Role of Playing Time and Age in Seasonal Body Fat Changes: A Case Study of Professional Male Soccer Players in the Spanish First Division

Abstract

Modern soccer is more physically demanding and thereby increasing the risk of injury. Tracking body fat (BF) is crucial to assess the effectiveness of training and nutrition in professional soccer players. This study aimed to examine seasonal changes in BF among professional male soccer players and investigate the effects of playing time and age on BF. Thirty professional players (26.67 ± 4.40 years) from a Spanish first-division team were monitored over a complete season using skinfold measurements to estimate BF. Data were collected at ten time points during a season. Players were grouped based on age (younger ≤ 25 years) and on the median of the total minutes played. A three-way mixed ANOVA for repeated measures was conducted to evaluate interactions between age and playing time on BF across the season. Seasonal trend in BF percentage across groups was evaluated using estimated marginal means adjusted by polynomial regression. A significant variation in BF was found, with a decrease at the beginning of the season followed by an increase toward the end [F (9, 161) = 1.52, P = 0.044)]. Younger players with more playing time exhibited lower BF levels and more stability in comparison to older players and those with less playing time, who showed greater variability. The findings emphasise the importance of regularly monitoring BF throughout the season and the need for individualised training and nutritional strategies and provide continuous nutritional support to help athletes meet their energy and nutritional needs for optimal performance.

Keywords

Professional soccer / Body composition / Athletic performance / Longitudinal study

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