INFLUENCE OF A SMALL – SIDED SOCCER TRAINING PROGRAM ON BMI AND CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE AMONG OBESE MEN

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a small-sided soccer training
program on BMI and cardiovascular endurance among obese men. To achieve this, 30 male
from Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil Nadu, India, were selected as subjects. The ages of the
participants ranged from 30 to 40 years. The subjects were divided into two equal groups
(N=15 each). Group I underwent small-sided soccer training, while Group II served as the
control group and did not participate in any specialized training program beyond their regular
daily activities. BMI and cardiovascular endurance were selected as the dependent variables
and were assessed using the BMI formula and Cooper’s 12-minute run/walk test,
respectively. The subjects were concerned with their particular training for a period of six
weeks, six days per week. The collected data from two groups prior to and immediately after
the training programme on selected criterion variables. To compare the mean differences
between the initial and final scores of the experimental and control groups, a dependent t-test
was used. Significant improvements were observed in both BMI and cardiovascular
endurance in the experimental group.