Training Load and Acute Performance Decrement in Soccer.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Soccer Performance Analysis

Background:

• Soccer training involves varied intensities and durations.
• Acute performance decrement (APD) can impact player readiness.
• Existing training metrics may not accurately reflect performance impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between common soccer training metrics and APD.
• To determine how different training session types affect APD.
• To identify reliable metrics for monitoring training load and performance impact.

Main Methods:

• 16 male soccer players participated in randomized training sessions (small-sided game, passing/shooting drill, technical drills).
• Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery level 2 test (Yo-Yo IR2) measured performance before and after training.
• Training load was quantified using training impulse, perceived exertion, movement load, energy expenditure, total distance, and NASA-TLX.

Main Results:

• APD was significantly higher after small-sided games and passing/shooting drills compared to technical drills.
• Most training metrics (training impulse, perceived exertion, movement load, energy expenditure, total distance) did not correlate with APD.
• NASA-TLX scores showed a strong resemblance to APD responses.

Conclusions:

• Common soccer training metrics may not accurately predict acute performance decrements.
• The NASA-TLX appears to be a more sensitive indicator of training-induced performance changes.
• Soccer training prescription should consider revising the combination of intensity and duration, potentially using NASA-TLX for monitoring.