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Loading or Unloading? This Is the Question! A Multi-Season Study in Professional Football Players
Mauro Mandorino1,2, Antonio Tessitore2, Mathieu Lacome1,3
1Performance and Analytics Department, Parma Calcio 1913, 43121 Parma, Italy.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2024
Summary
Reducing weekly training loads enhances neuromuscular readiness in lower-performing elite football players. Maintaining or slightly increasing loads optimizes readiness for players in good condition, aiding performance management.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Football Performance Analysis
- Neuromuscular Physiology
Background:
- Elite football demands optimized training load management for peak performance.
- Neuromuscular readiness is crucial for player performance and injury prevention.
- Existing methods for assessing readiness may lack precision in dynamic team sports.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of training load periodization on neuromuscular readiness in elite football players.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Locomotor Efficiency Index (LEI) in monitoring player readiness.
- To provide data-driven insights for tailoring training prescriptions to individual player states.
Main Methods:
- Monitored 106 elite male football players over two seasons using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for external load data.
- Derived the Locomotor Efficiency Index (LEI) using a machine learning model (random forest regression) to assess neuromuscular efficiency.
- Categorized players into 'bad', 'normal', and 'good' weekly LEI states and analyzed variations relative to weekly load changes.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in LEI were observed concerning variations in total distance and mechanical load.
- Reducing weekly loads improved LEI in players with lower readiness states.
- Maintaining or slightly increasing loads promoted optimal readiness in players already in good states.
Conclusions:
- Training load periodization significantly influences neuromuscular readiness in elite football.
- The LEI offers a valuable tool for coaches to objectively assess and manage player readiness.
- Tailoring training and recovery based on LEI can enhance player performance and sustainability throughout a season.
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