Loading...
9 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
- In-season training load quantification of one-, two- and three-game week schedules in a top European professional soccer teamPublication . Oliveira, Rafael; Brito, João; Martins, Alexandre; Mendes, Bruno; Calvete, Francisco; Carriço, Sandro; Ferraz, Ricardo; Marques, Mário C.Top European soccer teams that play in UEFA competitions often participate in one, two- or three-games per week. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure optimal match-day performance and full recovery. The aim of this study was to quantify internal and external training load (TL) within five microcycles: M1 and M2 - one-game weeks; M3 and M4 - two-game weeks; M5 - three-game week). Thirteen elite soccer players participated in this study. A global positioning system (GPS) was used to measure the total distance covered and distances of different exercise training zones (1-5), the session ratings of perceived exertion (s-RPE) scores and the amount of creatine kinase (CK) created during daily training sessions for the 2015-2016 in-season period. The data were analysed with respect to the number of days prior to a given match. The main results indicate that there was a significant difference in training intensity for zone 1 between M2 and M4 (4010.2 ± 103.5 and 4507.6 ± 133.0 m, respectively); a significant difference in training intensity for zone 3 between M1 and M5 (686.1 ± 42.8 and 801.2 ± 61.2 m, respectively); a significant difference in the duration of the training sessions and matches between M2 and M5 (69.2 ± 2.1 and 79.6 ± 2.3) and M3 and M5 (69.7 ± 1.0 and 79.6 ± 2.3); and finally, there was a significant difference in CK between M3 and M2 (325.5 ± 155.0 and 194.4 ± 48.9). Moreover, there was a significant decrease in TL in the last day prior to a match, for all microcycles and all variables. There was no significant difference with respect to s-RPE. This study provides the first report of daily external and internal TLs and weekly accumulated load (training sessions and match demands) during one, two, and three-game week schedules in a group of elite soccer players. Expected significant differences are found in daily and accumulated loads for within- and between-game schedules. A similar pattern is exhibited for one- and two-game week microcycles regarding the day before the match, which exhibits a decrease in all variables. Despite the different number of games played per week, TL remain similar between microcycles for zone 2 and 5, plus s-RPE.
- In-season internal load and wellness variations in professional women soccer players: comparisons between playing positions and statusPublication . Fernandes, Renato; Brito, João; Vieira, Luiz; Martins, Alexandre; Clemente, Filipe; Nobari, Hadi; Reis, Victor; Oliveira, RafaelThe internal intensity monitoring in soccer has been used more in recent years in men's football, however, in women's soccer, the existing literature is still scarce. The aims of this study were threefold: (a) to describe the weekly variations of training monotony (Foster, 1998), training strain and acute:chronic workload ratio (Murray et al., 2017) through session Rated Perceived Exertion (s-RPE); (b) to describe weekly variations of Hooper Index [stress, fatigue, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and sleep] (Hooper & Mackinnon, 1995); and (c) to compare those variations between playing positions and player status. Nineteen players (24.1±2.7 years) from a Portuguese BPI League professional team participated in this study. All variables were collected in a 10-week in-season period with 3 training sessions and 1 match per week during the 2019/20 season. Considering the overall team, the results showed that there were some associations between Hooper Index categories and s-RPE like stress or fatigue (0.693, p<0.01), stress or DOMS (0.593, p<0.01), stress or s-RPE (-0.516, p<0.05) and fatigue or DOMS (0.688, p<0.01). There were no differences between all parameters in playing positions or player status. In conclusion, the study revealed that higher levels of fatigue and DOMS occurs concurrently with better nights of sleep. Moreover, any in-season variations concerning internal load and perceived wellness seems independent of position or status in outfield players. Also, the data showed that the higher the players’ reported stress, the lower the observed s-RPE, thus possible indicating a mutual interference of experienced stress levels on the assimilation of training intensity by women elite soccer players.
- External match load in amateur soccer: the influence of match location and championship phasePublication . Miguel, Mauro; Oliveira, Rafael; Brito, João; Loureiro, Nuno; García-Rubio, Javier; Ibáñez, Sergio JoseAssessment of the physical dimension implicit in the soccer match is crucial for the improvement and individualization of training load management. This study aims to: (a) describe the external match load at the amateur level, (b) analyze the differences between playing positions, (c) verify whether the home/away matches and if (d) the phase (first or second) of the championship influence the external load. Twenty amateur soccer players (21.5 ± 1.9 years) were monitored using the global positioning system. The external load was assessed in 23 matches, where 13 were part of the first phase of the competition (seven home and six away matches) and the other 10 matches belonged to the second (and final) phase of the championship (five home and five away matches). A total of 173 individual match observations were analyzed. The results showed significant differences between playing positions for all the external load measures (p < 0.001). There were higher values observed in the total distance covered for central defenders (p = 0.037; ES = 0.70) and in high-intensity decelerations for forwards (p = 0.022; ES = 1.77) in home matches than in away matches. There were higher values observed in the total distance (p = 0.026; ES = 0.76), relative distance (p = 0.016; ES = 0.85), and moderate-intensity accelerations (p = 0.008; ES = 0.93) for central defenders, in very high-speed running distance for forwards (p = 0.011; ES = 1.97), and in high-intensity accelerations (p = 0.036; ES = 0.89) and moderate-intensity decelerations (p = 0.006; ES = 1.11) for wide midfielders in the first phase than in the second phase of the championship. Match location and championship phase do not appear to be major contributing factors to influence the external load while the playing position should be used as the major reference for planning the external training load.
- Comparisons of accelerometer variables training monotony and strain of starters and non-starters: a full-season study in professional soccer playersPublication . Nobari, Hadi; Oliveira, Rafael; Clemente, Filipe Manuel; Adsuar, Jose Carmelo; Pérez-Gómez, Jorge; Carlos-Vivas, Jorge; Brito, JoãoThe purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to describe weekly average values for training monotony (TM) and training strain (TS) and their variations across the full soccer season, based on the number of accelerations and decelerations; (2) to analyze the di erences between starter and non-starter players on weekly average TM and TS values for the pre-season and three in-season periods. In total, 21 professional soccer players were evaluated over 48 weeks during the full-season. The TM and TS were calculated based on the number of accelerations and decelerations at zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3, respectively. The results revealed that starters presented higher values compared to non-starters throughout the full season for all variables analyzed (all, p < 0.05). Generally, there were higher values in the pre-season. Specifically, accelerations at zones 1, 2 and 3 revealed moderate to very large significance of the starters compared to non-starters over the full-season. Decelerations at zone 1, 2 and 3 presented moderate to nearly optimally significant greater weekly averages for starters compared to non-starters during the full season. In conclusion, the TM and TS values were higher for starters compared to non-starters through the full-season, which confirms that the training session does not provide a su cient load to non-starter soccer players during the full-season.
- Comparison of measurements of external load between professional soccer playersPublication . Gholizadeh, Roghayyeh; Nobari, Hadi; Bolboli, Lotfali; Siahkouhian, Marefat; Brito, JoãoBackground: The excessive and rapid increases in training load (TL) may be responsible for most non-contact injuries in soccer. This study’s aims were to describe, week(w)-by-week, the acute (AW), chronic (CW), acute:chronic workload ratio (wACWR), total distance (wTD), duration training (wDT), sprint total distance (wSTD), repeat sprint (wRS), and maximum speed (wMS) between starter and non-starter professional soccer players based on different periods (i.e., pre-, early-, mid-, and end-season) of a full-season (Persian Gulf Pro League, 2019–2020). Methods: Nineteen players were divided according to their starting status: starters (n = 10) or non-starters (n = 9). External workload was monitored for 43 weeks: pre- from w1–w4; early- from w5–w17; mid- from w18–w30, and end-season from w31–w43. Results: In starters, AW, CW, and wACWR were greater than non-starters (p < 0.05) throughout the periods of early- (CW, p≤0.0001), mid- (AW, p = 0.008; CW, p ≤ 0.0001; wACWR, p = 0.043), or end-season (AW, p = 0.035; CW, p = 0.017; wACWR, p=0.010). Starters had a greater wTD (p ≤ 0.0001), wSTD (p≤0.0001 to 0.003), wDT (p≤0.0001 to 0.023), wRS (p ≤ 0.0001 to 0.018), and wMS (p ≤ 0.0001) than non-starters during early-, mid-, and end-season. Conclusion: Starters experienced more CW and AW during the season than non-starters, which underlines the need to design tailored training programs accounting for the differences between playing status.
- In-season monotony, strain and acute/chronic workload of perceived exertion, global positioning system running based variables between player positions of a top elite soccer teamPublication . Oliveira, Rafael; Martins, Alexandre; Nobari, Hadi; Nalha, Matilde; Mendes, Bruno; Clemente, Filipe; Brito, JoãoBackground: The interpretation of the load variations across a period seems important to control the weekly progression or variation of the load, or to identify within- micro and mesocycle variations. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the in-season variations of training monotony, training strain, and acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) through session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE), total distance and high-speed running (HSR) according to playing positions in an elite soccer team. Methods: Seventeen professional players from an European First League team participated in this study. They were divided four central defenders (CD), three wide defenders (WD), four central midfielders (CM), three wide midfielders (WM) and three strikers (ST). The players were monitored daily over a 41-week period of competition where 52 matches occurred during the 2015–2016 in-season. Through the collection of s-RPE, total distance and HSR, training monotony, training strain and ACWR were calculated for each measure, respectively. Data were analysed across ten mesocycles (M: 1–10). Results: The main results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) for TMs-RPE between CD vs. ST (moderate effect) in M2; between CD vs. CM (moderate effect) for TS of s-RPE; between CD vs. ST moderate effect) in M6 for ACWR of s-RPE. In addition, there was significant difference between CM vs. ST (moderate effect) in M2 for TS of TD; between WD vs. ST (moderate effect) in M3 for ACWR of TD. Moreover, there were significant differences for TM of HSR between CD vs. WD (very large effect); CD vs. WD (moderate effect) in M4 for TS of HSR. Conclusions: The present study presents new insights to coaches and technical staff about the variation profiling of TM, TS, and ACWR calculated with internal and external load measures, between player positions during 10 mesocycles.
- In-season internal and external workload variations between starters and non-starters—a case study of a top elite european soccer teamPublication . Oliveira, Rafael; Palucci Vieira, Luiz H.; Martins, Alexandre; Brito, João; Nalha, Matilde; Mendes, Bruno; Clemente, Filipe ManuelBackground and Objectives: Interpretation of the load variations across a period seems important to control the weekly progression or variation of the load, or to identify in-micro- and mesocycle variations. Thus, the aims of this study were twofold: (a) to describe the in-season variations of training monotony, training strain and acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) through session ratings of perceived exertion (s-RPE), total distance and high-speed running (HSR); and (b) to compare those variations between starters and non-starters. Materials and Methods: Seventeen professional players from a European First League team participated in this study. They were divided in two groups: starters (n = 9) and non-starters (n = 8). The players were monitored daily over a 41-week period of competition where 52 matches occurred during the 2015-2016 in-season. Through the collection of s-RPE, total distance and HSR, training monotony, training strain and ACWR were calculated for each measure, respectively. Data were analyzed across ten mesocycles (M: 1 to 10). Repeated measures ANOVA was used with the Bonferroni post hoc test to compare M and player status. Results: The results revealed no differences between starters vs. non-starters (p > 0.05). M6 had a greater number of matches and displayed higher values for monotony (s-RPE, total distance and HSR), strain (only for total distance) and ACWR (s-RPE, TD and HSR). However, the variation patterns for all indexes displayed some differences. Conclusions: The values of both starters and non-starters showed small differences, thus suggesting that the adjustments of training workloads that had been applied over the season helped to reduce differences according to the player status. Even so, there were some variations over the season (microcycles and mesocycles) for the whole team. This study could be used as a reference for future coaches, staff and scientists.
- In-season internal load and wellness variations in professional women soccer players: comparisons between playing positions and statusPublication . Fernandes, Renato; Brito, João; Vieira, H.L.P; Martins, Alexandre; Clemente, Filipe; Nobari, Hadi; Reis, Victor; Oliveira, RafaelThe internal intensity monitoring in soccer has been used more in recent years in men's football, however, in women's soccer, the existing literature is still scarce. The aims of this study were threefold: (a) to describe the weekly variations of training monotony (Foster, 1998), training strain and acute:chronic workload ratio (Murray et al., 2017) through session Rated Perceived Exertion (s-RPE); (b) to describe weekly variations of Hooper Index [stress, fatigue, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and sleep] (Hooper & Mackinnon, 1995); and (c) to compare those variations between playing positions and player status. Nineteen players (24.1±2.7 years) from a Portuguese BPI League professional team participated in this study. All variables were collected in a 10-week in-season period with 3 training sessions and 1 match per week during the 2019/20 season. Considering the overall team, the results showed that there were some associations between Hooper Index categories and s-RPE like stress or fatigue (0.693, p<0.01), stress or DOMS (0.593, p<0.01), stress or s-RPE (-0.516, p<0.05) and fatigue or DOMS (0.688, p<0.01). There were no differences between all parameters in playing positions or player status. In conclusion, the study revealed that higher levels of fatigue and DOMS occurs concurrently with better nights of sleep. Moreover, any in-season variations concerning internal load and perceived wellness seems independent of position or status in outfield players. Also, the data showed that the higher the players’ reported stress, the lower the observed s-RPE, thus possible indicating a mutual interference of experienced stress levels on the assimilation of training intensity by women elite soccer players.
- In-season internal and external training load quantification of an elite European soccer teamPublication . Oliveira, Rafael; Brito, João; Martins, Alexandre; Mendes, Bruno; Marinho, Daniel A.; Ferraz, Ricardo; Marques, Mário C.Elite soccer teams that participate in European competitions need to have players in the best physical and psychological status possible to play matches. As a consequence of congestive schedule, controlling the training load (TL) and thus the level of effort and fatigue of players to reach higher performances during the matches is therefore critical. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to provide the first report of seasonal internal and external training load that included Hooper Index (HI) scores in elite soccer players during an in-season period. Nineteen elite soccer players were sampled, using global position system to collect total distance, high-speed distance (HSD) and average speed (AvS). It was also collected session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) and HI scores during the daily training sessions throughout the 2015-2016 in-season period. Data were analysed across ten mesocycles (M: 1 to 10) and collected according to the number of days prior to a one-match week. Total daily distance covered was higher at the start (M1 and M3) compared to the final mesocycle (M10) of the season. M1 (5589m) reached a greater distance than M5 (4473m) (ES = 9.33 [12.70, 5.95]) and M10 (4545m) (ES = 9.84 [13.39, 6.29]). M3 (5691m) reached a greater distance than M5 (ES = 9.07 [12.36, 5.78]), M7 (ES = 6.13 [8.48, 3.79]) and M10 (ES = 9.37 [12.76, 5.98]). High-speed running distance was greater in M1 (227m), than M5 (92m) (ES = 27.95 [37.68, 18.22]) and M10 (138m) (ES = 8.46 [11.55, 5.37]). Interestingly, the s-RPE response was higher in M1 (331au) in comparison to the last mesocycle (M10, 239au). HI showed minor variations across mesocycles and in days prior to the match. Every day prior to a match, all internal and external TL variables expressed significant lower values to other days prior to a match (p<0.01). In general, there were no differences between player positions. Conclusions: Our results reveal that despite the existence of some significant differences between mesocycles, there were minor changes across the in-season period for the internal and external TL variables used. Furthermore, it was observed that MD-1 presented a reduction of external TL (regardless of mesocycle) while internal TL variables did not have the same record during in-season match-day-minus.