The Swedish Journal of Scientific Research ISSN: 2001-9211.Vol. 2. Issue 4. April.
2015
FOOTBALL AND PILATES: POSTURE CONTROL AND
ENHANCING MUSCLE
*MONTESANO P.
** DI SILVESTRO MAURIZIO
*University of Naples Parthenope - Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness
Abstract
The study was conducted on a sample of 20 elderly athletes practicing football in order to verify the effectiveness of
the method Pilates, unconventional, to improve the competitive performance. The athletes were subject to a screening
to verify their posture with the SIAS measurement, carried out with the subject supine, calculating the distance between
the anterior superior iliac spine and tibial malleolus. The measurement showed also differences of few millimeters
between the two lower limbs despite the natural compensatory mechanism of adaptation of the postural system has
determined that the quadriceps muscle hypertrophy limb longer, because of the higher load, and the resulting hypotonia
limb shorter. The staff chose to use the unconventional Pilates method to propose just one sample of 10 athletes because
it can be practiced both outdoors and inside the gym.
Method
The research was conducted with an observational, detection with manual and computerized method, from October
2013 to May 2014, with the speed test and diversified technical tests. The athletes were divided into group A and group
B, and participated in all the training provided by the technical staff. Only the group B, consisting of 10 athletes, was
given 30 additional sessions of Pilates workout that helped improve postural control, occurred with the speed test
performed with and without the ball on a slalom course of 20 meters, and the strengthening muscle, occurred with the
increase in the percentage of accuracy of shots on goal.
Results and Conclusions
The final results verified at the end vintage racing, have denoted a performance improvement with particular reference
to the percentage of accuracy of shots on goal, estimated at about 2.5-3%. Athletes of group B, who claimed to have
received benefits after participating in extra sessions with the Pilates method, as they have found a uniform muscle
toning and improved control of breathing, have denoted the greatest percentage increase, but also some athletes of group
A , motivated to perform workouts with greater concentration, showed an improvement in the performance of a few
percentage points. The study has demonstrated the effectiveness of using unconventional methods to improve sports
performance.
KEYWORDS Postural control. Football. Pilates.
1. INTRODUCTION
The study of sports performance (Fox, Bowers, Foss, 2005), in senior athletes, practicing soccer at a recreational competitive level,
showed that one of the significant factors that affects the quality of the performance is related to postural imbalances (ShumwayCook & Woollacott, 2001). The sample of twenty athletes, participating in a competitive recreational league football at 11, which
took place from October 2013 to May 2014, highlighted the diversity of postures assumed by both parties during the normal daily
routine both during the development of football activities, training and racing.
Research has shown that posture is one of the important variables that affects sports performance together with other factors such
as the characteristics, physical and mental abilities and motor skills of the individual and the team, the training methodology, the
regulations of the specific disciplines. The athlete involved is at a professional level and in recreational competitions, performing
complex actions planned and developed in the training sessions, which often does not repeat in competitive environments due to the
effects of uncontrolled variables. The efficiency of the motor gesture is therefore subject not only to the intensity of the performance,
but also to age, physical and mental health of the athlete.
After evaluating the results of initial tests (table 1) and focusing on a varied performance, and the number of accidents of a muscle,
the medical staff and technical society required the intervention of the consultant orthopedic identified among the many postural
variables, the incidence of limb-length discrepancy. The measurement, performed with the subject lying supine, calculating the
distance between the anterior superior iliac spine (SIAS) and the tibial malleolus, has provided results but also differences of few
millimeters between the two limbs in spite of the natural mechanism of compensatory adaptation of the postural system that
highlighted hypertrophy of the quadriceps muscle of the limb longer, issues for the increased load, and the consequent shorter limb
hypotonia. In the overall assessment, it was considered the interaction of the musculature relating to the various parts of the body,
the cervical-spine, low back and abdomen, and it was suggested an intervention aimed at relaxation of contracted areas and
strengthening the muscles of the lower limb not ignoring the importance of movement in relation to the axes and anatomical planes.
It has been speculated to use, with additional training sessions (Bompa, 1999), the Pilates method to help improve both the posture
(Bernardo, 2007) that the performances.
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The Swedish Journal of Scientific Research ISSN: 2001-9211.Vol. 2. Issue 4. April. 2015
2. MATERIAL AND METHODS
Addressee and Objectives
The recipients are twenty senior athletes participating in recreational football competitions over forty (Platonov, 2004). The athletes
were eligible to visit medical-type sports racing and practicing football for many years (Vatta, 2006),. The aim is to improve the
posture (Kloubec, 2010), sports performance and the percentages of balance and accuracy by using unconventional methods of
training such as Pilates.
The choice of using the unconventional Pilates method, sprang from your active and outdoor gym. The team was divided into two
groups of ten athletes each and just one group (group B) was given thirty additional sessions in the gym, about four sessions per
month, in addition to the normal frequency of training sessions conducted by the athletic-programming technique, defined at the
beginning of the season. The Pilates method (Korte, 2009) is based on the development and refinement of the principles on health
and muscle tone, with the application of Contrology exercises and the use of rehabilitative equipment for replacing activities in
motion and aimed to enhance the capacity for muscular endurance and activate the deep muscles to work in opposition (Lee, 2000).
The supplementary training have the Pilates exercise (Miessner, 2012) with The Hundred, Roll Up, Roll Over, Leg Circles, Rolling
Like a Ball, Single Leg Strech, Double Leg Strech, Open Leg Rocher, Corkscrew, The Saw.
The research was conducted with observational method and manual and computerized survey, from October 2013 to May 2014,
with the speed test and diversified technical tests (Marella, Risaliti, 2007). The results of initial recognition have allowed the division
of the athletes in the control group, formed by athletes who achieved the best results referred to as "group A", and in the group of
route, composed by athletes having lower indexes called "group B".
The two groups during the vintage racing, followed the normal training (Hocking et. al. 2013) methodology prepared by the technical
staff consisting of one training session per week, marked by athletic exercises, techniques and tactics, as well as after completion of
training and racing official competitions.
During the month of January were detected interim results for the group B (table 2). The final results were recorded at the end of
the research in the month of May 2014 (tables 3,4 and graphics 1,2).
Tests and Contents of additional sittings Pilates
Athletes (Weineck, 2001) were prepared to face the tests with an athletic session (Bosco, Luthanen, 1992) consisting of an initial
general activational, with slow running for about 15 minutes interspersed with one-minute active recovery every five minutes of
running, exercises and joint mobilization and stretching to a total preparation time for testing for about thirty minutes. They were
then administered the first test, detection of execution speed with and without the ball following the path along twenty meters, and
timing the travel time, and the second test for detecting precision by performing n. 15 shots from the edge of the penalty area
reporting (see tables) the number of shots on goal concluded.
Test 1 Detecting the speed of execution of the slalom with and without the ball
Start
Stop
Test 2 Detection of the precision of the number of shots on goal
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15
Additional Pilates training
The Hundred, Roll Up, Roll Over, Leg Circles, Rolling Like a Ball, Single Leg Strech, Double Leg Strech, Open Leg Rocher,
Corkscrew, The Saw.
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The Swedish Journal of Scientific Research ISSN: 2001-9211.Vol. 2. Issue 4. April. 2015
Materials and equipment
Footballs n.5
Stadium
Cones
Small tools Pilates: Mat, Ring Toner, Fitband, Roller, Ball.
Great tools Pilates: Reformer with "foot platform", Barrel.
3. RESULTS
After the initial recognition (table 1) were then made two group. Group A composed of 10 athletes with the best results (athletes
2,3,5,11,12,13,16,17,19,20) and the group b with the other 10 athletes with the results most deficient (athletes
1,4,6,7,8,9,10,14,15,18) . After four months of research (table 2) all athletes of the group b improved performances. The final results
(tables 3,4 and graphics 1,2) taken at the end of vintage racing, denoted an improving of the performance, particularly as concerns
the percentage of accuracy of shots on target, estimated at about 3 3.5 %.
4. CONCLUSIONS
The choice of using the Pilates method has allowed improved performance particularly B group. Athletes of B group have denoted
the greatest percentage increase but also some athletes of group A, motivated to perform workouts with greater concentration,
showed an improvement in the performance of a few percentage points.
Athletes of B group reported that they had received benefits after participating in extra sessions with Pilates because they have found
a uniform muscle toning and a better control of breathing during the exercise. They also found a reduction in postural defects,
limiting contractures and muscle atrophy, with the mobilization of the shoulder blades and the cervical, thoracic and lumbar
detension. The study has demonstrated the effectiveness of using non-conventional methods to improve sports performance.
5. Tables and Graphics
Table 1: Detection times tests of speed and number accurate shots
Athletes Fast Slalom (sec)
Slalom with the ball guide (sec)
Total number of precise shoots
4
8
8
1
4
7
12
2
5
6.5
14
3
3,5
7
11
4
4
9
13
5
5
6
10
6
6
9.5
9
7
4
6
11
8
5
8
7
9
6.5
8
8
10
3
6
14
11
2,5
7
15
12
4
9
12
13
5
10
9
14
3
8
10
15
4,5
9
15
16
5,5
11
13
17
4
11
8
18
3
8
11
19
4
9
15
20
Intermediate Recognition
Table 2 : Group B - Detection intermediate times speed tests and number accurate shots
Athletes
Fast Slalom (sec)
Slalom with the ball guide (sec)
Total number of precise shoots
3,5
7
9
1
3,5
6
13
4
4,5
5
12
6
5
8
10
7
4
5,5
13
8
4,5
8
11
9
5.5
8
10
10
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The Swedish Journal of Scientific Research ISSN: 2001-9211.Vol. 2. Issue 4. April. 2015
4
3
4
14
15
18
7
6
7
13
11
13
Final Recognition
Table 3 : Group A Detection final times speed tests and number accurate shots
Atlethes
Fast Slalom (sec)
Slalom with the ball guide (sec)
3.5
6,5
2
4,5
6
3
4
7,5
5
3
6
11
2,5
7
12
4
8
13
4
9
16
5
11
17
3
8
19
4
9
20
Total number of precise shoots
13
14
13
14
14
12
15
13
12
15
20
15
10
5
0
Atlethes
Fast Slalom (sec)
Slalom with the
ball guide (sec)
Total number of
precise shoots
Graphic 1 - Group A Detection final times speed tests and the number accurate shots
Table 4 :Group B
Athletes
1
4
6
7
8
9
10
14
15
18
Detection final times speed tests and number accurate shots
Fast Slalom (sec)
Slalom with the ball guide (sec)
3,5
6
3,5
6
4
5
4,5
8
4
5
4,5
7
5.5
8
4
7
3
6
4
6,5
Total number of precise shoots
12
14
12
12
13
13
10
13
13
13
20
15
10
5
0
Athletes
Fast Slalom (sec)
Slalom with the
ball guide (sec)
Total number of
precise shoots
Graphic
2 - Group B Detection final times speed tests and number accurate shots
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The Swedish Journal of Scientific Research ISSN: 2001-9211.Vol. 2. Issue 4. April. 2015
5. REFERENCES
1. Bernardo L.M. (2007), The effectiveness of Pilates training in healthy adults : An appraisal of the research literature, Journal
of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, Vol. 11 - Issue 2
2. Bompa T. O. (1999), Theory and Methodology of training, Human Kinetics. Champaign, USA
3. Bonfanti M. (2008), Il gioco del calcio. Principi teorici e suggerimenti didattici, Libreria dello Sport, Milano
4. Bosco C., Luthanen B. (1992), Fisiologia e biomeccanica applicata al calcio, Societ Stampa Sportiva, Roma
5. Fox E. L., Bowers R. W., Foss M.L. (2005), Allenare, allenarsi, Il Pensiero scientifico Editore, Roma
6. Hocking J, Cordy J, Mendez-Villanueva A, Coutts AJ. (2013). Monitoring fitness, fatigue and running performance during a
pre-season training camp in elite football players. J. Sci. Med. Sport. (12):S1440-2440.
7. Kloubec J.A. (2010), Pilates for Improvement of Muscle Endurance, Flexibility, Balance, and Posture, Journal of Strength &
Conditioning Research, Vol. 24 Issue 3
8. Korte A. (2009) Pilates per tutti,. Red edizioni, Milano
9. Lee D. (2000), Terapia fisica del cingolo pelvico, Utet, Torino
10. Marella M, Risaliti M (2007). Il libro dei Test - Le prove di valutazioni per tutti gli sport, Ed. Correre, Milano
11. Platonov V. (2004), Fondamenti dellallenamento e dellattivit di gara, Calzetti&Mariucci, Perugia
12. Miessner W. (2012), Pilates con piccoli attrezzi, Red Edizioni, Milano
13. Shumway-Cook, A., Woollacott, M. H. (2001), Motor control: Theory and practical applications. Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins. Philadelphia:
14. Vatta S. (2006), La tecnica del calcio e le capacit coordinative, Calzetti&Mariucci, Perugia
15. Weineck J. (2001), La preparazione fisica ottimale del calciatore, Calzetti & Mariucci, Perugia.
Address for correspondence
Authors Pietro Montesano University of Naples Parthenope - Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness
Via Medina, 40 80133 Naples
E-mail address: pieromontesano@libero.it
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