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Muscle variables of importance for physiological performance in competitive football

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To examine how match performance parameters in trained footballers relate to skeletal muscle parameters, sprint ability and intermittent exercise performance.

Methods

19 male elite football players completed an experimental game with physical performance determined by video analysis and exercise capacity assessed by intermittent Yo-Yo IR1 and IR2 tests, and a repeated sprint test (RST). Muscle tissue was obtained for analysis of metabolic enzyme maximal activity and key muscle protein expression.

Results

Total game distance, distance deficit from first to second half and high-intensity running in the final 15 min of the game were all correlated to the players’ Yo-Yo IR1 performance (r = 0.55–0.87) and beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (HAD) maximal activity (r = 0.55–0.65). Furthermore, platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM1) protein expression was weakly (r = 0.46) correlated to total game distance. Peak 5-min game distance faster than 21 km h−1 was related to the Na+–K+ ATPase subunit (α1, α2, β1 and FXYD1) protein levels (r = 0.54–0.70), while Yo-Yo IR2 performance explained 40 % of the variance in high-intensity game distance. Total and 1-min peak sprint distance correlated to myosin heavy chain II/I ratio (MHCII/I ratio) and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase isoform-1 (SERCA1) protein (r = 0.56–0.86), while phosphofructokinase (PFK) maximal activity also correlated to total sprint distance (r = 0.46).

Conclusion

The findings emphasize the complexity of parameters predicting physical football performance with Yo-Yo IR1 and HAD as the best predictors of total distance, while high expression of Na+–K+ ATPase proteins and the Yo-Yo IR2 test are better predictors of high-intensity performance. Finally, sprint performance relates to skeletal muscle fiber-type composition.

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Abbreviations

AB_FXYD1:

Non-specific FXYD1 phosphorylation

AB_FXYD1ser68:

FXYD1 phosphorylated at ser68

ACC:

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

CK:

Creatine kinase

COX4:

Cytochrome c oxidase IV

CS:

Citrate synthase

CV:

Coefficient of variation

ddH20:

Doubled distilled water

DTT:

Dithiothreitol

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

EGTA:

Ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid

FXYD1:

Phospholemman protein

HAD:

Beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase

HCl:

Hydrogen cloride

HEPES:

4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid

HRP:

Horseradish peroxidase

Kir6.2, KATP channel:

ATP-dependent potassium channel

LDH:

Lactate dehydrogenase

MCT1, MCT4:

Monocarboxylate transporter 1 and 4

MHCI and II:

Myosin heavy chain I and II

NaCl:

Sodium cloride

Na3VO4 :

Sodium orthovanadate

NHE1:

Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1

NP-40:

Tergitol-type NP-40 (nonyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol)

PECAM-1 (CD31):

Platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1

P-FI1, FI2:

Permanent fatigue index 1 and 2

PFK:

Phosphofructokinase

PSMF:

Phenylmethanesulfonylfluoride

RFD:

Rate of force development

RST:

Repeated sprint test

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate

SERCA1:

Sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase isoform 1

SR:

Sarcoendplasmatic reticulum

TBST:

Tris-buffered saline including Tween-20

T-FI:

Temporary fatigue index

Yo-Yo IR1, IR2:

Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery test, level 1 and level 2

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the football players involved as well as their coaches and clubs. We thank the nurses, physiotherapists and sports medicine physicians from Aspetar for taking care of the players. The study was performed within Aspetar, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital and Aspire, Academy for Sports Excellence in Doha, Qatar. The study was supported by a grant from Aspetar, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Natural and Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, Jónas Broncksgøta 25, 3rd floor, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

    Magni Mohr

  2. Center for Health and Human Performance, Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Magni Mohr

  3. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Integrated Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Martin Thomassen & Lars Nybo

  4. Athlete Health and Performance Research Center, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar

    Olivier Girard & Sebastien Racinais

  5. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Institute of Sport Science, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Olivier Girard

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  1. Magni Mohr
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  3. Olivier Girard
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  4. Sebastien Racinais
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  5. Lars Nybo
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Correspondence to Magni Mohr.

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The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

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Communicated by Peter Krustrup.

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Mohr, M., Thomassen, M., Girard, O. et al. Muscle variables of importance for physiological performance in competitive football. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 251–262 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3274-x

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