The demands of the extra-time period of soccer:a systematic review

Soccer match-play is typically contested over 90-min, however, in some cup and tournament scenarios when matches are tied, matches proceed to an additional 30-min termed extra-time (ET). This systematic review sought to appraise the literature available on 120-min of soccer-specific exercise, with a view to identifying practical recommendations and future research opportunities. The review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). Independent researchers performed a systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL and Psych Info in May 2019 with keywords entered in various combinations: soccer, football, extra-time, extra time, 120 minutes, 120 min, additional 30 minutes and ‘additional 30 min. The search yielded an initial 73 articles and following the screening process, 11 articles were accepted for analyses. Articles were subsequently organised into five categories: ‘movement demands of extra-time’, ‘performance responses to extra-time’, ‘physiological and neuromuscular response during extra-time’, ‘nutritional inventions’, and, ‘recovery and extra-time’. The results highlighted that during competitive match-play, players cover 5–12% less distance relative to match duration (i.e., m.min-1), during ET compared to the preceding 90-min. Reductions in technical performance (i.e., shot speed, number of passes and dribbles) were also observed during ET. Additionally, carbohydrate provision may attenuate and improve dribbling performance during ET. Moreover, objective and subjective measures of recovery may be further compromised following ET when compared to 90-min. Additional investigations are warranted to further substantiate these findings and identify interventions to improve performance during ET