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Metabolites
Volume 16
Issue 6
10.3390/metabo16060370
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Acute Capillary Plasma Biomarker, Neuromuscular, and Perceptual Responses to Standardised Soccer Match Play in Elite Players: A Descriptive Study of Asynchronous Multi-Domain Recovery

by
Lun Du
1,
Jie Xiao
2,
Chunpeng Li
2,*,
Shuning Liu
3,
Yaji Jiang
4,
Yue Dou
5,
Haotian Zhao
6,
Wen Zhong
3,
Kai Zhao
7,* and
Chang Liu
3,*
1
Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
2
Russian State Sports University, Moscow 105122, Russia
3
School of Sports Science, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
4
Graduate School of Trainers, Belarusian State University of Physical Culture, 220020 Minsk, Belarus
5
China Football College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
6
Department of Physical Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
7
China Volleyball Academy, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Metabolites 2026, 16(6), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16060370
Submission received: 22 April 2026 / Revised: 19 May 2026 / Accepted: 22 May 2026 / Published: 29 May 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise: Mechanisms, Modulators, and Health Impacts)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Soccer match play induces substantial mechanical, metabolic, inflammatory, and neuromuscular stress, yet post-match monitoring in applied settings often relies on isolated markers, venous sampling, or limited time points. This observational repeated-measures study aimed to describe whether capillary-derived biomarkers, neuromuscular performance, and perceptual measures showed asynchronous recovery during the first 48 h after a standardised soccer match in elite players. Methods: Twenty-two elite male outfield soccer players completed a standardised 90 min match. Capillary blood biomarkers, countermovement jump (CMJ), 20 m sprint performance, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) were assessed before the match, immediately post-match, and at 24 and 48 h post-match. Time effects were analysed using repeated-measures mixed-effects models, and associations between biochemical and functional responses were examined descriptively. Results: Match play induced clear but domain-specific disturbances. IL-6 and cortisol rose rapidly immediately post-match, whereas hsCRP, CK, LDH, myoglobin, and DOMS showed delayed peaks during early recovery. CK, LDH, myoglobin, and soreness remained above baseline at 48 h. CMJ and sprint performance were impaired after the match but largely recovered by 48 h, whereas MVC showed its greatest decrement at 24 h. Exploratory associations indicated that larger muscle damage responses tended to co-occur with greater strength and jump decrements and higher soreness, but these analyses were not causal. Conclusions: Recovery after a standardised elite soccer match was multidimensional and non-synchronous across physiological, neuromuscular, and perceptual domains. A capillary-based, multi-domain assessment strategy may provide a feasible descriptive perspective for field-based observation of post-match fatigue.
Keywords: soccer; elite players; capillary blood; creatine kinase; interleukin-6; cortisol; countermovement jump; sprint; fatigue soccer; elite players; capillary blood; creatine kinase; interleukin-6; cortisol; countermovement jump; sprint; fatigue

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MDPI and ACS Style

Du, L.; Xiao, J.; Li, C.; Liu, S.; Jiang, Y.; Dou, Y.; Zhao, H.; Zhong, W.; Zhao, K.; Liu, C. Acute Capillary Plasma Biomarker, Neuromuscular, and Perceptual Responses to Standardised Soccer Match Play in Elite Players: A Descriptive Study of Asynchronous Multi-Domain Recovery. Metabolites 2026, 16, 370. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16060370

AMA Style

Du L, Xiao J, Li C, Liu S, Jiang Y, Dou Y, Zhao H, Zhong W, Zhao K, Liu C. Acute Capillary Plasma Biomarker, Neuromuscular, and Perceptual Responses to Standardised Soccer Match Play in Elite Players: A Descriptive Study of Asynchronous Multi-Domain Recovery. Metabolites. 2026; 16(6):370. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16060370

Chicago/Turabian Style

Du, Lun, Jie Xiao, Chunpeng Li, Shuning Liu, Yaji Jiang, Yue Dou, Haotian Zhao, Wen Zhong, Kai Zhao, and Chang Liu. 2026. "Acute Capillary Plasma Biomarker, Neuromuscular, and Perceptual Responses to Standardised Soccer Match Play in Elite Players: A Descriptive Study of Asynchronous Multi-Domain Recovery" Metabolites 16, no. 6: 370. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16060370

APA Style

Du, L., Xiao, J., Li, C., Liu, S., Jiang, Y., Dou, Y., Zhao, H., Zhong, W., Zhao, K., & Liu, C. (2026). Acute Capillary Plasma Biomarker, Neuromuscular, and Perceptual Responses to Standardised Soccer Match Play in Elite Players: A Descriptive Study of Asynchronous Multi-Domain Recovery. Metabolites, 16(6), 370. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo16060370

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