Train Like You Compete? Physical and Physiological Responses on Semi-Professional Soccer Players

Alfonso Castillo-Rodríguez, Francisco Javier Cano-Cáceres, António Figueiredo and José Carlos Fernández-García
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Alfonso Castillo-Rodríguez: Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain
Francisco Javier Cano-Cáceres: Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain
António Figueiredo: University of Coimbra, Centro de Investigaçao do Desporto e da Atividade Física, Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educaçao Física, 3030 Coimbra, Portugal
José Carlos Fernández-García: Universidad de Málaga, Andalucía-Tech, IBIMA, 29010 Malaga, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-9

Abstract: Background: Decision-making in soccer has repercussions and depends on the environment of training or competition. The demands on the players can reveal if the decision-making is similar or different from that required during competition. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the physical and physiological responses of players in training matches (TM) and official competition matches (CM) according to the playing position (external defenders, internal defenders, midfielders, and forwards/extremes). Methods: Twenty semi-professional male soccer players and 10 CM (n = 40) and 10 TM (n = 40) were studied using global positioning system technology, and paired and one-way ANOVA tests were carried out to compare physical (distances and number of sprints) and physiological (heart rates) responses with the factors a) match environments (TM and CM) and b) the playing position, respectively. Results: The results revealed that during CM, players covered higher total distance, partial distances, and sprints at different speeds (0–21 km/h) and produced higher physiological responses. Midfielders covered the greatest total distance in both TM (7227.6 m) and CM (11,225.9 m), in comparison to the other playing positions. However, forwards and extremes spent more time (56.8% of the CM [d = 0.78]) at 76% to 84% of their maximal heart rates. Conclusions: First, the physical and physiological responses in TM were significantly lower than in CM. Second, these responses were different according to the playing position, so this study was able to verify the exact amount of variation between the load produced in TM and CM. These results will help the coach and technical staff to design training tasks to complement the responses found in TM.

Keywords: soccer; training; competition; match; physical responses; physiological responses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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