Young, D, Beato, M, Mourot, L, and Coratella, G. Match-play temporal and position-specific physical and physiological demands of senior hurlers. J Strength Cond Res 34(6): 1759–1768, 2020—The aims of the current study were to examine the temporal differences in match-running performances and heart rate (HR) in elite senior hurling players between halves of play and field positions. Global positioning systems (10 Hz) and HR monitors were used to collect data from 48 players over 18 games. Running performances (total distance [TD], relative distance, high-speed running [HSR], sprint efforts [SE], mean length of sprints, and sprint distance [SD]) and HR values (HRmean and HRpeak) were assessed. Decrements in TD (p = 0.009, effect size [ES] = −0.15), relative distance (p = 0.009, ES = −0.18), HSR (p = 0.001, ES = −0.28), SE (p = 0.001, ES = −0.23), SD (p = 0.001, ES = −0.24), HRmean (p < 0.001, ES = −0.38), and HRpeak (p < 0.001, ES = −0.21) were found between halves. Half backs showed between-half decrements in all metrics (p < 0.05) except SD (p = 0.130, ES = −0.26). Midfielders (p < 0.001, ES = −0.68) and half forwards (p < 0.001, ES = −0.79) experienced second-half decrements in HSR. No decrements (p > 0.05) in running performances were found between halves for full backs. HRmean was lower in full backs (p = 0.007, ES = −0.46) and half backs (p = 0.001, ES = −0.76) in the second half. Coaches should consider the specific HSR between-half temporal decrements in half backs, midfielders, and half forwards, and customize training program design to minimize these decrements.

Young, D, Mourot, L, Beato, M, and Coratella, G. The match heart rate and running profile of elite under-21 hurlers during competitive match-play. J Strength Cond Res 32(10): 2925-2933, 2018-The aims of the current study were to examine the physical and physiological demands of elite under-21 male hurling match-play across halves of play and between positions. Global positioning systems (10 Hz) and heart rate (HR) monitors were used to collect data from 95 players during 10 games. Total distance (TD), relative speed, high-speed running (HSR), sprint distance, total sprints, and mean length of sprint was 6,688 ± 942 m, 112 ± 16 m·min, 661 ± 203 m, 274 ± 111 m, 18 ± 8 m, and 16 ± 5 m, respectively. Players' mean HR (HRmean) and peak HR (HRpeak) was 165 ± 9 b·min and 190 ± 7 b·min, respectively. Decrements in TD (p < 0.05, effect size [ES] = 0.81), HSR (p < 0.05, ES = 0.69), and HRmean (p < 0.05, ES = 0.80) were found between halves. Full backs covered significantly less TD than half backs (p < 0.05, ES = -1.24), midfielders (p < 0.05, ES = -1.39), and half forwards (p < 0.05, ES = -1.85). Half forwards covered a greater TD than full forwards (p < 0.05, ES = 0.94), greater HSR than full backs (p < 0.05, ES = 1.13), and greater sprint distance than half backs (p < 0.05, ES = 1.41). Between-half decreases were evident in TD, HSR, and HRmean, with no significant positional differences observed in TD, HSR, number of sprints, length of sprint, HRpeak, and HRmean between half backs, midfielders, and half forwards. The current findings provide data that coaches should consider to customize training program design for under-21 hurlers.

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The typical sprint profile in elite hurling has yet to be established. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sprinting demands of elite hurling competition and characterize the sprinting patterns of different playing positions. GPS (10-Hz, STATSports Viper) were used to collect data from 51 hurlers during 18 games. The total sprint (≥22 km·h -1 ) distance (TSD), the number of sprints (NOS) classified as length (<20 m, ≥20 m) and relative speed thresholds (<80%, 80–90%, >90%), the between-sprint duration and the number of repeated-sprint bouts (≥2 sprints in ≤60 s) were analyzed. The NOS was 22.2 ± 6.8 accumulating 415 ± 140 m TSD. The NOS <20 m, ≥20 m was 14.0 ± 4.7 and 8.1 ± 3.6 respectively. The NOS <80%, 80–90% and >90% was 10.6 ± 4.3, 8.2 ± 3.6, 3.4 ± 2.4 respectively. The between-sprint duration and the repeated-sprint bouts were 208 ± 86 s and 4.5 ± 2.6 respectively. TSD (ES = -0.20), NOS (ES = -0.34), NOS <20 m (ES = -0.33), ≥20 m (ES = -0.24), 80–90% (ES = -0.35) >90% (ES = -0.13) and repeated-sprint bouts (ES = -0.28) decreased between-halves. Full-backs performed a lower NOS <80% than half-backs (ES = -0.66) and a shorter mean duration of sprints than half-backs (ES = -0.75), midfielders (ES = -1.00) and full-forwards (ES = -0.59). These findings provide a sprint profile of elite hurling match-play that coaches should consider to replicate the sprint demands of competition in training.

Young, D, Malone, S, Beato, M, Mourot, L, and Coratella, G. Iidentification of maximal running intensities during elite hurling match-play. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The current study aimed to describe the duration-specific running intensities of elite hurling players during competition with respect to position using a rolling average method. Global positioning systems (10-Hz Viper; STATSport, Viper, Newry, Northern Ireland) were used to collect data from 36 elite hurling players across 2 seasons. Players were categorized according to playing positions (full-backs, half-backs, midfielders, half-forwards, and full-forwards). A total of 230 full match samples were obtained from 22 competitive games for analysis. The velocity-time curve was analyzed using a rolling average method, in which the maximum relative total distance (TD; m·min), high-speed running distance (HSR; m·min), and sprint distance (SD; m·min) intensities were calculated across 10 different rolling time durations (1-10 minutes) within each game. There were large to very large (effect sizes [ES] = 0.66-4.33) differences between 1 minute rolling averages and all other durations for TD, HSR, and SD. However, pairwise comparisons between 6 and 10 minutes for TD, HSR, and SD were smaller and more variable (ES = 0.07, trivial to ES = 0.85, moderate). Half-backs, midfielders, and half-forwards achieved a higher maximal relative TD and HSR in all duration-specific fields when compared with full-backs and full-forwards. No positional difference was observed in 1- and 2-minute durations for SD. Because the rolling average duration increased the maximum TD, HSR and SD running intensities decreased across all positions. These data provide knowledge of the peak running intensities of elite hurling competition and can be used to design training activities to sufficiently prepare players for these "worst-case scenarios."