ACUTE AND CHRONIC EFFECTS OF THE FIFA 11+ ON SEVERAL PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES IN ADOLESCENT FOOTBALL PLAYERS

The purpose of this study was to analyse the acute and chronic effects of the FIFA 11+ on several physical performance measures. A total of 41 youth amateur men football players completed this study. Participants were allocated into two different sub-studies: a) sub-study 1 (acute effects) and b) sub-study 2 (chronic effects). While in the sub-study 1, participants completed the FIFA 11+ and their regular warm-up routine in a randomized order on separate days; in the sub-study 2, participants performed the FIFA 11+ 3 times a week for 4 weeks or completed their usual warm-up routines (control). In both sub-studies, 10 physical performance measures grouped in 4 blocks (joint range of motion, dynamic postural control, sprinting and jumping) were assessed. The results of both sub-studies reported no meaningful differences between FIFA 11+ and regular warm-up for any physical performance measure analysed. Therefore, the findings of the current study report that the FIFA 11+ might be considered an appropriate warm-up inducing improvements in physical performance comparable with those obtained with other warm-up routines in football players. In addition, the training stimuli provided by the implementation of the FIFA 11+ three times per week for 4 weeks appear to be not enough to elicit chronic positive effects on physical performance measures.