Table Of ContentThe Science of Training – Soccer
Physical training is a key part of preparing to play soccer (football) at any level,
but organising a genuinely effective training programme requires both an
understanding of the physiological principles involved and a practical knowledge
of the demands of the game. Bridging theory and practice, this book explains the
design of scientifically sound fitness programmes for football.
Includes:
● planning seasonal training to peak at the right time
● training for strength, speed, aerobic and anaerobic fitness
● designing appropriate sessions for training and rehabilitation
● best methods for recovery from exercise and reducing injury risk
● preparation for play in different environmental conditions
● evaluating the effectiveness of training programmes
● diet, sleep, lifestyle, young players and long-term development.
Clear explanations of the physiological concepts and sport science research
evidence are given throughout, and the book contains many examples to
illustrate the training principles in practice. This is an essential text for students
of the game and a valuable resource for coaches, physical trainers and sport
scientists working in soccer (football).
Thomas Reilly is Professor of Sports Science and Director of the Research
Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University.
He is President of the World Commission of Science and Sports, and Chair of
the International Steering Group on Science and Football.
The Science of Training –
Soccer
A scientific approach to developing
strength, speed and endurance
Thomas Reilly
First published 2007
by Routledge
2 Park Square,Milton Park,Abingdon,Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave,New York,NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2006.
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© 2007 Thomas Reilly
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical,or other means,now known or hereafter
invented,including photocopying and recording,or in any
information storage or retrieval system,without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders,but in a few
cases this has not been possible.Any omissions brought to our attention
will be remedied in future editions.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Reilly,Thomas,1941–
Science of training – soccer:a scientific approach to developing
strength,speed and endurance / Thomas Reilly.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1.Soccer – Traning. 2.Soccer – Physiological aspects. I.Title.
GV943.9.T7R45 2006
613.7(cid:2)11–dc22 2006009640
ISBN10:0–415–38446–X (hbk)
ISBN10:0–415–38447–8 (pbk)
ISBN10:0–203–96666–X (ebk)
ISBN13:978–0–415–38446–9 (hbk)
ISBN13:978–0–415–38447–6 (pbk)
ISBN13:978–0–203–96666–2 (ebk)
Contents
List of figures vi
List of tables ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xiii
1 The training process 1
2 The soccer context 19
3 Warming up and warming down 33
4 Strength and power training 46
5 Aerobic training 67
6 Anaerobic training 83
7 Alternative training methods 96
8 Recovery from exercise 107
9 Training for different environments 126
10 Evaluation of training 153
11 Lifestyle and long-term development 176
Index 189
Figures
1.1 How demands of the game and the capabilities of
players are related 2
1.2 Perceived exertion rating scale 5
1.3 The structures involved in muscle contraction 7
1.4 The force–velocity relationship of muscle under eccentric,
isometric and concentric conditions 9
1.5 Energy expended by professional soccer players
during training 12
1.6 The vicious cycle of overtraining 13
1.7 The stages of stress response in Selye’s (1974) theory 16
2.1 The relative distance covered by players in outfield
positions according to categories of activity 21
2.2 The overall distance covered per game according to
positional role 21
2.3 Muscle glycogen stores and performance in players who had
rested or trained hard in the days prior to playing a match 23
2.4 Peak torque is shown for dominant (a) and non-dominant (b)
leg extensors and flexors at three angular
velocities during concentric muscle actions pre-exercise,
at half-time and post-exercise 24
2.5 The effect of endurance training on the lactate response
is illustrated by a shift of the curve to the right 27
2.6 The relative time distribution of training according to
different fitness components 30
3.1 Professional teams warm-up using the width of the playing
pitch 35
3.2 Whole-body flexibility as a function of time of day 41
3.3 Plasma FFA concentrations (mean(cid:3)SE) at rest (0 min),
during exercise (45 and 90 min), and into recovery (10, 20
and 30 min) 43
4.1 Various exercises used for strength training including
half-squats (a), bench press (b), overhead pull (c), dead-lift (d),
rowing (e) and leg press (f) 48
Figures vii
4.2 Exercise for light muscle groups and large muscle groups 53
4.3 Depth jumping is performed from a box 57
4.4 The pendulum device used for plyometric training 59
4.5 The original multi-station equipment validated by
Reilly and Thomas (1978) 62
4.6 Functional overload may be provided by means of a
running harness 64
5.1 The effects of aerobic training are both central and peripheral 70
5.2 The energy cost of dribbling a soccer ball at various
speeds of running 77
5.3 Heart rate responses to small-sided games in
under-12 year old boys in a 15-min game 78
6.1 Factors limiting performance in sprinting 85
6.2 Heart rate and blood lactate responses to an
intermittent drill 91
6.3 A speed-endurance drill, modified from Wilson (2001) 92
6.4 A drill for speed training where players operate with a
1:5 exercise to rest ratio 93
7.1 The exercises incorporated in the circuit weight-training
regimen in the order performed 100
7.2 Spinal shrinkage during a training session is reduced
when deep-water running (DWR) is compared to
running in shallow water (SWR) or on a treadmill (TMR) 102
8.1 The ‘open-window’ theory of immune perturbations
following strenuous exercise 115
8.2 Change in NK cell numbers from before and after two
soccer games in two days 116
8.3 Gravity-inversion system used in some commercial
gymnasia for unloading the spine 120
9.1 The physiological mechanisms that contribute to
thermoregulation 128
9.2 Rating of perceived exertion and the speed of adding
under three experimental conditions: no fluid, a
placebo and an energy drink 130
9.3 The standard oxygen dissociation curve of haemoglobin
for a blood pH of 7.4 and body temperature of 37(cid:4)C 137
9.4 The circadian rhythm is shown for body temperature (a)
and self-paced exercise intensity expressed in W (b) 142
9.5 The diurnal variation in leg strength after travelling
between the United Kingdom and Florida, United States
of America 146
10.1 The assessment of maximal oxygen uptake on a laboratory
treadmill 155
10.2 The response of the blood-lactate curve to aerobic
incremental exercise 158
viii Figures
10.3 Isokinetic assessment of knee extension strength on
an isokinetic dynamometer 160
10.4 A football player performs a zig-zag agility test 168
10.5 Body composition assessed using dual-energy X-ray
absorptiometry 170
11.1 The emphasis on different training components of fitness
according to chronological age and height velocity 179
Tables
1.1 Three key principles of training theory 3
1.2 Muscle fibre types and their main characteristics 3
1.3 An outline of the annual phases of the soccer calendar 15
2.1 Distance covered in match-play for contemporary
top-level players 21
2.2 Distances covered in 1st and 2nd halves 22
2.3 Mean ((cid:3)SD) for energy expended (kJ·min(cid:5)1) and ratings of
exertion at three speeds and three directional modes of
motion 29
3.1 Main reasons for warming up before a game 34
3.2 Example of a warm-up routine used at Premier League level 36
3.3 Alternative warm-up routine used at Premier League level 37
3.4 Causes of injury in the Swedish leagues 38
5.1 Relative contributions of anaerobic and aerobic processes
to total energy output, during maximal exercise of
different durations 68
5.2 Principles of aerobic training 73
5.3 Mean(cid:3)SD heart rate (beats·min(cid:5)1) and blood
lactate (mmol·l(cid:5)1) during different training drills 79
6.1 A sample of exercises that can form a plyometric
training programme 88
7.1 A typical total-body cross-training session for use in
a gymnasium setting 97
7.2 The uses and benefits of deep-water running 102
7.3 Energy expenditure in different sports 105
8.1 An example of fixture list over the Christmas and
New Year period for two English Premier League
teams during the 2005–2006 season 108
8.2 Classification of some foods based on their glycaemic index 112
8.3 Potential markers in urinary and blood indices of
hydration status considered by Shirreffs (2000) 114
