Evaluating a Nationwide Recreational Football Intervention: Recruitment, Attendance, Adherence, Exercise Intensity, and Health Effects

الملخص EN

The present study evaluated a nationwide exercise intervention with Football Fitness in a small-scale society.

In all, 741 adult participants (20–72 yrs) were successfully recruited for Football Fitness training in local football clubs, corresponding to 2.1% of the adult population.

A preintervention test battery including resting heart rate (RHR), blood pressure, and body mass measurements along with performance tests (Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance level 1 (Yo-Yo IE1), the Arrowhead Agility Test, and the Flamingo Balance Test) were performed ( n = 502 ).

Training attendance ( n = 310 ) was 1.6 ± 0.2 sessions per week (range: 0.6–2.9), corresponding to 28.8 ± 1.0 sessions during the 18 wk intervention period.

After 18 wks mean arterial pressure (MAP) was −2.7 ± 0.7 mmHg lower ( P < 0.05 ; n = 151 ) with even greater ( P < 0.05 ) reductions for those with baseline MAP values >99 mmHg (−5.6 ± 1.5 mmHg; n = 50 ).

RHR was lowered ( P < 0.05 ) by 6 bpm after intervention (77 ± 1 to 71 ± 1 bpm).

Yo-Yo IE1 performance increased by 41% (540 ± 27 to 752 ± 45 m), while agility and postural balance were improved ( P < 0.05 ) by ~6 and ~45%, respectively.

In conclusion, Football Fitness was shown to be a successful health-promoting nationwide training intervention for adult participants with an extraordinary recruitment, a high attendance rate, moderate adherence, high exercise intensity, and marked benefits in cardiovascular health profile and fitness.