Influence of Playing Position, Training Day and Match on the Acceleration - Speed Profile of Elite Football Players

Abstract

The acceleration-speed profile (A-S profile) is a new method to evaluate physical and determinant capabilities such as acceleration (ACC) and speed (S) in sports. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in the A-S profile of elite football players induced by playing position and microcycle day. Players belonged to a second division club of Spanish competition La Liga. They were classified into six playing positions: central defenders (CD), full backs (FB), midfielders (MF), wide midfielders (WMF) and forwards (FW). Data was collected along six microcycles including one match per microcycle. The variables analyzed included: maximal theoretical acceleration (A0), maximal theoretical speed (S0), maximal acceleration (ACCmax), maximal speed (Smax) and A-S slope (ASslope). Significance differences were found within positions and microcycle day for all variables (p<0.05). MD showed greater values than the training sessions in A0, ACCmax and Smax (p<0.05). Highest values for variables associated to acceleration capabilities were found in CD on MD, whereas speed variables were higher in WMF. MD-2 showed the lowest values in all variables except for ASslope. In conclusion, the results show that exist differences on the A-S profile depending on the playing position and the microcycle day. Assessing the A-S profile could help to individualize the training sessions depending on playing position demands and to check that competitions requirements are achieved during microcycle.