Power, Endurance, and Body Composition Changes Over a Collegiate Career in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women Soccer Athletes

McFadden, BA, Bozzini, BN, Cintineo, HP, Hills, SP, Walker, AJ, Chandler, AJ, Sanders, DJ, Russell, M, and Arent, SM. Power, endurance, and body composition changes over a collegiate career in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women soccer athletes. J Strength Cond Res 37(7): 1428-1433, 2023-The purpose of this study was to determine longitudinal changes in fitness and body composition throughout athletes' 4-year collegiate soccer careers. Performance testing occurred before preseason during freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year in 17 female Division I soccer players. Body composition was assessed through air-displacement plethysmography to determine percent body fat (%BF), fat-free mass (FFM), and body mass (BM). Maximal countermovement vertical jump height was assessed through contact mat using arm swing (CMJ(AS)) and hands-on-hips (CMJ(HOH)) methods to calculate power (CMJ(watts)/(HOHwatts)). Aerobic capacity (V?o(2)max) and ventilatory threshold (VT) were assessed by indirect calorimetry during a maximal graded exercise test on a treadmill. Linear mixed models were used to assess changes across academic years (p < 0.05). No changes occurred in %BF, BM, V?o(2)max, VT, CMJ(AS), or CMJ(watts). A time main effect was seen for FFM (p = 0.01) with increases from freshman to senior (p = 0.02). Time main effects were observed for CMJ(HOH) (p < 0.001) and CMJ(HOHwatts) (p < 0.001) with increases from freshman to junior (CMJ(HOH,) p = 0.001; CMJ(HOHwatts), p = 0.02) and senior (CMJ(HOH), p < 0.001; CMJ(HOHwatts), p = 0.003) as well as sophomore to senior (CMJ(HOH), p < 0.001; CMJ(HOHwatts), p = 0.02). Countermovement vertical jump with hands on hips also increased from sophomore to junior (p = 0.005). The lower FFM and power capabilities as freshmen compared with upperclassman indicate a potential limited readiness. Coaches and training staff should account for these developmental differences when entering the preseason. Adequate conditioning programs before starting a collegiate program may help build a fitness foundation and prepare freshmen athletes to compete at the same level as their upperclassmen counterparts.