Running Performance of Male Versus Female Players in Australian Football Matches: A Systematic Review

Christopher Wing,Nicolas H Hart,Petar Djanis,Fadi Ma’Ayah,Callum Mccaskie,Kazunori Nosaka

doi:10.1186/s40798-021-00391-x

Christopher Wing, Nicolas H Hart + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00391-x

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Abstract

BackgroundAustralian Football is a fast paced, intermittent sport, played by both male and female populations. The aim of this systematic review was to compare male and female Australian Football players, competing at elite and sub-elite levels, for running performance during Australian Football matches based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).MethodsMedline, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science searches, using search terms inclusive of Australian Football, movement demands and microsensor technology, returned 2535 potential manuscripts, of which 33 were included in the final analyses.ResultsResults indicated that male athletes performed approximately twice the total running distances of their female counterparts, which was likely due to the differences in quarter length (male elite = 20 min, female elite = 15 min (plus time-on). When expressed relative to playing time, the differences between males and females somewhat diminished. However, high-speed running distances covered at velocities > 14.4 km·h−1 (> 4 m·s−1) were substantially greater (≥ 50%) for male than female players. Male and female players recorded similar running intensities during peak periods of play of shorter duration (e.g., around 1 min), but when the analysis window was lengthened, females showed a greater decrement in running performance.ConclusionThese results suggest that male players should be exposed to greater training volumes, whereas training intensities should be reasonably comparable across male and female athletes.

Highlights

Australian Football (AF) is a fast paced intermittent type sport played on an oval field between two teams of 18 plus 4 players upon the interchange bench amongst elite male players, and between two teams of 16 players with 5 upon the interchange bench within elite female populations [1, 2]
The findings highlight male athletes record substantially higher running distances, and distances covered at highspeed, as well as PlayerLoadTM than female athletes during AF matches
This can be attributed to several factors including match duration, playing rules, and physical capacity. It is likely affected by the greater opportunity afforded to male athletes to train

Summary

Introduction

Australian Football (AF) is a fast paced intermittent type sport played on an oval field between two teams of 18 plus 4 players upon the interchange bench amongst elite male players, and between two teams of 16 players with 5 upon the interchange bench within elite female populations [1, 2]. At the male elite level, the game is played across 4 quarters of 20 min duration plus time on (a period of play added to compensate for all stoppages in play) This time frame differs from the elite female level, where quarters are contested across 15 min, with time on for stoppages included within the final two minutes of each quarter [2]. The aim of this systematic review was to compare male and female Australian Football players, competing at elite and sub-elite levels, for running performance during Australian Football matches based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)

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