Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Training Load Distribution Across Weekly Microcycles According to the Match Schedule During the Regular Season in a
Matteo Fortunati1,2, Patrik Drid3, Renato Baptista4,5
1Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale Attività Motorie e Sportive (CRIAMS)-Sport Medicine Centre Voghera, University of Pavia, 27058 Voghera, Italy.
Elite rink hockey players reduce internal training load as match days approach, with the highest loads occurring in the pre-season. This strategy helps optimize microcycle planning for peak performance.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Team Sports Analytics
Background:
- Elite rink hockey (RH) performance relies on strategic training load management.
- Understanding internal training load (ITL) variations across different microcycle types is crucial for optimizing athlete preparation.
- This study investigates ITL differences in an elite RH team during pre-season, in-season regular, and in-season congested microcycles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify differences in internal training load (ITL) within and between microcycle types in elite rink hockey.
- To provide insights for optimizing microcycle scheduling and training periodization in rink hockey.
- To analyze the progression of ITL as match days (MDs) approach.
Main Methods:
- Monitored one international-level male RH team over 21 microcycles.
- Assessed ITL using session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) and time-based triphasic classification (low, medium, high-intensity training).
- Utilized generalized estimating equations and linear mixed models to analyze training day and seasonal phase differences.
Main Results:
- Significant day-to-day variations in ITL were observed within all microcycles (p < 0.001).
- Both subjective (sRPE) and objective (intensity zones) ITLs progressively decreased as MDs approached.
- The pre-season microcycles exhibited the highest overall ITL compared to in-season phases.
Conclusions:
- Elite RH teams progressively reduce ITL as MDs approach, scheduling higher loads earlier in microcycles.
- Pre-season training involves the highest ITLs, likely contributing to foundational conditioning.
- These findings offer valuable guidance for RH coaches in optimizing microcycle planning and periodization.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Distributed Loads
For example, consider a bookshelf filled with books stacked vertically adjacent to each other. The weight of the books is evenly distributed over the length of the shelf. As a result, the pressure at different locations on the surface of the...
Distributed Loads: Problem Solving
Resultant of a General Distributed Loading
Examples such as load distribution due to wind and load distribution on a bridge illustrate how this concept is used to analyze and design safe, reliable structures under variable loading conditions. Most structures, such as residential buildings, bridges, and towers, are...
Cable Subjected to a Distributed Load
Elastic Curve from the Load Distribution
For all beams, the analysis of the beam's reaction to distributed loads begins by understanding the relationship between a beam's load and the resulting shear forces and bending moments. Initially, this...
Relation Between the Distributed Load and Shear

