Positional Differences in Peak- and Accumulated- Training Load Relative to Match Load in Elite Football.

Ivan Baptista,Dag Johansen,Pedro Figueiredo,António Rebelo,Svein A Pettersen

doi:10.3390/sports8010001

Abstract

Quantification of training and match load is an important method to personalize the training stimulus’ prescription to players according to their match demands. The present study used time-motion analysis and triaxial-accelerometer to quantify and compare: a) The most demanding passages of play in training sessions and matches (5-min peaks); b) and the accumulated load of typical microcycles and official matches, by playing position. Players performance data in 15 official home matches and 11 in-season microcycles were collected for analysis. Players were divided into four different playing positions: Centre-backs, wing-backs, centre midfielders, and centre forwards. The results show that match demands were overperformed for acceleration counts (acccounts) (131%–166%) and deceleration counts (deccounts) (108%–134%), by all positions. However, relative to match values, training values for sprint distance (sprintdist) and high-intensity run distance (HIRdist) were considerably lower (36%–61% and 57%–71%) than for accelerations and decelerations. The most pronounced difference on the 5-min peaks was observed in sprints (sprintpeak), with wing-backs achieving during the microcycle only 64% of the sprintpeak in matches, while centre backs, centre midfielders, and centre forwards levelled and overperformed the match values (107%, 100%, and 107%, respectively). Differences observed across playing positions in matches and microcycles underline the lack of position specificity of common training drills/sessions adopted by coaches in elite football.

Highlights

Objective data and time-motion analysis are used by coaches and practitioners to characterize the physical demands of training sessions and matches, allowing training load (TL) and training specificity analysis
Differences observed across playing positions in matches and microcycles underline the lack of position specificity of common training drills/sessions adopted by coaches in elite football
Coaches and practitioners must keep in mind that the absolute TL accumulated by players of different positions should not be a tool for measurement

Summary

Introduction

Objective data and time-motion analysis are used by coaches and practitioners to characterize the physical demands of training sessions and matches, allowing training load (TL) and training specificity analysis. This data may provide valuable information when designing and optimizing training programs [1]. Even though general physical demands of match play are well known, there is a great variation across playing positions [2,3] and the position-specific load needs to be taken into consideration when designing and implementing training program cycles. Of particular importance is the potential ability that objective data provides for personalized prescription of TL in a cohort of players following the same overall training regime. Managing TL according to the average ML of the team is not sufficient, and new approaches are needed in order to fulfil the law of training specificity [8]

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