Relação entre o nível de aptidão física, modulação autonômica cardíaca e posicionamento tático em jogadores de futebol da categoria sub-17

Abstract

Soccer is an acyclic sport modality characterized by intermittent efforts with short recovery intervals between actions, where players perform sprints, runs and walks, alternating low and high intensity efforts. Although aerobic metabolism provides the highest proportion of energy for activities during matches, football also triggers metabolic demands and anaerobic fitness in its players. As it is the modality with the most appreciators in the world, this exhibition attracts high investment in large professional clubs, including in the area of physical performance analysis, tactical technical profile and sports medicine. Following this trend, there are numerous protocols for physiological assessment in soccer, however, coaches, physical trainers and physiologists have increasingly sought to identify new methodologies that can be used to enhance performance and avoid greater physical strain on players. Physiological adaptations have also been monitored through heart rate variability (HRV) responses, which can provide useful information regarding changes in physical and training status, as well as being associated with improvements in the athletic performance of players. Currently, there are limited studies in the literature that evaluate the association between cardiac autonomic function, physical performance and tactical position in soccer, especially in the base categories. The objective of the present study was to verify if the tactical actions of the different positions of the soccer field are associated with the HRV at rest and the performance in players of the Sub-17 category. Fifty-nine male players aged 16.1 ± 1.41 years voluntarily participated in this study and were subdivided into 5 categories: goalkeepers (n=10), fullbacks (n=13), wingers (n=15), midfielders (n=11) and attackers (n=10). Baseline hemodynamic parameters and HRV were assessed under resting conditions. Physical tests were carried out to verify the physical fitness of the players. The full-backs had a greater resting cardiac vagal modulation than all other players (p<0.05), as well as a lower resting HR compared to goalkeepers (p<0.001) and forwards (p=0.039). Greater VO2max and distance covered in the Yo-Yo IR1 test were observed in wingers players in relation to all players in other positions (p<0.05). Similar results were observed regarding the agility tests, where lateral players had the lowest execution time compared to other groups of players (p<0.05). Significant correlations were identified between cardiac vagal indices and physical fitness according to positions on the soccer field. Our data allow us to conclude that wing players had higher values of vagal activity and these findings were associated with greater physical performance.