Match-Play Demands of Elite U17 Hurlers During Competitive Matches

Young, D, Mourot, L, Beato, M, and Coratella, G. Match-play demands of elite U17 hurlers during competitive matches.J Strength Cond Res34(7): 1982-1989, 2020-The current study aimed to quantify the match-play workload in elite male under 17 hurlers, measuring the differences between the first and second halves and between positions. Global positioning system (10-Hz) and heart rate monitors were used to collect data from 76 players during 18 matches. Players' total distance (TD), relative distance (RD), high-speed running (HSR), the number and length of sprints, and the total sprint distance (TSD) was 6,483 +/- 1,145 m, 108 +/- 19 m center dot min(-1), 583 +/- 215 m, 18 +/- 6, 15 +/- 3 m, and 272 +/- 77 m, respectively. Peak and mean heart rate were 194 +/- 8 b center dot min(-1)and 167 +/- 4 b center dot min(-1), respectively. Decrements in TD (p< 0.001, effect size [ES] = 0.72), RD (p< 0.001, ES = 0.72), HSR (p< 0.001, ES = 0.55), the number of sprints (p< 0.001, ES = 0.57), mean length of sprint (p< 0.011, ES = 0.25), TSD (p< 0.001, ES = 0.69), mean heart rate (p< 0.001, ES = 0.35), and peak heart rate (p< 0.001, ES = 0.52) were found between halves.Largely-to-very largelygreater TD, RD, and HSR were covered by midfielders, half-backs, and half-forwards compared with full-backs and full-forwards. No between-position difference was found in peak and mean heart rate. The current results are the first to highlight the differences in external and internal position-specific workload in elite male under 17 hurlers. Coaches need to consider the position-specific demands and between-half drop-off to prepare young hurlers appropriately to repeat the match-play performances of competition.