Subjective perception as a method of controlling the fatigue and intensity in futsal

The aim of this study is to control training loads in futsal using the method of subjective perception. Participants were 12 Spanish professional futsal players during a season of 40 weeks. The subjective perception of prior fatigue and fatigue after training and the perceived intensity during training were recorded using scales developed by Borg. Data were collected in all training sessions (225 sessions) and individual scores and average team scores were analyzed. The average team scores were as follows: 3.39 +/- 0.64 for subjective perception of prior fatigue; 6.76 +/- 0.93 for subjective perception of fatigue after training; and 14.65 +/- 1.27 for subjective perception of the intensity of training. We found significant correlations between the perception of prior fatigue and the perception of fatigue after training (r = 0.78), and between perceived intensity and perceived fatigue after training (r = 0.86). The relationship between the subjective perception of fatigue and perception of intensity sheds light into the effect of training loads on player fatigue, both at individual and collective levels.