TY - JOUR
T1 - Regular soccer training improves pulmonary diffusion capacity in 6 to 10 year old boys
AU - Dridi, Rim
AU - Dridi, Nadia
AU - Gmada, Nabil
AU - Laher, Ismail
AU - Saeidi, Ayoub
AU - Granacher, Urs
AU - Zouhal, Hassane
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - BACKGROUND: Soccer is one of the most attractive sports around the globe for children and adolescents, and the benefits of soccer training are often shown. Due to the intermittent character of soccer with random changes between high-intensity activity and low-intensity play, athletes' aerobic (respiratory) capacity is specifically stimulated. However, little is known about the effects of regular soccer practice on pulmonary diffusion capacity (TL) in young players, even though it is the most popular sport in the world.OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effects of 28 weeks of regular soccer training versus a non-activity control period on the TL, the alveolar-capillary membrane diffusion capacity (DM) as well as the capillary blood volume (Vc) in healthy prepubertal boys aged 6 to 10 years.METHODS: For this purpose, boys were randomly assigned to a soccer training group (SG, n = 40) or a control group (CG, n = 40). Pre and post-intervention, all participants performed an all-out graded bicycle ergometer test to measure maximal oxygen uptake (VO
2max) and maximal aerobic power (MAP). A respiratory maneuver was performed at rest and just at the end of the test to measure the TL for carbon monoxide (TL
CO) and nitric oxide (TL
NO), DM, as well as Vc.
RESULTS: There were no significant baseline between-group differences for any of the assessed parameters (p > 0.05). Significant group-by-time interactions were found for most pulmonary parameters measured at rest (p < 0.05), with effect size (ES) values ranging from small-to-large (0.2 < ES < 4.0), except for VA (p = 0.3, ES = 0.006). Post-hoc tests indicated significant DM (p < 0.05; 0.2 < ES < 4.0), TL
NO (p < 0.01; 0.22 < ES < 4.0), TL
CO (p < 0,01; 0.24 < ES < 4.0) and Vc (p = 0.01; 0.404 < ES < 0.6) improvements for SG but not CG. Significant group-by-time effects were identified for HRmax and VO
2max (p < 0.001; ES = 0.5 and p = 0.005; ES = 0.23 respectively). The post-hoc analyses indicated a significant decrease in HRmax and a significant increase in VO
2max in the SG (p < 0.001; ES = 0.5 and p = 0.005, ES = 0.23, respectively) but not in CG. Values for TL
CO increased by almost 20%; Vc of 14% DM of 8% and VA of 10% at the end of maximal exercise in SG. Furthermore, the percentage improvement was less notable in the control group (7.5% for TL
CO; 2% for Vc; 5% for DM and 4% for VA).
CONCLUSION: Regular soccer training significantly improves pulmonary vascular function and increases DM and Vc after exercise in prepubertal boys. The observed adaptations are most likely due to better recruitment of additional pulmonary capillary function. However, the stepwise linear regression analyses indicated that increases in pulmonary vascular function were not related to improvements in VO
2max and MAP.
AB - BACKGROUND: Soccer is one of the most attractive sports around the globe for children and adolescents, and the benefits of soccer training are often shown. Due to the intermittent character of soccer with random changes between high-intensity activity and low-intensity play, athletes' aerobic (respiratory) capacity is specifically stimulated. However, little is known about the effects of regular soccer practice on pulmonary diffusion capacity (TL) in young players, even though it is the most popular sport in the world.OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effects of 28 weeks of regular soccer training versus a non-activity control period on the TL, the alveolar-capillary membrane diffusion capacity (DM) as well as the capillary blood volume (Vc) in healthy prepubertal boys aged 6 to 10 years.METHODS: For this purpose, boys were randomly assigned to a soccer training group (SG, n = 40) or a control group (CG, n = 40). Pre and post-intervention, all participants performed an all-out graded bicycle ergometer test to measure maximal oxygen uptake (VO
2max) and maximal aerobic power (MAP). A respiratory maneuver was performed at rest and just at the end of the test to measure the TL for carbon monoxide (TL
CO) and nitric oxide (TL
NO), DM, as well as Vc.
RESULTS: There were no significant baseline between-group differences for any of the assessed parameters (p > 0.05). Significant group-by-time interactions were found for most pulmonary parameters measured at rest (p < 0.05), with effect size (ES) values ranging from small-to-large (0.2 < ES < 4.0), except for VA (p = 0.3, ES = 0.006). Post-hoc tests indicated significant DM (p < 0.05; 0.2 < ES < 4.0), TL
NO (p < 0.01; 0.22 < ES < 4.0), TL
CO (p < 0,01; 0.24 < ES < 4.0) and Vc (p = 0.01; 0.404 < ES < 0.6) improvements for SG but not CG. Significant group-by-time effects were identified for HRmax and VO
2max (p < 0.001; ES = 0.5 and p = 0.005; ES = 0.23 respectively). The post-hoc analyses indicated a significant decrease in HRmax and a significant increase in VO
2max in the SG (p < 0.001; ES = 0.5 and p = 0.005, ES = 0.23, respectively) but not in CG. Values for TL
CO increased by almost 20%; Vc of 14% DM of 8% and VA of 10% at the end of maximal exercise in SG. Furthermore, the percentage improvement was less notable in the control group (7.5% for TL
CO; 2% for Vc; 5% for DM and 4% for VA).
CONCLUSION: Regular soccer training significantly improves pulmonary vascular function and increases DM and Vc after exercise in prepubertal boys. The observed adaptations are most likely due to better recruitment of additional pulmonary capillary function. However, the stepwise linear regression analyses indicated that increases in pulmonary vascular function were not related to improvements in VO
2max and MAP.
KW - Alveolar capillary membrane diffusing capacity
KW - Capillary blood volume
KW - Children
KW - Exercise
KW - Football
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U2 - 10.1186/s13102-023-00757-6
DO - 10.1186/s13102-023-00757-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 37919774
AN - SCOPUS:85175698808
SN - 2052-1847
VL - 15
SP - 146
JO - BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
JF - BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
IS - 1
M1 - 146
ER -