The effect of muscle fatigue on playing performance and physical condition of futsal players

This study investigates the impact of muscle fatigue on the physical condition and playing performance of futsal players, particularly focusing on decision-making, ball control, and technical skills under fatigue. Ten futsal players from Star Futsal Club (aged 17-25) participated in the study. Player performance was assessed using the Game Performance Evaluation Tool (GPET), which measured on-the-ball attacker and support actions, while physical condition was evaluated through shuttle run, 30-meter sprint, and vertical jump tests. The results showed a decline in performance after fatigue was induced. Specifically, the on-the-ball attacker score decreased from a pre-test mean of 81.00 to 71.75 post-test, and the support score dropped from 61.00 to 47.50. In terms of physical condition, the shuttle run time increased from a mean of 17.07 to 17.62 seconds, the 30-meter sprint time increased from 4.43 to 4.56 seconds, and vertical jump height decreased from 52.60 cm to 51.10 cm. Despite these observable declines, statistical analysis using paired samples t-tests revealed no significant differences: for player performance, t=5.353, df=1, p=0.118, and for physical condition, t=0.437, df=2, p=0.705. These findings suggest that muscle fatigue negatively impacts futsal players’ performance, particularly decision-making, speed, and technical execution, but the changes were not statistically significant, possibly due to the small sample size. The study highlights the importance of proper training load management and recovery strategies to optimize futsal performance. Further research with larger samples is needed to confirm these findings and better understand the effects of fatigue.