Prior Workload has Moderate Effects on High-Intensity Match Performance in Elite-Level Professional Football Players when Controlling for Situational and Contextual Variables

Matthew Springham, Sean Williams, Mark Waldron, Anthony Strudwick, Chris Mclellan, Robert Newton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Citations (SciVal)
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Abstract

This investigation examined the effect of prior workload on high-intensity football match performance. Player load variables were recorded using a global positioning system and converted into composite variables: rolling season accumulated load (AL), exponentially weighted moving average acute, chronic and acute:chronic workload ratio (A:C). Match-play high-intensity performance-per-minute: accelerations (ACC), sprints, high-speed running (HSR) and high metabolic load (HMLd) distances; and situational and contextual variables were recorded for all games. Partial least squares modelling, and backward stepwise selection determined the most parsimonious model for each performance variable. Quadratic relationships of small to moderate effect sizes were identified for sprint AL and sprint performance, HSR AL and HSR performance, acute HMLd and HMLd performance, acute sprint load and ACC performance and A:C sprint load and ACC performance. Match performance was typically greatest between the mean and +1SD. High chronic HMLd, and combined acceleration and deceleration (ACC+DEC) load exerted small beneficial effects on HMLd and HSR performance, whereas high acute load exerted trivial to moderate negative effects. High sprint A:C exerted a small beneficial effect on sprint performance and playing position exerted small effects on HSR and HMLd performance. Prior workload has trivial to moderate effects on high-intensity match performance in professional players.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2279-2290
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Sports Sciences
Volume38
Issue number20
Early online date16 Jun 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Oct 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Dr Matt Taberner and Dr Chris Richter for their assistance.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

  • Acute
  • chronic
  • fatigue
  • monitoring
  • performance
  • workload

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
  • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

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