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Abstract

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 11, 2023. This study aimed to determine if there was an ergogenic effect of utilizing a mobile fueling station in Division III soccer teams. Mobile fueling stations have been shown to be a feasible and sustainable option to support nutrition periodization in college-aged athletes. To date, no studies have analyzed the effect of these stations on athletic performance. We analyzed the effects of this fueling strategy on sprint speed, sprint count, and athlete acceptance during soccer practices and competitions. Athletes from the DeSales University Men’s and Women’s soccer teams (n=35) completed two weeks of data collection in a randomized, crossover design, with one week of fueling using the mobile fueling station (WS), and one week without fueling (NS). In the WS condition, participants ate a carbohydrate-containing snack before soccer practice or competition and ate a snack containing carbohydrates and protein after. Sprint data were collected using GPS sensors, and a post-study questionnaire evaluated athlete acceptance and perceived effectiveness. An a priori alpha level for significance was set at 0.05, and sprint data were analyzed using univariate analysis of variance. While there were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) in peak (WS=7.65 m/s, NS=7.9 m/s) and mean (WS=6.93 m/s, NS=7.01 m/s) sprint speed or maximum (WS=13, NS=12.16) and mean (WS=8.16, NS=7.46) sprint count, survey responses indicated that 100% of athletes found that mobile fueling stations improved their athletic performance and would like it to be a permanent fixture of their athletic program. These results indicate that mobile fueling stations are perceived as beneficial by Division III soccer players.

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