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. 2015 May 8;14(2):394-401.
eCollection 2015 Jun.

Negative Associations between Perceived Training Load, Volume and Changes in Physical Fitness in Professional Soccer Players

Asier Los Arcos  1 , Raul Martínez-Santos  2 , Javier Yanci  2 , Jurdan Mendiguchia  3 , Alberto Méndez-Villanueva  4
Affiliations

Negative Associations between Perceived Training Load, Volume and Changes in Physical Fitness in Professional Soccer Players

Asier Los Arcos et al. J Sports Sci Med. .

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of the rating of perceived exertion training load for monitoring changes in several aerobic fitness and neuromuscular performance variables during 9 weeks of soccer training in young professional players. Nineteen male soccer players (20.2 ± 1.9 years) belonging to the same reserve team of a Spanish La Liga Club participated in this study. Countermovement jump (CMJ), CMJ arm swing, single leg CMJ, a sprint running test (i.e., 5 m and 15 m times) and an aerobic fitness running test were performed at the start of the pre-season (Test 1) and 9 weeks later (Test 2). During 9 weeks, after each training session and match, players reported their rating of perceived exertion (RPE) separately for respiratory (RPEres) and leg musculature (RPEmus) effort. The training load (TL) was calculated by multiplying the RPE value by the duration in minutes of each training session or match. Accumulated RPEmus, and associated TL, as well as accumulated training volume were negatively correlated with the changes in most physical fitness attributes after 9 weeks of training (r = -0.51 to -0.64). Present results suggest that a high perception of leg muscular effort associated with training sessions and matches, as well as an excessive accumulation of training volume (time), can impair the improvement in several physical fitness variables believed to be relevant for on-field soccer performance. Therefore, the independent assessment of leg muscular effort to quantify TL can be an interesting additional monitoring measure in soccer training. Key pointsThe purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of the perceived exertion-derived TL for monitoring changes in several aerobic fitness and neuromuscular parameters during 9 weeks of soccer training in young professional players.A high perception of leg muscular effort associated with training and matches, as well as an excessive accumulation of training volume (time), can impair several physical fitness factors believed to be relevant for on-field soccer performance.The independent assessment of muscular effort to quantify TL can be an interesting additional monitoring measure in soccer training.

Keywords: RPE; Soccer; physical fitness; training load.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Team mean weekly sRPEres and sRPEmus TL during pre-season (W1-5) and in-season (W6-9). * Significant differences (p < 0.01) in sRPEres-TL between pre-season and in-season; # Significant differences (p < 0.01) in sRPEmus-TL between pre-season and in-season.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Session team mean sRPEres TL and sRPEmus TL week to week and differences among all weeks. * Significant differences in sRPEmus-TL between W1 and W7, p < 0.05
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The relationship between sumRPEmus TL and percentage change in CMJnD from Test 1 (T1) to Test 2 (T2) (n = 13).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The relationship between sRPEmus TL and percentage change in lactate concentration at 13 km·h−1 (Lac13) from Test 1 (T1) to Test 2 (T2) (n = 14).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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