Internal and External Training Load in Under-19 versus Professional Soccer Players during the In-Season Period

Sullivan Coppalle, Guillaume Ravé, Jason Moran, Iyed Salhi, Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman, Sghaeir Zouita, Urs Granacher and Hassane Zouhal
Additional contact information
Sullivan Coppalle: Laboratoire Mouvement, Sport, Santé, University of Rennes, M2S—EA 1274, F-35000 Rennes, France
Guillaume Ravé: Stade Lavallois Mayenne Football Club, 53000 Laval, France
Jason Moran: School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester 62326, UK
Iyed Salhi: ISSEP Ksar-Essaid, University of La Manouba, Tunis 2000, Tunisia
Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman: ISSEP Ksar-Essaid, University of La Manouba, Tunis 2000, Tunisia
Sghaeir Zouita: ISSEP Ksar-Essaid, University of La Manouba, Tunis 2000, Tunisia
Urs Granacher: Division of Training and Movement Sciences, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
Hassane Zouhal: Laboratoire Mouvement, Sport, Santé, University of Rennes, M2S—EA 1274, F-35000 Rennes, France

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-10

Abstract: This study aimed to compare the training load of a professional under-19 soccer team (U-19) to that of an elite adult team (EAT), from the same club, during the in-season period. Thirty-nine healthy soccer players were involved (EAT [ n = 20]; U-19 [ n = 19]) in the study which spanned four weeks. Training load (TL) was monitored as external TL, using a global positioning system (GPS), and internal TL, using a rating of perceived exertion (RPE). TL data were recorded after each training session. During soccer matches, players’ RPEs were recorded. The internal TL was quantified daily by means of the session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) using Borg’s 0–10 scale. For GPS data, the selected running speed intensities (over 0.5 s time intervals) were 12–15.9 km/h; 16–19.9 km/h; 20–24.9 km/h; >25 km/h (sprint). Distances covered between 16 and 19.9 km/h, > 20 km/h and >25 km/h were significantly higher in U-19 compared to EAT over the course of the study ( p = 0.023, d = 0.243, small; p = 0.016, d = 0.298, small; and p = 0.001, d = 0.564, small, respectively). EAT players performed significantly fewer sprints per week compared to U-19 players ( p = 0.002, d = 0.526, small). RPE was significantly higher in U-19 compared to EAT ( p = 0.001, d = 0.188, trivial). The external and internal measures of TL were significantly higher in the U-19 group compared to the EAT soccer players. In conclusion, the results obtained show that the training load is greater in U19 compared to EAT.

Keywords: monitoring; global positioning system; elite athletes; academy; RPE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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