GPS-derived External Workloads Vary By Position And Match Result In Professional Soccer Players

Abstract

PURPOSE: Professional soccer is a physically demanding sport that requires players to be highly trained in order to meet the demands of gameplay. Recent advances in global positioning systems (GPS) have made it possible to track external workload measures for individual players in practice and competition, however, there is a lack of evidence on how these measures may relate to match results. Therefore, we sought to analyze external workloads by player position and determine if they vary depending on the result of competitive matches. METHODS: External workloads (total distance, high-speed running distance, accelerations, decelerations, number of sprints, sprint distance, impacts, high-intensity bursts) were analyzed in male professional soccer players (n = 23) across a competitive season (28 games). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine if workloads varied by position (striker - ST, wide midfielder - WM, central midfielder - CM, wide defender - WD, central defender - CD) or across games won (n = 8), lost (n = 13) or tied (n = 7). Additionally, repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess any potential differences in workloads specific to each position across all categories. Statistical significance was set at p = <0.05 and results presented as mean ± SD. RESULTS: Across all games, positional analysis revealed more high-speed running was done by ST (473 ± 91 m) and WD (473 ± 191 m) in comparison to CM (361 ± 77 m, both p = 0.02) and CD (335 ± 122 m, p = <0.001; p = 0.02 respectively). ST and WD also performed more sprints than CD (30.3 ± 21, p = <0.001; 30.1 ± 21, p = <0.001 respectively). Whole-team data showed no differences in any external workload variable with respect to match result (p= >0.05), however, in games won ST did more high-speed running than in games lost (542.8 ± 81.7 vs. 445.1 ± 75.9 m, p = 0.03) and WD performed more highest-speed running (7-11 m/s) in games tied vs. those lost (141.1 ± 70 vs. 81.8 ± 25.2 m, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Whole-team external workload measures do not vary depending on the result of matches; however, high speed running may be a differentiating factor at the positional level. Coaches should consider position-specific analysis when examining player workloads and match results.