INTRODUCTION: Yoga challenges the body in many ways, and being a very different methodology to normal training, it can be an important complementary technique for more extensive training or even replace traditional methods, with a highly positive impact on football practice and training [1]. Considering the results showing the potential of Yoga to reduce perceived propensity to reduce injuries and general fatigue, its integration into football training can be considered [2]. Our hypothesis is that Football players undergoing additional Yoga training, improve the lower limbs muscles contractile properties[3,4]. METHODS: Twenty-one professional football players from the 1st Portuguese Football League, senior levels under-23 and B, voluntarily participated, divided into two groups: Intervention (IG), Control (CG), all of them being assessed by tensiomyography before training and after 12 weeks. IG practiced Yoga at the end of the training, during 12 weeks, 2 weekly Yoga sessions, 60 minutes/each, guided by a certified teacher with 40 years of experience. Yoga techniques were selected and ordered according to the objectives of the study: pránáyáma (breathing techniques), ásana (psychophysical techniques), yoganidrá (relaxation), samyama (concentration, meditation and so on). RESULTS: Comparing the two groups after 12 weeks Yoga: IG and CG, verified statistically significant differences for the variables: left biceps femoris muscle (LBF): Time Contraction, Tc (ms), t(14) = 2.690, p = .018, (-13.06 vs 0.29); Time Delay, Td (ms), t(14) = -2.593, p = .008, (-1.16 vs 1.54); Displacement, Dm (mm), t(14) = 3.879, p = .018, (-2.17 vs 2.99); Contraction Velocity, BFE_Vc (mm/s), t(14) = -3.851, p = .012, (72.18 vs 12.91) with the evolution being significantly greater in GI. In the remaining muscles contractile properties there were no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: Results showed when comparing the two groups: the GI after Yoga shows a significantly higher evolution, contributing to the growing understanding of the impact Yoga can have on muscle contractile properties, allowing for hypothesis testing in future work.
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