Final answer:
Transitioning from off-season to preseason in soccer involves modifying resistance training to focus on muscular endurance, power, or sport skill practice, depending on the team's needs. Resistance training encourages hypertrophy and connective tissue development, while endurance training enhances mitochondria and myoglobin in muscle fibers.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a soccer team is transitioning from off-season to preseason training, the focus of resistance training can shift to accommodate the upcoming demands of the preseason. During this transition, it may be beneficial to increase frequency to improve muscular endurance because this supports the repetitive and sustained efforts required during soccer matches. However, an alternative approach is to do not change frequency and add plyometrics to the routine, which can enhance power and agility as well as mimic the dynamic movements often seen in soccer. Another option is to decrease frequency to allow increased sport skill practice, emphasizing more on the technical and tactical aspects of the game during the preseason phase. Each of these strategies serves to prepare the players in a different aspect of their physical conditioning and must be selected based on the team's specific needs.
Resistance training facilitates hypertrophy by increasing the number of sarcomeres and myofibrils in skeletal muscle and boosts connective tissue development, thereby enhancing muscle mass and preventing tendon damage. Endurance training, conversely, increases mitochondria and myoglobin in slow-twitch fibers, improving aerobic capabilities and enabling sustained physical activity. Adjusting the resistance training frequency and incorporating varied types of exercises, such as aerobic, anaerobic, and flexibility exercises, can result in a well-rounded training plan that prepares players for both the physical and skill-based demands of the sport.