Francesco Laterza

Small-sided games (SSGs) are widely used in soccer training to replicate the technical, tactical, and physical demands of competition. However, their ability to reproduce the multidimensional distribution of accelerative and decelerative actions observed during official matches remains unclear. This study compared multidimensional locomotor distributions between SSGs and official match play in eleven professional soccer players monitored across more than 20 official matches and multiple SSG sessions during a competitive season. Locomotor data were obtained using validated tracking systems and analyzed by integrating speed, acceleration/deceleration magnitude, and metabolic power. The resulting multidimensional distributions were compared using Jensen–Shannon (JS) divergence to quantify distributional similarity. For accelerations, differences between SSGs and official matches were minimal at low metabolic power but increased progressively, reaching the greatest divergence above 60 W·kg⁻¹ (JS = 0.196). Decelerations showed a similar trend; however, no deceleration events above 30 W·kg⁻¹ were observed during SSGs, whereas official matches included exposure across higher metabolic power bands. These findings indicate that the SSG formats examined only partially reproduced the multidimensional locomotor demands of competition. Although accelerative actions remained represented across several metabolic power domains, exposure to high-intensity decelerations was absent during the SSG formats examined. From a practical perspective, these findings suggest that complementary training strategies may be considered when greater exposure to high-intensity deceleration demands is desired; however, the effectiveness of such strategies was not directly evaluated in the present study.

Background: Patellar tendon complaints and other tendon-related disorders are common in jumping sports; however, the relationship between recorded tendon problems, anthropometric characteristics, and neuromuscular performance in youth athletes remains poorly understood. This study explored the association between height, body mass, competitive age category, a retrospectively recorded history of tendon-related disorders, and jumping performance in youth volleyball players. Methods: Thirty-three male youth volleyball players competing in the Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 categories participated in this cross-sectional study. For each athlete, Reach (maximum standing reach height), Vertec (maximum height attained during a maximal vertical jump), and vertical jump height, calculated as the difference between Vertec and Reach, were recorded. The presence or absence of tendon-related disorders was determined retrospectively from medical history information and club documentation. Data were analyzed using a multivariate general linear model, followed by univariate analyses and Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons. Results: Height showed a highly significant effect on the set of performance variables (Wilks’ λ = 0.066; p < 0.001), and competitive age category was also significantly associated with performance (Wilks’ λ = 0.655; p = 0.049). In contrast, neither body mass (p = 0.854) nor the tendon-related disorder variable (p = 0.293) demonstrated significant associations. Univariate analyses revealed significant effects of competitive age category on Vertec performance (p = 0.018) and vertical jump height (p = 0.008), but not on Reach (p = 0.542). Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons showed significant differences between the Under-19 and Under-15 categories for Vertec performance (p = 0.017), and between Under-19 and Under-15 (p = 0.007) as well as Under-17 and Under-15 (p = 0.034) for vertical jump height. Conclusions: Jumping performance in youth volleyball appears to be primarily influenced by anthropometric characteristics and developmental factors associated with competitive age category, whereas the dichotomous retrospective classification of tendon-related disorders adopted in the present study did not discriminate performance level. These findings highlight the importance of integrating functional, clinical, and training-load monitoring to better understand athletic development and tendon vulnerability.

Recent advancements in wearable technology have allowed researchers to collect high-resolution data on athletes’ workloads and performance, paving the way for more accurate mathematical models in sports science. In this paper, inspired by the modeling of heart rate during exercise, we introduce a novel linear, time-varying, two-state discrete-time dynamical model for predicting athletic performance in elite-level soccer players. Model parameters are estimated via the Differential Evolution optimization algorithm, and GPS-derived metrics such as metabolic power and equivalent distance index are incorporated. The model originally accounts for complex interactions between a performance-related state variable and a second lumped variable, whose dynamics are intertwined. This model was compared to the most effective deterministic (though uncertain) one in the literature, namely the (nonlinear) Busso model. Results, concerning two professional soccer players over a half-season period, show that the proposed model outperforms the traditional approach in estimation and predictive accuracy, with significantly higher correlation coefficients and lower estimation and prediction errors across all players. These findings suggest that integrating two-state dynamics and fine-grained GPS metrics provides a more biologically realistic framework for load monitoring in team sports. The proposed model thus represents a powerful tool for training optimization and athlete readiness assessment, with potential applications in real-time decision support systems for coaching staff. By predicting the effects of training load on future performance, it might also contribute to injury risk reduction and the prevention of maladaptive responses to excessive workload.

Recent advancements in wearable technology have allowed researchers to collect high-resolution data on athletes’ workloads and performance, paving the way for more accurate mathematical models in sports science. In this paper, inspired by the modeling of heart rate during exercise, we introduce a novel linear, time-varying, two-state discrete-time dynamical model for predicting athletic performance in elite-level soccer players. Model parameters are estimated via the Differential Evolution optimization algorithm, and GPS-derived metrics such as metabolic power and equivalent distance index are incorporated. The model originally accounts for complex interactions between a performance-related state variable and a second lumped variable, whose dynamics are intertwined. This model was compared to the most effective one in the literature, namely the (nonlinear) Busso model. Results, concerning two professional soccer players over a half-season period, show that the proposed model outperforms the traditional approach in predictive accuracy, with significantly higher correlation coefficients and lower prediction errors across all players. These findings suggest that integrating two-state dynamics and fine-grained GPS metrics provides a more biologically realistic framework for load monitoring in team sports. The proposed model thus represents a powerful tool for training optimization and athlete readiness assessment, with potential applications in real-time decision support systems for coaching staff. By predicting the effects of training load on future performance, it might also contribute to injury risk reduction and the prevention of maladaptive responses to excessive workload.

Physiological characteristics such as VO_2max, running economy (RE), maximal aerobic speed (MAS), maximal sprinting speed (MSS), anaerobic speed reserve (ASR), and player profiling (based on MSS and MAS) have been proven to be important for training prescriptions in football. However, previous studies on player profiling have neglected the absolute values of MSS and MAS. The objectives of this study were to compare the aforementioned physiological variables among player roles, create benchmarks, and provide normative data to help coaches categorize players, ultimately proposing a new player profiling method. We analyzed 195 male professional football players (50 forwards, 59 midfielders, 44 full-backs, and 42 center-backs). Multivariate analysis of variance with Tukey’s post hoc tests revealed positional differences. Center-backs exhibited lower VO_2max than midfielders and full-backs. Both center-backs and forwards showed poorer RE and MAS compared to midfielders and full-backs. Full-backs achieved higher MSS than midfielders and center-backs, and forwards outperformed center-backs. Finally, midfielders demonstrated lower ASR than all other positions. Benchmarks based on T-scores for all variables were provided. Finally, in the new profiling method proposed—also based on T-scores—players were classified as “speed”, “endurance”, or “hybrid” if their MAS and/or MSS T-score exceeded 60, “in development” if both were below 45, and “average” if both scores were between 45 and 60 without any value above 60. The normative data provided can assist coaches in identifying specific areas for improvement in players’ physical conditioning—particularly valuable for youth athletes or those returning from injury. Additionally, the new profiling method offers insights into individual player characteristics, enabling more tailored and effective training interventions.

Background: Short sessions of isometric exercise have been shown to reduce blood pressure (BP) in normotensive and hypertensive subjects. However, there are few data in hypertensive patients with underlying ischemic heart disease (IHD). In the present study, we compared post-exercise hypotension (PEH) induced by isometric versus combined, aerobic plus dynamic resistance exercise in IHD patients. Methods: Twenty-five stable patients with established IHD and with treated hypertension were enrolled. The study had a cross-over design. All patients performed in a random order and on different days: (1) isometric exercise session (IES) consisting of bilateral knee extension, performed at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction and lasting 20 min; (2) combined exercise session (CES) including moderate-intensity continuous exercise at and dynamic resistance exercise performed at 60% of one repetition maximum, and lasting 60 min and (3) control session (no exercise). BP was measured at rest, immediately after the training and then every 15 min up to 90 min. Results: The repeated measures ANOVA analysis showed that systolic BP significantly decreased after the CES session compared to the control (F = 6.2; p 0.001) and IES (F = 4.4; p 0.004). Systolic BP significantly decreased after IES compared to the control (F = 3.6; p 0.036). Diastolic BP did not show significant changes after CES and IES compared to the control (CES vs. control: F = 2.2; p 0.142; IES vs. control (F = 2.5; p 0.062). There were no significant differences in diastolic BP changes between CES and IES (CES vs. IES: F = 1.8; p 0.156). Conclusions: We observed that CES was more effective than IES in reducing systolic BP; IES was as effective as CES in inducing diastolic PEH in hypertensive patients with underlying IHD.

Background: Short sessions of isometric exercise have been shown to reduce blood pressure (BP) in normotensive and hypertensive subjects. However, there are few data in hypertensive patients with underlying ischemic heart disease (IHD). In the present study we compared post-exercise hypotension (PEH) induced by isometric versus combined, aerobic plus dynamic resistance, exercise in IHD patients. Methods: Twenty-five stable patients with established IHD and with treated hypertension were enrolled. The study had a cross-over design. All patients performed in a random order and in different days: 1) Isometric exercise session (IES) consisting of bilateral knee extension, performed at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction and lasting 20 minutes; 2) Combined exercise session (CES) including moderate-intensity continuous exercise at and dynamic resistance exercise performed at 60% of 1 repetition maximum, and lasting 60 minutes. 3) Control session (no exercise). BP was measured at rest, immediately after the training and then every 15 minutes up to 90 minutes. Results: The repeated measures ANOVA analysis showed that: systolic BP significantly decreased after CES session compared to control (F = 6.2; p 0.001) and to IES session (F = 4.4; p 0.004). Systolic BP significantly decreased after IES compared to control (F = 3.6; p 0.036). Diastolic BP did not show significantly changes after CES and IES compared to control (CES vs control: F=2.2; p 0.142; IES vs control (F=2.5; p 0.062). There were not significant differences in diastolic BP changes between CES and IES (CES vs IES: F=1.8; p 0.156). Conclusion: We observed that CES was more effective than IES in reducing systolic BP; IES was as effective as CES in inducing diastolic PEH in hypertensive patients with underlying IHD.

Article: Pressing, pressure and re-aggressing as tactical movement of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women’s soccer - The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2024 Nov 11 - Minerva Medica - Journals

Article: Performance in professional soccer players: normative data and benchmarks from official matches for metabolic power and high-intensity activities - The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2024 Jul 18 - Minerva Medica - Journals

The influence of playing formations and team ranking on the physical performance of professional soccer players is an open question that needs to be explored. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of these factors on the physical exertion of Serie A soccer players. We analyzed match data from 375 players, categorizing teams based on their final ranking and comparing performance across different playing formations. The Kruskal–Wallis test and the Dunn test with Bonferroni adjustment revealed that high-ranking (HR) teams exhibited a higher percentage of high-intensity (HI) accelerations compared to mid-ranking teams, suggesting the critical role of HI efforts in achieving favorable match outcomes. Moreover, the 4-3-3 playing formation was associated with greater acceleration demands than other formations, particularly in HR teams. Our study also established benchmarks for various performance metrics, enabling coaches to assess player performance and identify potential signs of overtraining. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the physical demands in soccer and offer practical implications for coaches and players in optimizing training and performance strategies.