| dc.description.abstract | PURPOSE: The study aimed to compare maximal muscle strength- and hypertrophy adaptions promoted by self-regulating versus GPS-regulating resistance training volume (series x repetitions) in high-level soccer players in-season.
METHODS: 16 male professional soccer players (24.6 ± 3.5 years) completed a 10-week resistance training intervention to increase maximal muscular strength and hypertrophy in the lower limbs during the competitive season (1 session/week). They were randomized to either an objective GPS-regulated group (GR, n=7), regulating training volume based on distance covered above 5.5m/s-1 from soccer matches and practice, or a subjective group (SR, n=9), self-regulating training volume based on preference. Maximal strength was measured in a pneumatic leg press machine. M. Vastus Lateralis (VL) and M. Rectus Femoris (RF) hypertrophy was measured with ultrasonography.
RESULTS: There were no between group differences in strength changes nor muscle hypertrophy, except in muscle thickness of VL (p=0.011). Muscle thickness in VL decreased in SR (-3.9%, p=0.016), whereas no change from baseline was found in GR. SR and GR increased muscle cross-sectional area of RF (6.4%, p=0.029 and 8.6%, p= 0.008, respectively), but neither groups improved maximal muscular strength nor muscle thickness of RF.
CONCLUSION: Both self-regulation and objective GPS-regulation of resistance training volume may serve as sufficient autoregulation methods to maintain strength and muscle mass within the competitive season for high-level soccer players. However, to promote increases in muscle strength- and further hypertrophic adaptions, future research should compare differences between the present autoregulation methods with a larger sample size and higher resistance training volumes. | |