Interlimb asymmetries have been widely studied with controversial results, suggesting that the magnitude of asymmetries is highly task-dependent and could be related to injury risk. This study aimed to establish an optimal method for assessing asymmetries and evaluate interlimb power performance and range of motion asymmetries in injured and non-injured male semiprofessional soccer players. A prospective and descriptive design was applied, and 20 male semiprofessional soccer players participated. The players underwent a battery of screening tests (i.e., countermovement jump [CMJ], half-squat, hip abduction and hip adduction isometric force, knee flexion and extension isokinetic torque, and lower limb range of movement). The healthy players had a greater range of motion in the hip extension and ankle flexion of the dominant leg and hip abduction and knee flexion of the non-dominant leg. However, the injured players exhibited greater asymmetry in hip abduction maximum isometric strength. These findings suggest the importance of establishing a comprehensive method to assess the range of motion interlimb asymmetries related to injury risk in semiprofessional soccer players.

This study aimed to analyze the influence of a soccer match on change of direction performance immediately and after a 48-h recovery period, with special focus on change of direction deficit and change of direction asymmetries. Fifteen outfield male soccer players who belonged to the same regional-level team participated in this study (age: 27.20 ± 5.30 years; height: 176.20 ± 6.46 cm; body mass: 73.80 ± 10.36 kg; tier 2). A repeated-measures observational design was used, with two data collection periods during the competitive period of one season (i.e., midseason and end-season). Each data collection period included one official match and their corresponding 48-h recovery period. The 30-m linear straight sprint test and the 505 change of direction test were conducted at pre-, post- and 48-h post-match. Findings show increased change of direction completion time at post- ( p = 0.030) and 48-h post-match ( p < 0.001), greater change of direction deficit at 48-h post-match ( p < 0.001) regardless of the method for classifying lower-limb dominance (i.e., dominant and non-dominant in the change of direction test, preferred and non-preferred kicking limb), and impaired change of direction performance with preferred kicking limb immediately after the match ( p = 0.024). Thus, the acute and residual fatigue-induced by a soccer match resulted in different alterations at post- and 48-h post-match in both change of direction deficit and change of direction asymmetries. These results may be applicable by practitioners interested in understanding the influence of a soccer match on change of direction performance.

Background: Fatigue-induced changes influence physical performance of youth players during and after handball matches. Hypothesis: Players with higher levels of neuromuscular performance may exhibit reduced postmatch fatigue and a faster recovery. Study Design: A prospective, comparative, repeated-measures observational design was used. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: A total of 34 outfield male youth handball players participated in this study (age, 15.42 ± 1.65 years; height, 171.31 ± 9.92 cm; body mass, 64.68 ± 15.14 kg). Each participant played 1 simulated match during the in-season phase. Neuromuscular performance was evaluated pre-, post-, 24 hours post-, and 48 hours postmatch using the maximal isometric hand grip strength test, the countermovement jump test, the 505 change of direction test, and a linear straight sprint test (i.e., 10 m, 20 m, 30 m). Moreover, perceived wellness was obtained at pre-, 24 hours post-, and 48 hours postmatch, and match-related internal and external loads were monitored. Random forest clustering was used to categorize participants into 2 clusters based on their prematch neuromuscular performance (i.e., higher- and lower-performing players). Results: Higher-performing players experienced greater internal and external match loads but showed minimal postmatch performance declines ( P < 0.05). During the recovery period, lower-performing players exhibited greater impairments in sprint performance while higher-performing players reported elevated perceived fatigue and exhibited greater impairments in change of direction performance ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Higher neuromuscular performance enables youth handball players to manifest superior physical outputs during simulated matches and minimizes the extent of match-induced acute fatigue, but the contribution to a faster recovery remains unclear. Clinical Relevance: Training programs for youth handball players should emphasize the development of neuromuscular function, not only for enhancing match physical performance, but also for reducing acute fatigue.

Background: Nutrition is a fundamental factor in the healthy growth and development of young athletes, as well as in supporting optimal sports performance. This study aimed to explore associations between Mediterranean diet adherence score, BMI and selected physical performance measures in youth handball players, by identifying distinct player profiles through a clustering approach. Methods: Thirty-five male youth handball players participated in the study. Mediterranean diet adherence was evaluated by means of a 16-item KIDMED questionnaire and total score, and physical performance was assessed using the countermovement jump (CMJ) test, the 505-change of direction test, linear straight sprints and isometric handgrip strength. Results: Cluster 1 goes more than one day a week to a fast-food restaurant, skips breakfast on more occasions and consumes sweets and candy more often. In addition, Cluster 2 showed better sprint (p = 0.019–0.053, ES = 0.39–0.47) and CMJ (p = 0.042; ES = 0.40) performance than Cluster 1. Conclusions: These findings present associations between dietary adherence, BMI, and selected physical performance measures in this specific cohort. Given the cross-sectional design and the small sample size, these findings should be interpreted with caution and do not allow causal inferences.