## 4 Discussion  
This study aimed to assess the acute effect of a competitive football match on IPF and RFD parameters of knee extensors (quadriceps) and flexors muscles (hamstrings) and their respective ratios in amateur female football players. The findings of this study revealed significant neuromuscular fatigue induced by the competitive football match, evidenced by reductions in IPF, \(\text{RFD}_{150}\) and \(\text{RFD}_{250}\) for both quadriceps and hamstring muscles immediately after the football match. However, 48 h post-match, most neuromuscular parameters were fully recovered to baseline. Regarding H:Q strength ratio parameters, the dominant leg RFD H:Q ratio (i.e., \(\text{RFD}_{150}\) and \(\text{RFD}_{250}\)) was increased after the match and did not fully recover 48 h post-match. Furthermore, correlation analysis (r = 0.40-0.53) revealed a moderate association between players covering greater explosive distances (>1.12 m/s\({}^{2}\)) and high-acceleration distances (>3 m/s\({}^{2}\)) during the match and smaller post-match deviations in neuromuscular parameters (IPF and \(\text{RFD}_{150}\)) for dominant knee extension. Similarly, players with more accelerations/decelerations showed smaller deviations in knee flexion parameters (IPF, \(\text{RFD}_{150}\), \(\text{RFD}_{250}\)). One of the main findings of this investigation indicates that IPF was significantly reduced post-match during isometric knee extension (by \(-11.6\%\) and \(-14.8\%\) in the dominant and non-dominant leg, respectively) and flexion tasks (by \(-8.0\%\) and \(-11.4\%\) in the dominant and non-dominant leg, respectively), but most of the values were recovered 48 h post-match. Our outcomes generally agree with the findings shown by [PERSON] et al. [22], who reported a reduced isokinetic peak torque in knee extension and flexion by \(-7.1\%\) and by \(-9.4\%\) after a friendly football match in elite female players. Additionally, our data are in line with the peak torque recovery at 51 h post-match evidenced by [PERSON] \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Non-Dominant**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Dominant**} \\  & **IPF (N)** & \(\mathbf{RFD}_{150}\) & \(\mathbf{RFD}_{250}\) & **IPF (N)** & \(\mathbf{RFD}_{150}\) & \(\mathbf{RFD}_{250}\) \\  & **(N/s)** & **(N/s)** & **(N/s)** & **(N/s)** & **(N/s)** \\ \hline Distance covered (m) & 0.15 & 0.04 & 0.10 & 0.36 & 0.23 & \(-0.02\) \\ Explosive distance over & & & & & & \\
1.12 m/s\({}^{2}\)(m) & 0.17 & 0.05 & 0.10 & 0.42 & 0.15 & \(-0.01\) \\ Distance covered at & & & & & & \\
18–21 km/h (m) & 0.01 & \(-0.04\) & 0.01 & 0.35 & 0.13 & 0.03 \\ Distance covered at & & & & & & \\
21–24 km/h (m) & 0.09 & 0.19 & 0.15 & 0.36 & 0.23 & 0.14 \\ Distance covered at & & & & & & \\
24–50 km/h (m) & & & & & & \\ Total number of & & & & & & \\
0.51 * & 0.46 * & 0.53 * & 0.38 & 0.26 & 0.46 * \\ Total number of & & & & & & \\ decelerations (n) & & & & & & \\ Distance covered with & & & & & & \\ acceleration over & 0.26 & \(-0.05\) & 0.15 & 0.49 * & 0.09 & 0.03 \\
3 m/s\({}^{2}\) (m) & & & & & & \\ Distance covered with & & & & & & \\ decelerations under & 0.18 & 0.06 & 0.16 & 0.42 & 0.22 & 0.11 \\ \(-3\) m/s\({}^{2}\) (m) & & & & & & \\ Mean heart rate (bpm) & 0.04 & \(-0.09\) & 0.01 & 0.13 & 0.42 & 0.35 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* IPF: maximum voluntary isometric action; \(\text{RFD}_{150}\): rate of force development at first 150 ms of action; \(\text{RFD}_{250}\): rate of force development at first 250 ms of action;
* significant correlation between match-derived physical parameters and fitness tests in female football players (\(p<0.05\)).  
\end{table} 
Table 5: Correlations between the match-derived physical variables and the post-match-to-baseline change in the neuromuscular parameters collected during unilateral maximal isometric knee flexion (hamstrings). son et al. [22].