Effects of match contextual factors on internal and external load in elite Brazilian professional soccer players through the season

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of contextual match factors (quality of opposition, match outcome, change of head coach or playing style) on internal and external load in elite Brazilian professional soccer players, considering the total and effective playing time. Twenty-two professional male outfield soccer players participated in this study (age 28.4 ± 4.9 years; height 1.78 ± 0.1 cm; body mass 72.9 ± 7.1 kg). The internal (rating of perceived exertion-based load [sRPE]) and external load (distance and accelerometry-based measures) were recorded during 38 matches, over the 2021 season of the Brazilian National 1st Division League using a global position system (10 Hz) integrated with an accelerometer (200 Hz). The main results were: (i) matches played against weak opponents presented greater values of sprinting distances compared to matches against intermediate and strong opponents; (ii) players covered greater high-intensity running distances when drawing than winning the matches; (iii) matches with assistant coaches presented higher mean speed relative to effective playing time (MSEPT) compared to coach 1 and coach 2 conditions. In addition, players covered greater MSEPT and high-acceleration in matches with coach 2 vs. coach 3; (iv) finally, small positive correlations were observed between positional attack sequences and MSTPT, total distance covered, and acceleration. Coaches and practitioners should consider these results when interpreting external load variables during elite Brazilian soccer matches.

Match running performance profiles of amputee football players at the national level

“…The profile of forwards stands out from the rest because of the lowest distance covered per minute and lowest GPS load per minute (statistically significant differences compared to the two other positions). Currently, there are no materials in the literature that can be compared with our results in AF, but they are similar to the corresponding positions in the football 22 , 24 , 28 .…”

“…The works of Nowak AM et al (2020) 12 and Maehana et al (2022) 10 gave some contradictory information due to the difference in the methodology and the equipment used. And above all, they are based mainly on the total distance, which in the current sports practice reality is no longer sufficient 22 – 24 . The current global trend in football research is performance analysis in relation to the context of the game 22 , 23 , 25 – 27 .…”

“…Simim et al 32 presented results showing a decrease between halves in total distance and average distance per minute (same reduction of both parameters: − 11%, − 8% and – 12% for DEF, MID and FOR, respectively) claims that observed differences are small despite the fact that the effect size was ranging from small (0.3 for MID), through moderate (0.5 for DEF) to large (0.9 for FOR) 32 . Currently, total distance and even relative distance are considered as important but insufficient because they do not give precise information without contextual analysis 24 , 33 . In the present study, we observed a statistically significant decrease in peak acceleration, peak deceleration, peak speed, average distance per minute and GPS load per minute in the second half compared to the first half (Fig.…”

Effects of preseason training on body composition, running performance, biochemical markers and workload variation in professional rugby union players

“…The RW was implemented between two training blocks during this preseason phase. Running activity was monitored every on-field training session using GPS technology [ 25 , 27 ]. Hooper index (HI) and the s-RPE were used to quantify the well-being and IWL separately [ 24 , 25 , 30 ].…”

“…In addition to biochemical markers, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and session-RPE (s-RPE) have been considered to be valid, reliable, and handy tools for indicating players' internal workload (IWL) [ [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] ]. Moreover, the use of global positioning system (GPS) technology in team sports has opened up a range of possibilities to monitor the external workload (EWL) performed by players [ 3 , 21 , 25 ]. To optimize physiological adaptations and minimize the risk of overtraining and injuries, a comprehensive approach incorporating both EWL and IWL monitoring is crucial in elite RU players [ 26 ].…”