The tracking of internal and external training loads with next-day player-reported fatigue at different times of the season in elite soccer players

Abstract

The aim was to assess factor structure of player-reported fatigue and quantify within-subjects association between changes in training load measures and next day player-reported fatigue at different time points of an elite football season. Using longitudinal research design, twenty-four professional footballers, mean (SD) age of 25.7 (3.4) years, were monitored during their competitive season, including pre-season. Player-reported fatigue data and session ratings of perceived exertion (session-RPE) were collected via a mobile application. Player’s Heart rate (HR) and global positioning system (GPS) data were collected daily for each player in field sessions. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated three components with Eigenvalues above 1.0; “soreness”, “mood, and “hydration”. Within-player correlations between training load values and next day player-reported fatigue values were trivial to moderate (r ≈ −0.42 to −0.04). In-season we observed large correlations between Total Distance (TD) and PlayerLoad with Soreness (r = −0.55, 95% CI: −0.62 to −0.46; r = −.054, 95% CI: −0.62 to −0.46), but during pre-season, correlations were small (r = −0.15, 95% CI: −0.28 to −0.01; r = −0.13, 95% CI: −0.26 to 0.01). The HR TRIMP, TD and session-RPE measures each showed trivial to moderate correlations (r ≈ −0.41 to −0.08) with next day “mood”. Our in-house player-reported fatigue questionnaire was sensitive to the multi-dimensional nature of fatigue, identifying physiological (soreness), psychological (mood and stress) and nutritional (hydration and nutrition) components. We found the in-season correlations with training load to be greater than previously reported in the literature, specifically with next day player-reported “soreness”. Nevertheless, the correlations between the items of our scale and pre-season training load were small.

Does Prematch Neuromuscular Performance Affect Running Performance in Collegiate Elite Female Soccer?

“…Competitive soccer teams commonly incorporate athlete monitoring programs aimed at (a) quantifying prematch and postmatch fatigue while also (b) enhancing training (i.e., weight room) efficacy throughout the season (14,17). Athlete monitoring assessments can be categorized by training load and training response assessments.…”

Player Position Affects Relationship Between Internal and External Training Loads During Division I Collegiate Female Soccer Season

“…The benefits of ETL are (a) the quantification of match performance (8,22,41) and (b) the manipulation of ETL to a matchplay (7,21). In addition to ITL and ETL measures, competitive soccer teams incorporate response assessments including subjective wellness and isometric and dynamic neuromuscular performance measured by force plates (6,11,17,18,44). These measures provide practitioners (e.g., strength and conditioning coaches, sports scientists, and sports medicine staff) assessments of player's subjective and objective physical readiness to train or play.…”

Seasonal Changes and Relationships in Training Loads, Neuromuscular Performance, and Recovery and Stress State in Competitive Female Soccer Players

“…The monitoring data can inform the practitioners about a current physical and psychological state of the player and assist their decision-making for TL management. Common measures of an athlete monitoring program, particularly for fatigue management, include the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), subjective recovery and stress state, and the countermovement jump (CMJ) (Sams et al, 2018;Travis et al, 2018Travis et al, , 2020Walker et al, 2019;McFadden et al, 2020;Draper et al, 2021;Ishida et al, 2021c). The GNSS devices have been used to quantify external TL, including the TL of soccer match play, which have been associated with acute muscle damage and the alterations in neuromuscular performance (de Hoyo et al, 2016;Russell et al, 2016;Coppalle et al, 2019;Wiig et al, 2019;Ishida et al, 2021a).…”

“…Measures of subjective recovery and stress state and CMJ are common monitoring tools to quantify the response to TL. The combined use of these measures with GNSS allows for quantifying a dose-response relationship (Halson, 2014;Impellizzeri et al, 2019;Draper et al, 2021;Ishida et al, 2021b). The Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS) is a reliable questionnaire (Kellmann and Kölling, 2019) and consists of eight subscales including physical performance capability (PPC), mental performance capability (MPC), emotional balance (EB), overall recovery (OR), muscular stress (MS), lack of activation (LA), negative emotional state (NES), and overall stress (OS).…”