Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the physical (locomotor activities) and physiological (Banister’s training impulse) in-season training load between starters and substitutes in a well-trained junior soccer team. Physical performance variables from the Polar Team Pro system were collected and analyzed from a sample of junior soccer players (N = 18; age = 15.7 ± 0.5 years; stature, 177.9 ± 4.6 cm; body mass, 67.1 ± 5.5 kg). The study analyzed a total of 10 matches and 38 training sessions during the 2018 season with linear mixed models. The players from the starting line-ups demonstrated significantly higher average weekly physical load compared to the non-starters with respect to all variables: distance (total, running, high-speed running, and sprint) [F (1, 573) ≥ 66, p < 0.001, eta = 0.10], number of accelerations and sprints [F (1, 573) ≥ 66, p < 0.001, eta = 0.10], as well as Banister’s training impulse (TRIMP) [F (1, 569) = 10, p < 0.001, eta = 0.02]. Evidence from this study indicates that a large amount of weekly accumulated high-speed running and sprint distances is related to match playing time. Therefore, weekly fitness-related adaptations in running at high speeds seem to favor the starters in a soccer team.
Highlights
Understanding the physical demands of football requires accurate and objective quantification of the players’ match activities [1,2,3,4]
All physical load parameters were significantly higher in matches compared to training: total, running, high-speed, sprint distances [F (1, 573) ≥ 209, p < 0.001, eta ≥ 0.29], as well as number of sprints [F (1, 573) = 232, p < 0.001, eta = 0.27]
Further evidence from this study indicates that a large amount of weekly accumulated high-speed running and sprint distances was related to match playing time
Summary
Understanding the physical demands of football (soccer) requires accurate and objective quantification of the players’ match activities [1,2,3,4]. Attempts have been made to quantify the total physical load through internal and external load variables, e.g., heart rate measurements, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and training impulse (internal), or by measuring locomotor variables through time–motion analysis systems (external) [1,9]. The external load is important for understanding the total work completed and the physical capacities of individual players, whereas the internal load is important for determining the physiological training load and subsequent adaptations [10]. As both external and internal loads are important for understanding overall training loads, a combination of both may be crucial in monitoring training [10]
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