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Monitoring the Intended and Perceived Training Load of a Professional Futsal Team Over 45 Weeks: A Case Study
Felipe N Rabelo1, Bruno N Pasquarelli, Bruno Gonçalves
11Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Campinas State University, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; 3Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development, CIDESD, CreativeLab Research Community, University of Tra[Combining Acute Accent]s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal; 4Passo Fundo University, Passo Fundo, São Paulo, Brazil; 5Air Force Academy, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil; 6Methodist University of Piracicaba, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil; 7Londrina State University, Londrina, PR, Brazil; and 8Nucleus of High Performance in Sport, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract:
The aims of this study were to compare the training load intended by a coach with the training load perceived by the players, over a 45-week professional futsal team season and to compare the variation of session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) across different periods of the season. Eighteen Brazilian professional futsal players participated in the study. The players' rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and coach's rating of intended exertion (RIE) were collected daily throughout the study. To compare the sRPE variation, the season was divided into 4 periods as follows: preseason (PRE-SEASON), first competitive period (COMP1), intercompetition period (INTER-COMP), and second competitive period (COMP2). Based on the cluster analyses, the training sessions were classified into 3 different intensity zones (low, moderate, and high). In all the season periods and intensity zones, the players' RPEs were lower than the coach's RIE. In the low-intensity zone, the INTER-COMP demonstrated higher sRPE values than did the other periods. In the moderate-intensity zones, the INTER-COMP and COMP2 were similar. Finally, for the high-zone intensity, the PRE-SEASON demonstrated higher values than did the other periods. We concluded that the coach overestimated the training load reported by the players in almost all intensity training zones and season periods. The RPE scale does not seem to be a suitable tool when used by the coach for intended training load. Therefore, technical staff should constantly review the training goals in each season period through daily training load control, always taking into consideration the possibilities and limitations of the RPE method.
