A 3-day step taper enhances explosive power, repeated sprint, and small-sided game performance in soccer

Aims This study aimed to investigate the effects of a three-day step taper on lower-limb explosive power, repeated-sprint performance, and physical and physiological parameters during sport-specific exercises in professional soccer players. Methods The study involved 26 outfield professional soccer players from the same team (age: 28.7±4.3 years; body mass: 71.8±7.2 kg; height: 173.7±4.3 cm). Following a 4-week mesocycle of progressive training load, players were randomly assigned to a taper group (TG; n = 13), which underwent a three-day step taper with a 50% reduction in training duration while maintaining intensity, and a control group (CG; n = 13), which maintained their routine. Both groups performed two Countermovement jumps with arm swing (CMJAS), a 5×30-m repeated-sprint test, and a Small-Sided Game (SSG) before and after the step tapering. Training load was monitored using the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) method. Results The results indicated that the TG improved CMJAS height (large effect; d = 1.5; p < 0.01) and decreased peak and total time during repeated sprints (small effect; d = 0.3; p < 0.05). It also enhanced the total covered distance (small effect; d = 0.3; p < 0.05), as well as accelerations and decelerations during the SSG (moderate effect; d = 0.8 and d = 0.6, respectively; p < 0.05). In contrast, the CG showed significant decreases in CMJAS height (moderate effect; d = 1; p < 0.01) and increases total sprint times (small effect; d = 0.4; p < 0.05), indicating reduced performance, with no significant changes in SSG metrics. Conclusions The study indicates that a 3-day step taper with a 50% reduction in training duration, while keeping intensity and frequency, effectively improves repeated-sprint ability and explosive power in professional soccer players, without performance loss from prior high training loads.