Abstract
The main objective of this study was to describe the repetition of external load high-demanding scenarios and very high-demanding scenarios of match play for velocity, distance, and neuromuscular locomotor variables of an elite futsal team. Additionally, we also checked how these high- and very high-demanding scenarios were distributed throughout the microcycle. The most demanding scenario (measured using a rolling average method with a 1-min time window) of match play was measured out of thirteen elite futsal players using a local positioning system in the course of thirteen official matches and six in-season microcycles. A mean of the top three match play observations for each variable and each player were used to determine the most demanding scenario (100%) reference value. Data were reanalyzed to count the number of high-demanding scenarios (80–90% of the individual most demanding scenario) and very high-demanding scenarios (>90% of the individual most demanding scenario). The number of scenarios was analyzed with respect to the number of days prior to the match [match day (MD) minus X] and a bootstrap confidence interval approach was used to assess differences between MD. During a single match, players have to cope with repeated high- and very high-demanding scenarios. Moreover, the training session 2 days prior to the match was the one most similar to the match, surpassing it only in scenarios of locomotor velocity variables, albeit with significantly fewer scenarios of neuromuscular variables. The number of high- and very high-demanding scenarios in the training session prior to the match dropped significantly in comparison with the rest of the microcycle and the match. This new monitoring method may help practitioners to establish an accurate assessment of external load demands in competition and training.
Highlights
With a view to objectively preparing players for what they may encounter during competition, coaches and strength and conditioning coaches have broadly based training prescription on match activity profile, commonly derived from the average demands of match play
Contextualized in team sports, repeated-sprint ability is defined as the ability to maintain sprint speed in the course of a game (Spencer et al, 2004), and while it is commonly accepted as a key component in high performance in futsal (Makaje et al, 2012), basketball (Caprino et al, 2012), field hockey (Spencer et al, 2004), and soccer (Gabbett and Mulvey, 2008), Gabbett (2012) reported that in collision sports such as rugby league, players were only exposed to an average of 1 repeated-sprint bout per match compared to an average of nine repeated high-intensity-effort bouts per player per match
The main objectives of this study were (I) to describe the repetition of high- and very high-demanding scenarios of match play of an elite futsal team of the Spanish 1st Division Liga Nacional de Fútbol Sala and (II) to check if these highand very high-demanding scenarios were represented within one competition match weekly microcycles and how they were distributed among the different training sessions
Summary
With a view to objectively preparing players for what they may encounter during competition, coaches and strength and conditioning coaches have broadly based training prescription on match activity profile, commonly derived from the average demands of match play This approach is likely to result in players being underprepared for the most demanding scenario of match play (Gabbett et al, 2016). Contextualized in team sports, repeated-sprint ability is defined as the ability to maintain sprint speed in the course of a game (Spencer et al, 2004), and while it is commonly accepted as a key component in high performance in futsal (Makaje et al, 2012), basketball (Caprino et al, 2012), field hockey (Spencer et al, 2004), and soccer (Gabbett and Mulvey, 2008), Gabbett (2012) reported that in collision sports such as rugby league, players were only exposed to an average of 1 repeated-sprint bout per match compared to an average of nine repeated high-intensity-effort bouts per player per match
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