Abstract
This study determined the fiber type composition, the fiber size, and the capillary
characteristics of the vastus lateralis muscle in 11 young, elite, male soccer players
and 8 sedentary male, age-matched controls. There were no significant differences
(P < 0.05) in the fiber type percentages and fiber diameter between the soccer players
and controls; however, all fiber types tended to be larger in the soccer players.
The soccer players possessed a greater capillary supply; this was characterized by
a significantly greater mean number of capillaries surrounding each fiber (5.7 ± 0.9
vs. 4.9 ± 0.4), a significantly larger capillary density (282.7 ±42.0 vs. 220.8 ±38.1),
and a significantly higher capillary to fiber ratio (2.2 ± 0.6 vs 1.7 ± 0.1). The
results indicate that soccer may be an appropriate stimulus for simultaneous adaptation
to endurance and high intensity exercise.
Key words
Adaptation - endurance training - exercise - sprint training
