Abstract
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated how soccer players reach sprint speeds (> 25.2 km⋅h−1) and what that fixed threshold represents to each player regarding their individual match peak speeds registered during competition.
Methods
Twenty professional players (n = 20) from a team competing in the Brazilian first division were monitored with a global navigation satellite system during six matches. All efforts with final speeds > 25.2 km⋅h−1 were analyzed according to starting speed, and accelerations’ duration and magnitude. Peak speeds for each player were also retrieved and compared to the sprint threshold.
Results
Most efforts > 25.2 km⋅h−1 (> 91%) start with very short accelerations (< 0.5 s). Efforts started predominately from high starting speeds (20–25 and > 25 km⋅h−1) than low starting speeds (< 5 and 5–10 km⋅h−1) with huge effect sizes (p < 0.001). Most accelerations had magnitudes between 1 and 3 m⋅s−2 (p < 0.05). The 25.2 km⋅h−1 threshold represented an intensity of 71–91% of players’ match peak speed.
Conclusion
The inclusion of accelerations and peak speeds associated to the sprinting events that occur > 25.2 km⋅h−1 was shown to be useful for further characterization of soccer sprinting performance. In addition, the fixed threshold fails to individualize players’ capabilities and performances, misleading load demands performed by players.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC