Effects of Mid-Season Camp Period Loading on Sports Injury Anxiety and Physical Performance of Professional Male Soccer Players

According to the periodization theory, the seasonal training process of soccer players is divided into four periods such as pre-season, early competition, late competition, and transition. In general, these periods aim to prepare soccer players for the competitive season, improve their fitness and physical performance, and reduce the risk of sports injuries. Therefore, the loading applied to soccer players during these camp periods are the key determinants of physical performance enhancement and the control of sports injury risks. In particular, the mid-season camp period loading is an important requirement to maintain the gains obtained in the pre-season training programs throughout the season. In this context, sports clubs prefer regions with different physical conditions (sea level, high altitude etc.) for the camp periods and allocate serious budgets for this periods.

Previous studies largely focused on effects of the pre-season camp period on psychological state and physical performance in soccer players. However, few studies in the current literature focused on the mid-season camp period. To the best of authors knowledge, sports injury anxiety and physical performance responses to the mid-season camp period loading in professional soccer players has not been very well discussed. Therefore the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of 3-week mid-season camp period loading on sports injury anxiety level and physical performances of professional male soccer players.