@article{ref1,
title="Football for health - prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases across the lifespan through football",
journal="Scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports",
year="2014",
author="Dvorak, J. and Krustrup, P. and Junge, A. and Bangsbo, J.",
volume="24",
number="Suppl 1",
pages="147-150",
abstract="This supplement contains 16 original articles describing how football [soccer] conducted as small sided games affects fitness and health of untrained individuals across the lifespan. The intermittent nature of football and high exercise intensity result in a broad range of effects. The heart changes its structure and improves its function. Blood pressure is markedly reduced with the mean arterial blood pressure being lowered by ~10 mmHg for hypertensive men and women training 2-3 times/week for 12-26 weeks. Triglycerides and cholesterol are lowered and body fat declines, especially in middle-aged men and women with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, muscle mass and bone mineral density increases in a number of participant groups, including 65-75-year-old men. The functional capacity is elevated with increases in VO₂ max of 10-15%, and 50-100% improvements in the capacity to perform intermittent work within 16 weeks. These effects apply irrespective of whether the participants are young, overweight, elderly or suffering from a disease. The studies clearly show that the participants enjoy playing football and form special relationships with their team mates. Thus, football is a healthy activity, providing a unique opportunity to increase recruitment and adherence to physical activity in a hitherto underserved population, and to treat and rehabilitate patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer.<p/> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0905-7188",
doi="10.1111/sms.12271",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sms.12271"
}