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Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd...
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Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 January 2026 | Viewed by 4295

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ioannis Michailidis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: soccer; football; performance; fitness; training
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Football is a sport characterized by high physical demands, with professional players covering approximately 11 kilometers per match—about 10% of which involves high-intensity running. Beyond this, they perform frequent intense actions, such as sprints, tackles, and accelerations, which often determine the outcome of a game. In recent years, the pace and intensity of matches have increased significantly due to tactical evolution and congested competition schedules. This has placed even greater emphasis on the development and maintenance of optimal physical fitness, recovery strategies, and injury prevention.

To manage these challenges effectively, coaches and practitioners increasingly rely on advanced technologies for monitoring and training. While GPS systems are now standard in professional environments, recent advancements—including inertial measurement units (IMUs), optical tracking systems, and machine learning algorithms—enable more detailed analysis of training loads and player performance. Furthermore, emerging artificial intelligence (AI) applications are beginning to transform training design, individualized load management, and performance prediction.

This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality original research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses addressing the multifaceted components of soccer fitness across all levels of play. We encourage submissions that explore the evolving physical fitness profiles of football players in response to modern game demands, with a particular emphasis on developmental stages, injury risk, recovery kinetics, and holistic player well-being. Studies employing innovative training methods, periodization strategies, and the integration of advanced technologies and AI-based tools in coaching are particularly welcome.

By covering both youth and adult populations, this Special Issue seeks to offer a comprehensive view of how scientific insights and technological progress are shaping the future of football performance.

Dr. Ioannis Michailidis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soccer
  • football
  • fitness
  • physical condition
  • training load
  • GPS
  • inertial measurement units
  • tracking systems
  • machine learning
  • fitness profile
  • strength
  • aerobic capacity
  • anaerobic capacity
  • flexibility
  • agility
  • injury prevention
  • recovery
  • artificial intelligence

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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11 pages, 847 KB  
Article
Skin Temperature as a Marker of Physical Fitness Profile: The Impact of High-Speed Running in Professional Soccer Players
by Victor-Luis Escamilla-Galindo, Armiche Vega-Ramos, Jose Luis Felipe, Antonio Alonso-Callejo and Ismael Fernandez-Cuevas
Sports 2025, 13(12), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13120443 - 9 Dec 2025
Viewed by 254
Abstract
High-speed running (HSR) has the greatest physiological impact on soccer players. It is closely linked to neuromuscular fatigue and muscle damage post-match, emphasizing the role that load monitoring plays in both performance and recovery. The aim of this study was to examine the [...] Read more.
High-speed running (HSR) has the greatest physiological impact on soccer players. It is closely linked to neuromuscular fatigue and muscle damage post-match, emphasizing the role that load monitoring plays in both performance and recovery. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between match locomotor demands and the relative change in skin temperature (%ΔT) following official matches. A professional soccer team was analyzed during 14 regular-season matches. Infrared thermography (IRT) assessments were conducted before the match and up to 36 h after the match. The analyzed regions included posterior protocols of the lower limb. The kinematic variables of the match were obtained through a GPS device. Players were classified into high- and low-load groups based on the median values of HSR distance (372 m) and total distance (9675 m). Linear mixed-effects models showed that players in the high HSR group (≥372 m) demonstrated greater post-match decreases in %ΔT, particularly in the hamstring region (β = −1.79 ± 0.54 °C, 95% CI: −2.87 to −0.72, p = 0.001, R2 = 0.18), with a moderate-to-large effect size (ES = 0.67). Total distance also explained temperature change in the hamstrings (β = −1.46 ± 0.73 °C, p = 0.04). These findings suggest that post-match skin temperature reduction is sensitive to high-intensity running exposure, supporting IRT as a complementary internal load monitoring tool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 1473 KB  
Article
Youth Soccer Development After a Forced Training Interruption: A Retrospective Analysis of Prepubertal Players
by Federico Abate Daga, Italo Sannicandro, Alice Tanturli and Samuel Agostino
Sports 2025, 13(12), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13120435 - 4 Dec 2025
Viewed by 450
Abstract
This retrospective, non-interventional study investigated the impact of a forced training interruption, such as the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, on the physical efficiency, performance, and technical-agility skills of prepubertal soccer players by comparing pre- and post-interruption cohorts within the same youth academy and at [...] Read more.
This retrospective, non-interventional study investigated the impact of a forced training interruption, such as the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, on the physical efficiency, performance, and technical-agility skills of prepubertal soccer players by comparing pre- and post-interruption cohorts within the same youth academy and at the same chronological age. Anonymised data collected across multiple competitive seasons included anthropometric measures and motor performance tests: Standing Long Jump, Shuttle Run, Shuttle Dribble, and Mini Cooper. Between-group differences were analysed using Mann–Whitney U tests, with p < 0.05 as the level of significance. The post-training interruption cohort showed significantly higher values in the Standing Long Jump (+11.2%, p < 0.001) and the Shuttle Run (+8.0%, p = 0.011), indicating improved explosive power and agility-speed. Conversely, performance on the Shuttle Dribble test declined by 13.4% (p < 0.001), while Mini Cooper results and BMI did not differ significantly. These findings suggest that modifications to compulsory training and children’s natural adaptability may have enhanced physical abilities, whereas the lack of contextual and interactive practice negatively affected technical-agility skills. Coaches should incorporate alternative workouts to maintain motor performance and emphasise ball-related and decision-making drills within ecological and dynamic environments to maximise developmental outcomes. This study offers new insights into the adaptive responses of young athletes and provides practical lessons for future youth soccer development, particularly during periods of forced training interruption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 482 KB  
Article
Training Load, Mileage, and Perceived Exertion as a Predictive Model of Injury and Illness in Women’s Soccer
by Corbit Franks, Andrew Yockey, Nicholas Bosley, Tyler Myers, Kaitlyn Armstrong, Melinda Valliant and Chip Wade
Sports 2025, 13(11), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13110411 - 17 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1025
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between training load, mileage, and session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) as predictors of injury and illness in Division I women’s soccer players. Twenty-four athletes were monitored over a 13-week season including 69 athlete exposures (49 training sessions [...] Read more.
This study examined the relationship between training load, mileage, and session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) as predictors of injury and illness in Division I women’s soccer players. Twenty-four athletes were monitored over a 13-week season including 69 athlete exposures (49 training sessions and 20 matches). Internal and external load were measured during each athlete exposure. Player injury and illness status were documented daily by medical staff and categorized as healthy, medical attention, or time-loss. Associations between athlete exposures and injury/illness status were analyzed using a mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression model with player ID as a random intercept. A total of 1560 athlete observations were included. Higher daily mileage was associated with increased odds of injury or illness (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.19–2.34). Training load was associated with reduced odds of injury or illness, with each unit increase lowering the odds by 42% (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.41–0.83). Session-RPE was not significantly associated with injury or illness (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.65–1.42). These findings indicate that accumulated mileage elevates injury and illness risk, while structured increases in training load enhance athlete resilience, and reduce injury and illness risk. Monitoring both internal and external workload provides performance staff with a practical approach to optimize training stress, augment recovery, and prepare athletes for the demands of competition in women’s soccer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 558 KB  
Article
Performance Profiles: A New Approach Based on Training Focused on Physical Aspects Rather than Technical–Tactical Ones
by Amalia Campos-Redondo, Almudena Martínez-Sánchez, Pablo López-Sierra, Eduardo Chacón-Fernández and Javier García-Rubio
Sports 2025, 13(11), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13110402 - 10 Nov 2025
Viewed by 774
Abstract
This study aimed to identify distinct external load profiles of 23 semi-professional football players (22.52 ± 1.74 years) during four official matches (40 cases in total; 10 per match). Using GPS-based inertial technology WIMU PRO (Hudl, Lincoln, NE, USA), data were collected to [...] Read more.
This study aimed to identify distinct external load profiles of 23 semi-professional football players (22.52 ± 1.74 years) during four official matches (40 cases in total; 10 per match). Using GPS-based inertial technology WIMU PRO (Hudl, Lincoln, NE, USA), data were collected to analyze players’ physical performance. A principal component analysis (PCA) identified three performance profiles—“Total Player,” “Explosive Player,” and “Dynamic Player”—that together explained 70.08% of the variance. These profiles revealed that players may share similar physical characteristics despite occupying different on-field positions. Training players based on their physical performance profiles, rather than solely on their tactical roles, may enhance both individual development and overall team performance. This approach offers a novel framework for individualized conditioning in team sports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 515 KB  
Article
The Effect of a High-Frequency Exercise Program During the Transition Period in Young Football Players
by Yiannis Michailidis, Andreas Stafylidis, Athanasios Mandroukas, Eleni Semaltianou, Georgios Karamousalidis, Georgios Antoniou, Vasileios Leftheroudis, Vasilios Mittas and Thomas I. Metaxas
Sports 2025, 13(9), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13090297 - 1 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 969
Abstract
The transition period in football can negatively affect players’ fitness indicators. However, if appropriate training programs are implemented during this period, these effects can be reversed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a high-frequency exercise program during the [...] Read more.
The transition period in football can negatively affect players’ fitness indicators. However, if appropriate training programs are implemented during this period, these effects can be reversed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a high-frequency exercise program during the transition period on aerobic capacity, isokinetic torque of the lower limbs, jumping ability, and body composition. The transition period was divided into two phases: the first phase lasted two weeks and involved complete rest from exercise, and the second phase lasted four weeks during which the players completed three aerobic-focused training sessions and two maximum strength training sessions per week. A total of 13 young football players (age 17.8 ± 0.7 years, height 1.78 ± 0.07 m, weight 70.3 ± 8.4 kg) participated in the study. A paired samples t-test was applied, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The results showed that players improved their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) after the program (p = 0.037, t = −2.348). The performance in countermovement jump performance and in the isokinetic torque of the right quadriceps showed a decline (p = 0.009, t = 3.112 & p = 0.004, t = 2.299, respectively), while no changes were observed in any other parameter (p > 0.05). The findings suggest that a program with these characteristics can counteract the negative effects typically observed during the transition period. Moreover, with specialized stimuli, improvement may also be observed during the transitional period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd Edition)
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