Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece | [b] Theseus, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, Athens, Greece | [c] Sports Performance Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece | [d] Sports Excellence Laboratory, Department of Orthopedics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Tzortzis Nomikos, Faculty of Health Sciences and Education, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Eleftheriou Venizelou 70, Athens 17671, Greece. Tel.: +30 210 9549305; Fax: +30 210 9577050; E-mail: tnomikos@hua.gr.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Rate of torque development (RTD) could serve as a useful index for the readiness and fatigue of soccer players. OBJECTIVE: The identification of RTDs time-course changes after a Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST), the effect of bovine colostrum (BC) supplementation on RTD changes, and to explore the relationships between RTD and selected muscle damage blood markers. METHODS: Twenty-two soccer players completed a pre-supplementation LIST (LIST1). Subsequently, subjects were randomly divided into whey protein (WP, N= 8) and bovine colostrum groups (BC, N= 10) receiving 3.2 g of WP or BC for 6 weeks. Participants repeated LIST (LIST2) after supplementation. Hematological markers, CK, CRP, IL-6 and RTD at 20–250 ms were determined pre- and 2–72 h post-LISTs. RESULTS: RTD declined after LIST1 (-48.1 ± 22.1%–-10.7 ± 8.2%). Late RTDs showed lower reductions compared to early RTDs’. Supplementation of WP or BC attenuated the decline of late RTDs until 72 hours post LIST (p< 0.05; η2: 0.236–0.287). BC group achieved lower reductions of RTDs after LIST2 compared to WP group. The percent changes of RTDs were correlated with changes of biochemical markers post-LIST. CONCLUSIONS: LIST induces a significant decline in RTD of soccer players. BC could be a promising supplement alleviating the impairment of RTD after a soccer game.
Keywords: Rate of torque development, rate of force development, soccer, bovine colostrum, recovery, muscle damage, inflammation
