This research was conducted by the following professionals:- Fábio Nakamura: Researcher at CIDESD and FSI Lab of the Football Science Institute.
- Ricardo Pimenta: Researcher at CIDESD, Head of Sports Science and Performance at Futebol Clube de Famalicão Academy, and FSI Lab of the Football Science Institute.
- Hugo Antunes: Strength and Conditioning Coach at Futebol Clube de Famalicão.
- João Ribeiro: Researcher at CIDESD and member of the Performance Optimization Department at Sporting Clube de Braga.
This work was developed by FSI Lab, the research, development, and outreach branch of the Football Science Institute.
The problematic applicability
Erroneous interpretations of external load on athletes can lead to inadequate training, either due to excessive or insufficient stimulation. Normalizing the speed thresholds allows for adjusting the workload according to each player’s individual capacities, better reflecting the actual physiological impact.
The use of fixed thresholds, such as 19.8 km/h, does not account for individual differences, which could affect the accuracy of performance monitoring. An approach based on normalization, using the second ventilatory threshold (VT2), can provide a more accurate estimate of a player’s effort. However, further research is still needed to validate this approach against absolute thresholds.
Threshold validation and the use of critical speed (CS)
Field-based Threshold Establishment Issues: In soccer, it is not possible to conduct standard field tests that accurately measure the onset of high-speed running, which presents challenges in establishing universal thresholds for all players.
Relationship between CS and Player Capacity: Critical speed is closely related to each player’s ability to maintain high speeds and could be a suitable physiological cutoff point for establishing HSR thresholds based on individual capacities.
Kinematic and mechanical domain
Running speed in soccer directly impacts kinematic and neuromuscular patterns, influencing performance and fatigue.
- Increase in Running Speed: As speed increases, the running pattern evolves, reflecting significant kinematic differences. It is suggested that high-speed running (HSR) can be more accurately described with speeds close to 75% of the player’s maximum speed.
- High-Speed Running (HSR) Intensity in Matches: HSR represents between 7% and 11% of the total distance covered in a soccer match, and most of the distance covered is associated with lower-intensity movements such as running, jogging, or walking.
- Neuromuscular and Mechanical Implications: As speed increases, the muscles, particularly the hamstrings, experience greater tension and negative work. Neuromuscular activation peaks at 90% of maximum speed, which has significant implications for performance and fatigue.
Practical application: refining speed thresholds in soccer
Current protocols for setting speed thresholds in soccer do not adequately reflect the repeated accelerations and intermittent demands of the sport. Indeed, arbitrary thresholds like 19.8 km/h do not adequately capture the cardiometabolic component at lower speeds or the actual workload at higher speeds, which can lead to misinterpretations and affect fatigue monitoring and injury risk.
The use of CS as the lower threshold and a second threshold between 75% and 90% of maximum speed can help better identify HSR intensities. However, further experimental research is needed to improve the interpretation of training loads in players, especially the validation and application of the 75% of maximal speed threshold, given that CS and hamstring neuromuscular activation appear to be important factors to consider in training load management.
FSI Lab and its Scientific Commitment
This work represents another step in FSI Lab’s commitment to applied sports research. Led by distinguished professionals like the authors of this study, we reaffirm our mission to generate knowledge that drives sporting excellence.
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