity (~87-96% PAH). Tentatively, we propose that maturational developments in the neuromuscular system offer some mechanistic explanation to the varied dose-responses observed. It is therefore important that maturation is habitually considered within prescription of training programmes and that further empirical studies are completed to determine maturity specific dose-responses.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	"This is an accepted version of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Journal of Sport Science on 16/11/2020 available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17461391.2020.1851775"
Status:	Published
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2020.1851775
Subjects:	Q Science > QM Human anatomy Q Science > QP Physiology R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics
School/Department:	School of Science, Technology and Health
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/4806

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