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DO POWER AND VELOCITY REMAIN CONSISTENT IN FEMALE COLLEGIATE SOCCER PLAYERS DURING THE COMPETITIVE SEASON?

Abstract

Many collegiate sports include strength training sessions, practices, and competitive games during their in-season. With the physical demands of all of the above, it may be important to determine if said training impacts explosive vertical jump performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine trends in Peak Power (PP), Average Power (AP), Peak Velocity (PV), and Average Velocity (AV) when performing a countermovement jump (CMJ) with female Division II soccer players over the course of the competitive season. By identifying potential differences in these performance characteristics, this research aims to provide insight into the physical demands and the recovery processes experienced by female collegiate soccer players. METHODS: The study began with 19 total participants from a Division II University women’s soccer team, however, due to injury and missed testing days, the present study is only reporting ten participants (age= 19.80±1.69 years, height 168.61cm±6.30 cm, mass 63.13kg±7.13kg). A linear position transducer was used to assess power and velocity variables. During each CMJ, participants kept their hands on their hips, and their feet were positioned shoulder-width apart. Measurements occurred six total times over a one-month span (assessment days were usually Mondays or Tuesdays). A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess changes in PP, AP, PV, and AV across the six time points. RESULTS: The present study observed no significant difference in AP (F(5, 45) = 1.614, p = .176), PP (F(3.849, 45) = .492, p = .735 (Huynh-Feldt correction)), AV (F(5, 45) = 1.662, p = .163), nor PV (F(5, 45) = 1.162, p = .343) through six assessed time periods during the soccer season. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that power and velocity remained consistent in female Division II soccer players throughout the competitive season. Despite the physical demands of training, games, and strength and conditioning sessions, no significant changes in CMJ metrics were observed across the six assessment periods. These findings suggest that the team's current training and recovery practices may be effective in preserving performance levels.

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