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Use of RPE-based training load in soccer

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Use of RPE-Based Training Load in Soccer
FRANCO M. IMPELLIZZERI1, ERMANNO RAMPININI1, AARON J. COUTTS2,
ALDO SASSI1, and SAMUELE M. MARCORA3
1
Human Performance Lab, S.S. MAPEI, Castellanza, Varese, ITALY; 2School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism, University of
Technology, Sydney, AUSTRALIA; and 3School of Sport, Health, and Exercise Sciences, University of Wales-Bangor,
UNITED KINGDOM

ABSTRACT
IMPELLIZZERI, F. M., E. RAMPININI, A. J. COUTTS, A. SASSI, and S. M. MARCORA. Use of RPE-Based Training Load in
Soccer. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 36, No. 6, pp. 1042–1047, 2004. Purpose: The ability to accurately control and monitor internal
training load is an important aspect of effective coaching. The aim of this study was to apply in soccer the RPE-based method proposed
by Foster et al. to quantify internal training load (session-RPE) and to assess its correlations with various methods used to determine
internal training load based on the HR response to exercise. Methods: Nineteen young soccer players (mean ⫾ SD: age 17.6 ⫾ 0.7
yr, weight 70.2 ⫾ 4.7 kg, height 178.5 ⫾ 4.8 cm, body fat 7.5 ⫾ 2.2%, V̇O2max, 57.1 ⫾ 4.0 mL·kg⫺1·min⫺1) were involved in the
study. All subjects performed an incremental treadmill test before and after the training period during which lactate threshold (1.5
mmol·L⫺1 above baseline) and OBLA (4.0 mmol·L⫺1) were determined. The training loads completed during the seven training weeks
were determined multiplying the session RPE (CR10-scale) by session duration in minutes. These session-RPE values were correlated
with training load measures obtained from three different HR-based methods suggested by Edwards, Banister, and Lucia, respectively.
Results: Individual internal loads of 479 training sessions were collected. All individual correlations between various HR-based
training load and session-RPE were statistically significant (from r ⫽ 0.50 to r ⫽ 0.85, P ⬍ 0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study
show that the session-RPE can be considered a good indicator of global internal load of soccer training. This method does not require
particular expensive equipment and can be very useful and practical for coaches and athletic trainer to monitor and control internal load,
and to design periodization strategies. Key Words: PERCEIVED EXERTION, HEART RATE, PHYSICAL TRAINING, TEAM
SPORTS

P
hysical training is the systematic repetition of physi-
cal exercises, and it can be described in terms of its
outcome (anatomical, physiological, biochemical,
and functional adaptations) or its process, that is, the train-
ing load (TL) (the product of volume and intensity of
training) (30). Although physical fitness tests are commonly
used to assess training outcome, the training process is often
described as the external load prescribed by coach (e.g., 4
⫻ 1000 m running at 4 min·km⫺1 or 8 ⫻ 30-m dash at
maximum velocity). However, the stimulus for training in-
duced adaptation is the relative physiological stress imposed
on the athletes (internal TL) and not the external TL (30).
Therefore, to monitor and control the training process, it is
important to have a valid measure of internal TL (16). This
is particularly relevant in team sports where the planned
external load is often similar for each team member because
of the extensive use of group exercises such as small-sided
games in team training sessions. For example, it was re-
Address for correspondence: Franco M. Impellizzeri, Human Performance
Lab, S. S. MAPEI srl, Via Don Minzoni, 34, 21053 Castellanza (VARE-
SE), Italy; E-mail: mapeisport@tin.it.
Submitted for publication August 2003.
Accepted for publication February 2004.
0195-9131/04/3606-1042
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE®
Copyright © 2004 by the American College of Sports Medicine
DOI: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000128199.23901.2F
1042
cently reported that soccer players with higher V̇O2max tend
to exercise at a lower percentage of V̇O2max during small-
game exercises (19). These previous results suggest that use
of group training exercises, such as small-sided games, may
not provide sufficient stimulus for physiological adaptation
in the fitter athletes within a team (19). In addition to fitness
level, other factors such as injury, illness, weather condi-
tions, match-scheduling problems, and athlete psychological
status can influence the internal TL. Consequently, when
combined, these factors suggest that monitoring and con-
trolling athletes’ internal TL is very important to ensure that
each athlete receives adequate training stimulus.
There have been several attempts to quantify TL in en-
durance sports (5,13–16,25). It is well known that HR dem-
onstrates an almost linear relationship with V̇O2 over a wide
range of steady-state submaximal exercise intensities (2).
This close relationship between HR and V̇O2 measures
makes HR monitoring suitable for quantifying exercise in-
tensity during most exercise sessions. Because HR seems to
be one of the best objective way to quantify aerobic training
intensity (1,17), many methods to quantify the internal TL
are based on HR monitoring (5,25). In sports like soccer,
HR is mainly used to determine the exercise intensity
(3,18,19). To our knowledge, there are no studies using HR
to monitor the overall internal TL of soccer sessions. How-
ever, it is common practice for some top professional soccer
teams to systematically monitor TL using HR methods.
Apart from few top level soccer teams, the routine use of
HR-based method is not always feasible due to problems
such as the required technical expertise, the time-consuming
process of collecting HR data of all team players every
training session, and the cost of numerous HR telemetric
systems. An additional problem with using HR methods for
quantification of internal TL in team sports such as soccer is
that HR transmitter belts are not permitted during official
competitive matches. This is an important limitation be-
cause the internal training load induced by a match may
represent a relative high percentage of the weekly training
load.
An alternative strategy to quantify internal TL was pro-
posed by Foster et al. (13–16). This simple method (session-
RPE) quantifies internal TL multiplying the whole training
session rating of perceived exertion (RPE) using the cate-
gory ratio scale (CR10-scale) (6) by its duration. This prod-
uct represents in a single number the magnitude of internal
TL in arbitrary units (AU). Previous research examining the
validity of this method of measuring internal TL has shown
session-RPE to be related to the percent of HR reserve
(HRR) during 30 min of steady-state running and to the time
spent at different intensities corresponding to HR at lactate
thresholds (2.5 and 4.0 mmol·L⫺1) during 30 min of con-
tinuous and interval running (16). Other research has also
shown the session-RPE to be significantly correlated to
HR-based method of quantifying internal TL proposed by
Edwards (12) in endurance athletes (13). The individual
correlations between the session-RPE and Edwards’ HR
method ranged from 0.75 to 0.90 (13). Although the session-
RPE method was initially proposed for monitoring internal
TL in endurance athletes, this method has recently been
applied to basketball (9,15), where training is characterized
by both aerobic and anaerobic exercises (4).
To date, there are no published studies validating this
practical, simple, and inexpensive method to quantify inter-
nal TL in team sports. Therefore, the aim of this study was
to verify whether the Fosters’ RPE-based approach can be
considered a good indicator of internal TL in soccer players,
using various HR-based methods as criteria.
METHODS
Subjects. Nineteen young soccer players (mean ⫾ SD:
age 17.6 ⫾ 0.7 yr, weight 70.2 ⫾ 4.7 kg, height 178.5 ⫾ 4.8
cm) from the same soccer club were involved in the study.
All participants were fully informed of the aims and the
procedures of the study receiving both verbal and written
explanation. All athletes gave a written consent according to
the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. This
study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the local
organization.
Laboratory test. Commonly used performance tests
were performed before and after 7 wk of training to evaluate
the subjects training progress. An incremental treadmill run
to exhaustion was completed using the protocol of Helgerud
et al. (18), where the treadmill running velocity was in-
creased by 1 km·h⫺1 every 5 min, at an inclination of 3%.
Once capillary blood lactate concentrations [La⫺] were el-
evated above 4 mmol·L⫺1, the treadmill speed was in-
MONITORING TRAINING LOAD IN SOCCER
creased 1 km·h⫺1 every 30 s until exhaustion. V̇O2max was
measured using a breath-by-breath automated gas analysis
system (VMAX29, SensorMedics, Yorba Linda, CA). Flow,
volume, and gas concentrations were calibrated before each
test using routine procedures. The highest HR measured
during the test was used as maximum reference value. At the
end of each step and 3 min after exhaustion, capillary blood
samples (25 ␮L) were collected from the ear lobe and
immediately analyzed using an electroenzymatic technique
(YSI 1500 Sport, Yellow Springs Instruments, Yellow
Springs, OH). Before each test the analyzer was calibrated
following the instructions of the manufacturer using stan-
dard lactate solutions of 0, 5, 15, and 30 mmol·L⫺1. The
following lactate thresholds were calculated from blood
[La⫺] measures taken during the incremental test:
1) Lactate threshold (LT), the intensity that elicited a 1.5
mmol·L⫺1 increase in [La⫺] above baseline values (50 –
60% of V̇O2max) (18).
2) Onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA), the
intensity corresponding to a fixed [La⫺] value of 4
mmol·L⫺1 (28).
Field data collection. Training data were collected
during the first 7 wk of the competitive season (from Sep-
tember to November). The training program was planned by
the coach of the team. The researchers did not alter the
original training program. Except for the second week of the
study, all players trained four times (Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday) and participated in an official match
each week (Saturday). In the second week, only three train-
ing sessions were completed. The heaviest aerobic training
was usually completed during the Monday sessions. During
the Tuesday sessions, the first 30 min of training were
generally dedicated to speed development consisting mainly
of sprint and plyometric training exercises. Running interval
training (4 ⫻ 1000 m) was completed only two times during
the 7 wk of the study. Most of the physical conditioning
training was performed using small group exercises. Small-
sided games with individual technical and tactical objectives
were also extensively performed.
HR was recorded every 5 s during each training session
using HR monitor with individually coded HR transmitters
to avoid interference (VantageNV, Polar Electro, Kempele,
Finland). The mean HR recorded during the briefing before
each training session was used as rest HR. To reduce HR
recording error during training, all athletes were regularly
asked to check that their HR monitors were functioning of
properly (at least every 10 min). The investigators were
immediately available to solve these problems such as er-
roneous HR values or technical/transmission problems. Af-
ter every training session, HR data were downloaded on a
portable PC using the specific software and subsequently
exported and analyzed using the Excel software program
(Microsoft Corporation, U.S.).
Internal training load indices determination. The
session-RPE was determined by multiply the training dura-
tion (minutes) by session RPE as described by Foster et al.
(16). Each athlete’s session-RPE was collected about 30 min
after each training session to ensure that the perceived effort
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 1043
TABLE 1. Borg’s CR10-scale modified by Foster et al. (16).
Rating Descriptor
0 Rest
1 Very, very easy
2 Easy
3 Moderate
4 Somewhat hard
5 Hard
6 similar approach was used by Foster et al. (16), who re-
7 Very hard
8
9
10 Maximal
was referred to the whole session rather than the most recent
exercise intensity. In this study, the Italian translation of the
CR10-scale modified by Foster et al. (16) was used. This
scale was modified in order to better reflect the American
idiomatic English (Table 1). It is unlikely that these minor
changes affect the reliability and the validity of the original
Borg’s CR10-scale. All athletes had been familiarized with
this scale for rating perceived exertion before the com-
mencement of the study.
Various HR-based TL were used as the criterion measure
of internal TL. The HR-based method proposed by Edwards
(12) was used by Foster et al. to validate the use of RPE-TL
to monitor endurance training (13). This HR-based method
was also used as criterion measure of TL in a study exam-
ining the session-RPE method during nonsteady state and
prolonged exercise (15). For these reasons, we calculate
Edwards’ TL from training sessions HR data recorded and
collected during the 7 wk of training. The Edwards’ method
determines internal load by measuring the product of the
accumulated training duration (minutes) of 5 HR zones by a
coefficient relative to each zone (50 – 60% of HRmax ⫽ 1,
60 –70% of HRmax ⫽ 2, 70 – 80% of HRmax ⫽ 3, 80 –90%
of HRmax ⫽ 4, 90 –100% of HRmax ⫽ 5) and then summat-
ing the results.
Another HR-based method of determining internal TL in
the present study was the training impulse (TRIMP), de-
scribed by Banister (5). Training impulse was determined
using the following formula:
TD䡠HRR䡠0.64䡠e1.92䡠HRR
in which TD is the effective training session duration ex-
pressed in min and HRR is determined with the following
equation:
关共 HRTS ⫺ HRB兲/(HRmax ⫺ HRB兲]
where HRTS is the average training session HR and HRB is
the HR measured at rest.
Recently, Lucia et al. (21) proposed another approach to
determine internal TL in endurance athletes (Lucia’s
TRIMP). TL is calculated using this method by multiplying
the time spent in three different HR zones (zone 1: below the
ventilatory threshold; zone 2: between the ventilatory
threshold and the respiratory compensation point; zone 3:
above the respiratory compensation point) by a coefficient
(k) relative to each zone (k ⫽ 1 for zone 1, k ⫽ 2 for zone
2, and k ⫽ 3 for zone 3) and then summating the results.
1044 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
This method is similar to that of Edwards (12). The main
difference between Edward’s and Lucia’s method is that the
HR zones defined by Lucia et al. (21) are based on indi-
vidual parameters obtained in laboratory, whereas Edward’s
method uses standardized predefined zones. In the present
study, LT were used instead of ventilatory thresholds. A
ported significant relationships between session-RPE and
relative time spent in three different zones defined by HR at
2.5 and 4 mmol·L⫺1 LT. For weeks 1– 4, the LT of the first
laboratory test was used, whereas for weeks 5–7, the tests
results performed at the end of the training period investi-
gated were taken as reference.
Statistical analysis. The relationships between ses-
sion-RPE and the various HR-based TL were analyzed
using Pearson’s product moment correlation. Mean weekly
session-RPE was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA, fol-
lowed by Scheffé’s post hoc test. Statistical significance was
set at P ⬍ 0.05. For the statistical analysis, the software
package STATISTICA (Version 6.0, StatSoft, Tulsa, OK)
was used.
RESULTS
Maximum oxygen uptake of this group of young soccer
players was not statistically different before and after 7 wk
of training (56.8 ⫾ 3.9 mL·kg⫺1·min⫺1 vs 57.1 ⫾ 4.0
mL·kg⫺1·min⫺1). Similarly, HRmax (187.6 ⫾ 6.7
beats·min⫺1 vs 189.6 ⫾ 5.7 beats·min⫺1) and maximal
aerobic speed reached in the treadmill incremental test (16.7
⫾ 1.1 km·h⫺1 vs 17.0 ⫾ 1.1 km·h⫺1) were unchanged after
training. The HR at LT in the first and second laboratory
tests was 162.0 ⫾ 11.9 beats·min⫺1 and 163 ⫾ 7.9
beats·min⫺1, corresponding to 85.5 ⫾ 5.3 and 86.9 ⫾ 3.8%
of HRmax, respectively. The HR at OBLA in the first and
second laboratory test was 171.5 ⫾ 8.3 beats·min⫺1 and
171.2 ⫾ 7.1 beats·min⫺1, corresponding to 90.5 ⫾ 3.4 and
91.3 ⫾ 3.4% of HRmax, respectively. These absolute and
relative HR were not significantly different between the two
testing sessions.
The various HR-based TL and session-RPE were col-
[1] lected from 476 training sessions. Individual correlations
were determined on a minimum of 17 to a maximum of 27
training sessions data. Correlations between session-RPE
and HR-based TL were all significant (P ⬍ 0.01 to P ⬍
0.001). Individual correlations are presented in Table 2.
[2]
Figure 1 shows that session-RPE and Edwards’ TL de-
scribed similarly the team TL during the 7 wk of training,
confirmed also by the significant correlation between team
session-RPE and team Edwards’ TL (Fig. 2).
The mean weekly internal TL (weekly periodization)
described using session-RPE is shown in Figure 3. The
mean session-RPE of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday were 634 ⫾ 116 AU, 550 ⫾ 67 AU, 453 ⫾ 83
AU, and 343 ⫾ 65 AU, respectively (N ⫽ 19). For descrip-
tive purposes and to obtain a more representative value of
match RPE (625 ⫾ 60 AU), only data of players that played
more than 80 min were used (N ⫽ 12). Peak internal TL was
http://www.acsm-msse.org
TABLE 2. Individual correlations between Foster’s RPE-based training load (session-
RPE) and various HR-based training loads; all individual correlations were
statistically significant (P ⬍ 0.01).
Banister’s Edwards’ Lucia’s
Subjects TRIMP TL TRIMP
S1 0.52 0.61 0.63
S2 0.68 0.55 0.68
S3 0.67 0.54 0.67
S4 0.51 0.68 0.61
S5 0.50 0.62 0.67
S6 0.64 0.59 0.69
S7 0.52 0.55 0.71
S8 0.62 0.67 0.77
S9 0.56 0.60 0.69
S10 0.59 0.74 0.68
S11 0.56 0.57 0.65
S12 0.54 0.54 0.73
S13 0.60 0.67 0.67
S14 0.64 0.73 0.63
S15 0.67 0.70 0.79
S16 0.60 0.78 0.70
S17 0.58 0.62 0.68
S18 0.57 0.62 0.75
FIGURE 2—Correlation between mean team RPE-based training load
S19 0.77 0.64 0.85 (session-RPE) and HR-based training load suggested by Edwards (12)
(Edwards’ TL) of the 27 training sessions (r ⴝ 0.71, P < 0.001).
Min 0.50 0.54 0.61
Max 0.77 0.78 0.85
creased anaerobic contribution to energy provision during
soccer training. The increased anaerobic contribution may
reached the first day of the training week (after a day of total account for the increased internal TL through increased
recovery) (Fig. 1). Further analysis of the individual training RPE. Previous research supporting this suggestion has dem-
weeks within this study showed that there was some vari- onstrated increased subject RPE during intermittent proto-
ability in the placement of peak internal TL sessions within cols in comparison with a steady-state exercise session
the week. For example, during week 2 and 7 peak daily matched for total work, despite no differences in V̇O2 and
sessions were completed on the second day of training. HR between the two exercise protocols (11). These inves-
However, most of the sessions with higher internal TL were tigators also suggested that the increased RPE during the
completed at least 3 d before match. This was deliberately intermittent work protocol may be due to the increased
planned by the coach to allow for adequate recovery before contribution of anaerobic mechanisms to energy provision
competitive matches. (11,27). Because soccer training can be characterized by
intermittent exercises relying on both aerobic and anaerobic
DISCUSSION sources for energy provision (3), the different perceived
exertion with similar mean HR may explain the reduced
The present study is the first to apply the Foster’s RPE- strength of the correlations between the session-RPE and
based approach (16) to quantify internal TL in soccer, and HR-based TL in comparison to those reported by previous
to demonstrate significant correlations between this method research on endurance athletes (13).
and other published methods based on the HR response to As RPE represents the athlete’s own perception of train-
exercise. These correlations (ranging from 0.50 to 0.85) ing stress, which can include both physical and psycholog-
were slightly lower than those reported by previous inves- ical stress, the session-RPE method may provide a valuable
tigators (r ⫽ 0.75– 0.90) (13). A possible explanation for the
lower correlations in the present study could be the in-

FIGURE 1—Pattern of RPE-based training load (session-RPE) and FIGURE 3—Weekly periodization determined using mean weekly
HR-based training load suggested by Edwards (12) (Edwards’ TL) RPE-based training load (session-RPE) during the 7 wk of soccer
referred to the whole team (N ⴝ 19) during the 7 wk of training (27 training (N ⴝ 19); AU, arbitrary unit; * P < 0.05; *** P < 0.001; † P
training days without matches); AU, arbitrary unit. < 0.05; ‡ P < 0.001: statistically different from Saturday (MATCH).

MONITORING TRAINING LOAD IN SOCCER Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 1045
measure of internal TL. Borg’s CR10 is considered a global
indicators of exercise intensity including physiological (ox-
ygen uptake, HR, ventilation, beta endorphin, circulating
glucose concentration, and glycogen depletion) and psycho-
logical factors (23). As a consequence, RPE-based quanti-
fication of TL could be considered an accurate indicator of
global internal TL. Research has shown that the combina-
tion of HR and [La⫺] predicts RPE more accurately than
either variable taken alone (7). This previous research sug-
gests that RPE may be a more reliable measure of exercise
intensity when both anaerobic and aerobic systems are ap-
preciably activated, such as is the case during intermittent
activities like soccer training and match play (3). Hence,
these findings emphasize the usefulness of RPE to monitor
exercise intensity due to its psychobiological nature (8).
Although RPE has been shown to accurately reflect ex-
ercise intensity, it is possible that players could perceive the
same physiological stimulus differently as a consequence of
their individual psychological state (24). Researchers inves-
tigating overreaching and overtraining support this sugges-
tion, as RPE has been reported to increase during a stan-
dardized exercise test when athletes are in an increased
fatigue state (29). Furthermore, during overreaching, RPE
for a given HR was reported to increase (22), suggesting that
RPE could be more sensitive to accumulated fatigue than
HR. This characteristic of RPE may have partially deter-
mined the moderate correlations between HR-based TL and
session-RPE found in some subjects of this investigation.
Consequently, the use of RPE to monitor exercise intensity
could be considered a valuable tool to detect excessive
training-related fatigue in athletes and also potentially via-
ble in monitoring responses to training and preventing over-
training (20,29).
Quantification of internal TL is also necessary to analyze
the periodization of training (26). In team sports, appropri-
ate periodization of internal TL during the training week is
important to ensure adequate physiological stimulus is pro-
vided while allowing adequate time for recovery before
competition days. Commonly, heavy training sessions are
not imposed to players in the days immediately before or
after competition matches, in order to avoid excessive phys-
ical strain that could impair recovery and reduce perfor-
mance (10). This general approach to the weekly training
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