UEFA

In recent years we have received funding from the UEFA Research Grant programme.  Specifically in 2015, from the 52 applications received amongst 25 different UEFA member associations, Dr Kevin Thomas’ application titled ‘Optimising player performance and readiness to train: Fatigue and recovery of neuromuscular function following football match-play’ was one of six projects chosen. Briefly, the investigation studied the fatigue that manifests during a simulated soccer match play and reported how long players take to recover.

A full report of this investigation can be found on page 8 of the October 2016 publication UEFA Direct. By encouraging cooperation between the national associations and the academic community, UEFA hopes to help get research projects off the ground that the associations can then use in order to further develop their own activities and projects. In addition to this work there are a number of works that have examined numerous aspects of football performance - a sample of which are presented below:

• Etiology and Recovery of Neuromuscular Fatigue following Competitive Soccer Match-Play.

• The assessment of neuromuscular fatigue during 120 min of simulated soccer exercise.

• Etiology and Recovery of Neuromuscular Fatigue after Simulated Soccer Match Play.

• Time-motion analysis of acceleration demands of 4v4 small-sided soccer games played on different pitch sizes.

• Dose-Response Relationship between Training Load and Changes in Aerobic Fitness in Professional Youth Soccer Players.

• Evidence for Acute Electrophysiological and Cognitive Changes Following Routine Soccer Heading.