Albalad-Aiguabella Rafael, Navarrete-Villanueva David, Mainer-Pardos Elena, Villanueva-Guerrero Oscar, Muniz-Pardos Borja, Vicente-Rodríguez Germán
Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad San Jorge, Autov A23 km 299, Villanueva de Gállego, 50830 Zaragoza, Spain.
EXER-GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group (S72_23R), FIMS Collaborating Center of Sports Medicine, University of Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
Sports (Basel). 2025 Apr 18;13(4):126. doi: 10.3390/sports13040126.
The professionalization of futsal requires greater physical demands on players, requiring strength and conditioning coaches to manage loads, optimize performance, and prevent injuries. This study aimed to describe the current practices of high-level strength and conditioning coaches and determine the elements needed to optimize their performance. Two video-recorded focus groups consisting of eight strength and conditioning coaches from the Spanish futsal league's first and second divisions were transcribed, translated, and analyzed using a content analysis approach with open-ended questions on physical preparation and current practices. Results showed that strength and conditioning coaches prioritized five main areas: (1) competitive demands, (2) training load control and monitoring, (3) injury risk mitigation strategies, (4) contextual factors and interpersonal relationships, and (5) training methodologies to optimize performance. However, they also claim to deal with several limitations such as lack of time, limited resources and access to facilities, insufficient staff, problems related to combining sport with other activities (e.g., work), or the difficulty to individualize, which limits the optimization of their practices. Based on these findings, practical applications include implementing neuromuscular and strength training sessions at least twice a week, using cost-effective load monitoring tools (e.g., RPE and wellness questionnaires) to manage workloads, individualizing training programs to address the specific demands and characteristics of each player, and fostering close multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize performance and reduce injury risks. These insights can guide current and aspiring strength and conditioning coaches toward optimized practices. This study can assist novice strength and conditioning coaches in identifying the key focus areas of elite physical trainers and understanding their challenges and limitations, fostering collaboration among sports professionals to create a more optimized environment.
五人制足球的职业化对球员提出了更高的身体要求，这就需要体能教练来管理负荷、优化表现并预防伤病。本研究旨在描述高水平体能教练的当前做法，并确定优化其表现所需的要素。对两个视频录制的焦点小组进行了转录、翻译和分析，这两个焦点小组由西班牙五人制足球联赛第一和第二级别联赛的八名体能教练组成，采用内容分析法，就体能准备和当前做法提出开放式问题。结果表明，体能教练将五个主要领域列为优先事项：（1）比赛需求，（2）训练负荷控制与监测，（3）伤病风险缓解策略，（4）背景因素和人际关系，以及（5）优化表现的训练方法。然而，他们也表示面临一些限制，如时间不足、资源和设施有限、人员不足、将运动与其他活动（如工作）相结合的问题，或难以个性化，这些都限制了他们做法的优化。基于这些发现，实际应用包括每周至少进行两次神经肌肉和力量训练课程，使用经济高效的负荷监测工具（如主观用力程度分级和健康问卷）来管理工作量，根据每个球员的具体需求和特点制定个性化训练计划，以及促进密切的多学科合作以优化表现并降低伤病风险。这些见解可以指导现任和有抱负的体能教练采用优化做法。本研究可以帮助新手体能教练确定精英体能训练师的关键重点领域，了解他们的挑战和局限性，促进体育专业人员之间的合作，以创造一个更优化的环境。
