Development and Validation of a New Method to Monitor and Control the Training Load in Futsal: the FUTLOC Tool

Abstract

The main objective of a coach is to optimise athletic performance. The best performance improvements come from prescribing an optimal dose of physical training with proper recovery periods to allow for the greatest adaptation before competition. The main objective was to develop and validate a new, inexpensive, easy, noninvasive, real time tool to control and monitor the training load in futsal: the FUTLOC tool. Sixteen elite male futsal players from a national team volunteered to participate in this study (24.75 ± 3.36 years old, 176.21 ± 0.70 cm, 71.50 ± 8.18 kg, BMI of 23.17 ± 2.22, and 60.11 ± 2.99 ml/kg/min of VO 2 max. Training load was controlled and monitored daily with the FUTLOC tool. The RPE was measured using the 6-20 Borg scale. The Pearson's product moment correlation between the means of intensity, RPE, training load and equivalent training load showed an excellent concordance (>0.75). To conclude, based on the results in this study and the literature reviewed, the FUTLOC tool seems to be a good method to control global internal training load in futsal. This method does not require any expensive equipment and may be very useful and convenient for coaches to monitor the internal training load of futsal players.