In-season internal and external training monotony, strain and acute/chronic workload ratio variations between starters and non-starters of a top elite European soccer team
The aim of this study was two-fold: (a) to describe the in-season variations of training
monotony, training strain, and acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) through session
rated perceived exertion (s-RPE), total distance and high-speed running (HSR); (b) to
compare those variations between starters and non-starters. Seventeen professional
players from an European First League team participated in this study. They were
divided in two groups: starters (n=9) and non-starters (n=8). The players were monitored
daily over a 41-week period of competition where 52 matches occurred during the 2015-
2016 in-season. Through the collection of s-RPE, total distance and HSR, training
monotony, training strain and ACWR were calculated for each measure, respectively.
Data were analysed across ten mesocycles (M: 1 to 10). Results revealed no differences
between starters vs non-starters (p>0.05). M6 had a greater number of matches and
displayed higher values in monotony (s-RPE, total distance and HSR), strain (only for
total distance) and ACWR (s-RPE, TD and HSR). However, the variation patterns for all
indexes displayed some differences. In conclusion, the values of both starters and non starters showed small differences between them and thus suggesting that the
adjustments of training workloads that had been applied over the season helped to
reduce differences according to the player status. Even so, there some variations over the season (microcycles and mesocycles) for the whole team. This study could be used
as reference for future coaches, staff and scientists.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
