The distribution of match activities relative to the maximal intensities in elite soccer players: implications for practice

To determine the distribution of match-activities relative to maximum-intensities during official match in elite soccer players. One hundred and forty-eight Italian Serie A soccer players were monitored during 46 official matches (680 individual-samples). Total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR), very high-speed running (VHSR), sprint, acceleration and deceleration were calculated. Maximum-intensities (1-min(peak)) were used as the reference value to determine the distribution of relative intensity across the whole-match demands (90-min(avg)). Time and distance higher than 90-min(avg) (>90-min(avg)) were also calculated. The relative (m.min(-1)) 90-min(avg) vs1-min(peak) was 59.6(4.4)% for TD, 26.2(4.4)% for HSR, 16.0(3.5)% for VHSR, 9.3(2.3)% for sprint, 19.2(4.6)% for acceleration and 15.4(5.2)% for deceleration. Total distance covered >90-min(avg) was similar to 61.4(5.0)% for TD, similar to 68.6(1.9)% for HSR, similar to 80.2(1.3)% for VHSR, similar to 95.7(0.4)% for sprint, similar to 75.5(1.3)% for acceleration and similar to 64.0(2.6)% for deceleration. With the exception of small [ES: 0.50 (0.26 to 0.73)] difference for acceleration, the relative distance >90-min(avg) was largely to very largely (ES: 1.64 to 7.78) higher (P< 0.05) than the 90-min(avg) for each metric. While no between-position difference (P> 0.05) was found for total minutes >90-min(avg), between-position differences (P< 0.05) for the total distance >90-min(avg) were retrieved across each metric. The distribution of the activities relative to maximal intensities could assist coaches for soccer training prescriptions.