Many athletes and even Strength & Conditioning (S&C) coaches struggle with proper conditioning. As a result, footballers often face difficulties when returning to their clubs for pre-season training. In this blog, we’ll cover:
- The benefits of conditioning training
- How to improve fitness and conditioning for soccer
Why Should We Run During the Off-Season?
To understand why running is essential during the off-season, consider the demands of a soccer match. A player covering a full 90 minutes will run about 10-14 km (depending on the player’s position). If a player doesn’t run enough during the off-season, they return to pre-season not only unfit but also at higher risk of soft tissue injuries.
The Benefits of Being Fit During Pre-Season and Going into the Season:
- Aerobic fitness improves performance and recovery.
- Increased of high intensity running = Increased work rate and Increased number of disposals & contests = Increased coach’s ratings (Bauer et al, 2015) (Mooney et al, 2015) (Heeney, 2016)
- Increased aerobic fitness = Faster recovery from session training (Gallo et al, 2015)
Unfortunately, many athletes still miss doing the proper conditioning!
How Much Should I Run During the Off-Season?
Running at least 5 km twice a week is recommended. The goal is to be prepared for the increased running volume required during pre-season training. Instead of starting from scratch, you’ll be ready to build up your running distance to 10 km or more when it comes to the pre-season.
What Surface Should I Be Running On?
Many athletes find that running on artificial turf versus natural grass exerts different pressure on their soft tissues and joints. Therefore, it is recommended to run on the surface that you will use most frequently so your body can adapt to it. This will reduce the risk of injuries during the season.
How Can I Improve My Running Conditioning?
Footballers need both aerobic and anaerobic capacities:
- Aerobic Capacity: Utilises slow-twitch muscles, allowing you to run for extended periods at a low to medium intensity. Think of a marathon runner.
- Anaerobic Capacity: Relies on fast-twitch muscles, producing high force for short bursts. Think of a sprinter. However, no one can sprint for long periods.
Balancing these capacities helps you sprint for the ball and maintain performance throughout a 90-minute game.
Off-Season Running Program:
A) Long easy run (aerobic system):
Aim to comfortably run 5-10 km before the pre-season and 10 km or more before the season starts. Most players should be able to handle 5 km runs at the end of each season as they are conditioned from playing matches.
The pace during a long easy run should be moderate intensity that you can sustain for a long period. Here we are predominantly using the aerobic system.
B) To improve speed and endurance (a combination of anaerobic and aerobic systems), we want to increase your VO2 Max using interval training methods:
- VO2 Max: A higher VO2 Max allows faster running speed over long distances. For example, a fitter runner might complete a 10 km run in 1 hour, while a less fit runner takes 2 hours.
- Interval Training:
- First, complete a 2 km time trial on an athletic track (5 laps of 400 meters each) at “MAXIMAL EFFORT” to determine your Max Aerobic Speed (MAS).
- Calculate your MAS: Distance (in meters) divided by time (in seconds). For example, 2000 meters / 720 seconds = your MAS is 2.8 m/s.
- Train at 110-120% of your MAS using a Work:Rest ratio of 1:1. Pick your interval time which can range from 15 to 60 seconds.
- Let’s say you run 15 sec and rest 15 sec. Here are 2 interval training examples:
- – 15 sec work at 110% MAS = 15 x 1.1 x 2.8 = 46 metres. Followed by 15 sec rest.
- OR
- – 15 sec work at 120% MAS = 15 x 1.2 x 2.8 = 50 metres. Followed by 15 sec rest.
- Start with total 10 min duration and gradually increase to 60 minutes.
- Include rest/recovery day the following day to avoid overloading the tissues.
- After 6 weeks, retest your 2 km time trial to measure progress.
I recommend doing 1-2 interval runs and 1 long easy run (5-10 km) per week.
**Avoid over training by only increase 10-20% of total weekly running distance each week.**