Effect of Repeat Deceleration on Countermovement Jump and Kicking Performance in Male and Female Football Players

ABSTRACT: Wei, X, Zhu, H, Zheng, X, Gao, Y, Huang, J, Chen, X, Vigh-Larsen, JF, Mohr, M, and Krustrup, P. Greater reductions in deceleration compared with sprint ability following repeated high-intensity exercise in male and female soccer players, but no effect on countermovement jump (CMJ) or ball-kicking performance. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2026-The aim of this study was to examine the acute effect of repeated sprint and deceleration on the fatigue of each component (sprint vs. deceleration) and on CMJ and soccer kicking performance, and to investigate the association between deceleration ability and fatigue. Thirty-three high-level male (n = 18) and female (n = 15) college soccer players completed 10 × 15-m sprints with subsequent 5-m enforced deceleration, interspersed with 20-s recovery intervals. Sprint and deceleration performance were measured continuously during the protocol, while CMJ and kicking performance were assessed before and immediately after. Furthermore, the players' deceleration ability was measured using deceleration deficit and deceleration index. Peak deceleration had significantly higher fatigue index (FI) and decrement score (Sdec) compared with speed (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 3.18-3.32), while no significant decline was found in CMJ or kicking performance after the repeated sprint and deceleration protocol (p > 0.05, Cohen's d = -0.06∼0.23). A significant repeated sprint and deceleration × sex interaction effect was observed in peak ball speed (p < 0.05, ηp2 = 0.149), with women showing a decrease in peak ball speed compared with their male counterparts. The deceleration index correlated with FI and Sdec of speed (r = -0.444∼-0.516, p < 0.05), and the rate of CMJ decline correlated with FI and Sdec deceleration (r = 0.530-0.549, p < 0.05). Finally, the rate of decline in kicking speed was positively correlated with the Sdec deceleration rate (r = 0.423, p < 0.05). Deceleration capacity is more prone to acute fatigue than sprint ability. In addition, repeated sprint and deceleration had a limited effect on athletic performance, but men and women showed different adjusted trends in kicking speed. Finally, players having better deceleration capacity show a smaller performance drop.