Monitoring Accumulated Training and Match Load in Football: A Systematic Review

Abstract

(1) Background: Training load monitoring has become a relevant research-practice gap to control training and match demands in team sports. However, there are no systematic reviews about accumulated training and match load in football. (2) Methods: Following the preferred reporting item for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), a systematic search of relevant English-language articles was performed from earliest record to March 2020. The search included descriptors relevant to football, training load, and periodization. (3) Results: The literature search returned 7972 articles (WoS = 1204; Pub-Med = 869, SCOPUS = 5083, and SportDiscus = 816). After screening, 36 full-text articles met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Eleven of the included articles analyzed weekly training load distribution; fourteen, the weekly training load and match load distribution; and eleven were about internal and external load relationships during training. The reviewed articles were based on short-telemetry systems (n = 12), global positioning tracking systems (n = 25), local position measurement systems (n = 3), and multiple-camera systems (n = 3). External load measures were quantified with distance and covered distance in different speed zones (n = 27), acceleration and deceleration (n = 13) thresholds, accelerometer metrics (n = 11), metabolic power output (n = 4), and ratios/scores (n = 6). Additionally, the internal load measures were reported with perceived exertion (n = 16); heart-rate-based measures were reported in twelve studies (n = 12). (4) Conclusions: The weekly microcycle presented a high loading variation and a limited variation across a competitive season. The magnitude of loading variation seems to be influenced by the type of week, player’s starting status, playing positions, age group, training mode and contextual variables. The literature has focused mainly on professional men; future research should be on the youth and female accumulated training/match load monitoring.

Effects of Match Location, Quality of Opposition and Match Outcome on Match Running Performance in a Portuguese Professional Football Team

“…The high-intensity activity (>19.8 km•h -1 ) represents 8-10% of the total distance completed, since most movement activities are carried out in low-intensity zones [4,5]. The distances covered at high intensities are a valid indicator to evaluate physical performance in professional football given its relationship with the training process [6,7]. High-speed running, sprints, tackles, impact accelerations and decelerations occur intermittently in a match-play, which require greater physiological and neuromuscular demands [8].…”

Sports biomechanics: monitoring health and performance

“…The study of these forces and their effects, such as movement, absence of movement, and deformations is the main focus of biomechanics. The amount of forces that act on the human system in each movement will also result in an internal response, so the higher the mechanical stress, the greater the physiological impact [1]. This association is observed in every physical or sports activity, highlighting the importance of biomechanics for a better understanding of the physiological response to exercise [2,3].…”

“…Biomechanical professionals should be concerned about movement techniques, such as body alignment and articulation positions during exercise, and also provide the necessary feedback to the technical team, so that load and physiological impact are better controlled and according to the exercise purpose. This would prevent overtraining that could also compromise the athletes' health [1]. Again, biomechanics can be important to prevent the overtraining phenomenon and preserve a good state of well-being.…”

“…For these, physical activities and sports demands are assessed using a set of technology systems. Technology such as pedometers, accelerometers, global positioning system (GPS), micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), local position measurement (LPM), and computerized video systems, allows the assessment of human movement behavior [1,9,14]. Variables such as the number of steps, counts, distances, velocity, acceleration/deceleration, time-motion analysis, neuromuscular function, angles and qualitative analysis are used to describe and quantify human movement intensity.…”

“…Typically, biomechanical analyses are made by: observational and qualitative methods, based on visual analysis [18]; video and photogrammetry analysis, in which kinematic variables (time, velocity, position, distance) are assessed [9,19]; experimental tests, in which different instruments, such as force plate, ergojump, speedometer, encoder, force sensors, radars, wind tunnels, inertial devices, and other tools, allow gathering information about kinetic and kinematic variables; and analytical procedures, which are a set of equations that typically permit to compute or estimate kinetics, kinematics, and performance [1,[20][21][22][23]. However, it is necessary to compare these different methods and to provide information about validity, accuracy, and reliability.…”