The Validity and Reliability of Global Positioning System Units for Measuring Distance and Velocity During Linear and Team Sport Simulated Movements

Abstract

Huggins, RA, Giersch, GEW, Belval, LN, Benjamin, CL, Curtis, RM, Sekiguchi, Y, Peltonen, J, and Casa, DJ. The validity and reliability of GPS units for measuring distance and velocity during linear and team sport simulated movements. J Strength Cond Res 34(11): 3070–3077, 2020—This experimental study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of shirt-mounted 10-Hz global positioning system (GPS) units (Polar Team Pro) for measuring total distance (TD), constant velocity (VelC), and instantaneous velocity (VelI) during linear running and a team sport simulation circuit (TSSC). Fifteen male soccer athletes completed linear tasks (40 and 100 m) at various velocities: walk (W) (4.8–7.9 km·h−1), jog (J) (8.0–12.7 km·h−1), run (R) (12.9–19.9 km·h−1), and sprint (S) (>20.0 km·h−1) and a 120-m TSSC. Global positioning system validity and reliability for TD, VelC, and VelI were compared with criterion measures using 2 methods (a and b) of GPS raw data extraction. When measuring TD for the Polar Team Pro device, validity and reliability measures were <5% error at all velocities during the 40-m (with the exception of the S [%CV = 8.03]) and 100-m linear trial (both extraction methods) and TSSC. The GPS mean difference (±SD) for TD during the TSSC using extraction methods (a) and (b) was 0.2 ± 1.2 and 2.2 ± 2.2 m, respectively. The validity of the device in measuring VelC was significantly different (p < 0.05) at all velocities during the 40 m (exception W) and the 100 m, with effect sizes ranging from trivial to small (exception of 100 m S). VelI was similar (p > 0.05) at all velocities, except for the W (p = 0.001). The reliability of the device when measuring VelC during the 40 and 100 m was <5% CV; however, during the 100 m, VelI ranged from 1.4 to 12.9%. Despite trivial to large effect sizes for validity of TD, this device demonstrated good reliability <5% CV during linear and TSSC movements. Similarly, effect sizes ranged from trivial to large for VelC, and yet VelI reliability was good for VelC, but good to poor for VelI.

Psychological and Physiological Changes in Response to the Cumulative Demands of a Women's Division I Collegiate Soccer Season

“…All practices and games were monitored using the Polar TeamPro system (Polar Electro Co., Woodbury, NY), which uses HR, GPS, and accelerometry technology (21). Physiological attributes of the player obtained from laboratory testing (i.e., player age, height, body mass, sex, V̇O 2 max, HRmax, and HR at ventilatory threshold) were used to program each player's monitor through the Polar TeamPro online platform.…”

“…Biomarkers in the analysis included markers of stress (free cortisol[FCORT] and total cortisol [TCORT]), muscle breakdown or turnover (creatine kinase [CK]), inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 [IL-6]), markers of anabolism (growth hormone [GH], insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1], total testosterone [TTEST], and free testosterone [FTEST]), markers of reproductive health (total estrogens [E], prolactin [PRL], and sex hormone-binding globulin [SHBG]), markers of metabolism (triiodothyronine [T 3 ] and thyroxine [T 4 ]), and nutritional markers (iron [Fe], tryptophan [TRP], glutamine [GLN], phenylalanine [PHE], and taurine [TAU]) (23).Season Training and Monitoring. All practices and games were monitored using the Polar TeamPro system (Polar Electro Co., Woodbury, NY), which uses HR, GPS, and accelerometry technology(21). Physiological attributes of the player obtained from laboratory testing (i.e., player age, height, body mass, sex, V Ȯ2 max, HRmax, and HR at ventilatory threshold) were used to program each player's monitor through the Polar TeamPro online platform.…”

“…21 (Allegra x-15R, Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA). Plasma and serum samples were shipped (in containers designed to maintain approximately 20°C, 4°C, or 220°C depending on the analyte) to a Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendmentcertified processing facility (Quest Diagnostics, Inc., San Juan Capistrano, CA) for analysis.…”

Distance and Intensity Profiles in Division I Women’s Soccer Matches across a Competitive Season

“…Previously conducted studies on 10 Hz GPS devices have shown that this GPS device has good validity and reliability (5% CV) for total distance, linear running, and change of direction [ 15 , 16 ]. For the Polar Team Pro®️ model used in this study, the ICCs have been reported as extremely high for running less than 13.99 km/h and 14–19.99 km/h (0.99 and 0.92, respectively), and high for total distance and sprinting (>20 km/h) (0.63 and 0.65, respectively) [ 17 ].…”

Can Rules in Technical-Tactical Decisions Influence on Physical and Mental Load during Soccer Training? A Pilot Study

“…This technology is based on a signal concentration system of different Polar brand sensors, designed for the control and monitoring of physical activity in collective sports like soccer or basketball. This technology has been validated [31,32] and used in previous studies that registered the physical load of soccer tasks [10,19] and is currently one of the most used instruments for the quantification of the physical load in this context [33].…”