Open AccessInter- and intra-microcycle external load analysis in female professional soccer players: A playing position approach
Author(s) -
Elba Diaz-Seradilla,
Alejandro Rodríguez-Fernández,
José A. Rodríguez-Marroyo,
Daniel Castillo,
Javier Raya-González,
José G. Villa Vicente
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0264908
Subject(s) - sprint , mathematics , zoology , statistics , physical therapy , medicine , biology
This study analyzes the inter- and intra-differences in external load across the microcycle in professional female soccer players. External load during four consecutive microcycles (i.e., M1, M2, M3, and M4) and training sessions (i.e., MD-4, MD-3, MD-2, and MD-1) and a match day (i.e., MD) were registered in seventeen female professional soccer players (age: 26.3 ± 4.6 years; height: 166.3 ± 6.1 cm; body mass: 59.8 ± 6.8 kg; and body mass index: 21.6 ± 1.7 kg·m -2 ) who belonged to the same team in Spanish first division. A 10-Hz GPS that integrated a 100-Hz triaxial accelerometer was used to register external load. The results showed lower decelerations in M2 compared to M1 and M3 (p 16.0 km·h -1 ) in M3 vs. M2, and greater relative sprint distance (>21.0 km·min -1 ) in M4 vs. M1 and M3 (p 21.0 km·h -1 ) than central midfielders (CMs) and central defenders (CDs) in MD-2 and MD. Both, fitness and conditioning staff should pay special attention to the external loads for each playing position in training sessions to optimize the training process.