ELITE FEMALE SOCCER PLAYERS PERFORM MORE
HIGH-INTENSITY RUNNING WHEN PLAYING IN
INTERNATIONAL GAMES COMPARED WITH
DOMESTIC LEAGUE GAMES
HELENA Å. ANDERSSON,1 MORTEN B. RANDERS,2 ANJA HEINER-MØLLER,2 PETER KRUSTRUP,2
2
AND MAGNI MOHR
Downloaded from http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr by BhDMf5ePHKav1zEoum1tQfN4a+kJLhEZgbsIHo4XMi0hCywCX1AWnYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC1y0abggQZXdtwnfKZBYtws= on 07/27/2021
1
School of Health and Medical Sciences, O¨rebro University, O¨rebro, Sweden; and 2Department of Exercise and
Sport Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
ABSTRACT
Andersson, HÅ, Randers, MB, Heiner-Møller, A, Krustrup, P,
and Mohr, M. Elite female soccer players perform more high-
intensity running when playing in international games compared
with domestic league games. J Strength Cond Res 24(4):
912–919, 2010—The purpose of this study was to compare
movement pattern, fatigue development, and heart rate (HR) for
top-class elite female players when playing international (INT)
vs. domestic league games (DOM). Video-based time-motion
analyses and HR recordings were performed on 17 players
during INT and DOM. The distances covered in high-intensity
running (HIR) and sprinting were longer (p , 0.05) in INT
compared with DOM. More (p , 0.05) HIR was covered in INT
than DOM during first and second half. Additionally, more (p ,
0.05) sprinting occurred in INT compared with DOM in the first
half. In both game types, the amount of HIR was reduced by
24–27% (p , 0.05) in the last 15-minute period compared with
the first four 15-minute periods of the game. The midfielders
covered longer (p , 0.05) distances with HIR in INT than in
DOM over the entire game and in the most intense 5-minute
period of the games, whereas no differences were observed
between the game types for defenders. No difference in the HR
response was found between INT and DOM. In conclusion,
The project was funded by the Swedish Football Association, by the
Swedish Olympic Committee, and by Team Denmark.
The research was conducted at the School of Health and Medicine
Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden, and Department of Exercise
and Sport Sciences, Section of Human Physiology, University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement of the
product by the authors or the National Strength and Conditioning
Association.
Address correspondence to Helena Andersson, helena.andersson@oru.se.
24(4)/912–919
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Ó 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association
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912 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
more HIR and sprinting occur in international compared with
domestic games, which may affect the fatigue development for
players in physically demanding roles. Thus, our results are
important to coaches to prepare players to meet the challenges
of international soccer games and show that the ability to
perform intense intermittent exercise should be trained regularly
in elite female players.
KEY WORDS match analysis, intermittent exercise, standard of
play, fatigue
INTRODUCTION
T
he use of time-motion analysis to evaluate the
movement pattern and physical aspects of soccer
games have extensively been reported in elite male
players (4,5,15,18,20) and have recently received
more attention in elite female players (6,9,13,14). It has been
reported that a higher workload is performed by players at
higher competition level games compared with players at
moderate levels in both male and female players (6,14,15).
In the study by Mohr et al. (15), we compared the work
performed during games in top-class vs. high-level female
players. We observed that the top-class players covered more
distance at high intensities compared with the high-level
players, which could partly be explained by a superior fitness
level in the top-class players (15). In addition to the fitness
level, it has also been shown that the opponent has an impact
on exercise intensity and the fatigue development during
games (19). Thus, by investigating whether international
soccer games are more physically demanding than domestic
league games for the same elite female players, within a short
time period so that the physical fitness level is the same, we
are able to observe the influence of the game level on
movement pattern more precisely.
It has been shown that elite players of both genders fatigue
temporarily during a game and toward the end of a game
(11,12,15,16,18,20). If the workload is higher during an

international compared with a domestic league game, this is
likely to affect the fatigue patterns during the international
game. Rampinini et al. (19) demonstrated that high exercise
intensity in the first half has a negative impact on the intensity
in the second half. The ability to sustain high exercise
intensity toward the end of an international game is impor-
tant for the game outcome because most goals are usually
scored during this game interval (21). However, no study has
yet compared the fatigue development in domestic vs.
international games for the same players. For the national
team coaches, and for the players, it would be valuable in-
formation to know possible differences in physical demands
in an international game in comparison to a domestic league
game.
To our knowledge, only one attempt has previously been
carried out to clarify if the exercise intensity differs between
levels of games for the same players (6). The movement
pattern in small-sided games was compared with domestic
friendly games and international games in Australian female
players (6). However, some of the domestic league games
were friendly games and were played vs. youth male players,
which is likely to effect the intensity of the game. Also, it is
unclear to what degree the same player was compared in
each of the game types, as they state ‘‘if one player was
unavailable for filming, a player from the same position was
filmed’’ (6). Because there are large individual variations in
exercise intensity between players even in the same playing
position (16), this is likely to have affected their findings.
Thus, there is need for more information regarding the
physical demands in international compared with domestic
games played by the same player.
Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the exercise
intensity and fatigue development in elite female players
during international compared with domestic league games.
To examine this, we analyzed the movement pattern and
heart rate (HR) response for the same elite female player
during competitive international and domestic league games.
Additionally, we aimed to compare the exercise intensity
between different playing positions during the games.
METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem
To study exercise intensity and the fatigue development
during international games and domestic league games, we
performed video-based time-motion analyses for the same
players in 1–3 international games and 1–3 domestic league
games. In addition, we compared the HR response between
international and domestic league games by continuous HR
recordings throughout each of the games.
Subjects
Seventeen top-class female women soccer players from the
national team in Sweden and Denmark were included in the
study (9 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 3 forwards). Their age,
height, weight, and mean peak HR were 27 6 1 years, 168.2 6
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1.5 cm, 61.0 6 1.4 kg, and 191 6 2 b
min21, respectively. For
inclusion in the study, the players had to be part of their
respective countries’ national team for a minimum of 5 years
and were all players regularly starting the games (i.e., not
substitutes). The players all played in a top club team in the
Swedish or Danish highest division and were therefore
eligible to participate in the UEFA Women’s Cup tourna-
ment. The players were informed of the experimental
procedures and possible discomforts associated with the
study before given their written informed consent
to participate. The study was conducted according to the
Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics
Committee of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
Study Design and Procedure
The study was designed to compare the exercise intensity
and fatigue development during domestic league (DOM) vs.
international (INT) games. The exercise intensity was mea-
sured by using time-motion analysis of locomotor activities
and measurement of the players’ HR during the games. The
fatigue development was determined using a method pre-
viously described by Mohr et al. (16), where the time-motion
analysis is divided into smaller time fractions during the
game, such as 15- and 5-minute periods. For the time-motion
analysis, each player was observed individually by video
filming in up to 3 domestic league games and 3 international
games. All games were competitive, and the game’s outcome
was important to the respective team. The international
games were either games with the respective player’s
national team or UEFA Women’s cup games with the
players’ club team, not both. The domestic games were
games with the respective players’ club team played against
teams in the national leagues. Importantly, the players played
in the same position on the field during both DOM and INT
(9 defenders, 5 central midfielders, and 3 forwards). In total,
54 games have been included in the analyses. Each player has
been analyzed in 1–3 INT and DOM games (10 players in 1
game and 7 players in 2–3 games for each game type). The
INT and DOM games were filmed with less than a month
apart for each player so that the physical fitness level was the
same. For players filmed in more than 1 game, an average
value for the games has been calculated and used in the
analyses. All players were elite athletes with high training
status, and the games were played during the season when
the players are physically well prepared for games. The
players followed their respective teams’ preparations for
nutrition and fluid. Thus, we did not interfere or alter the
players’ normal game preparations.
Each player was individually filmed during the entire games
using a digital camera (Canon DM-MV 600, Canon Inc.,
Tokyo, Japan). The camera was positioned at the side of the
pitch at the level of the midfield line, at a height of about 15 m,
and at a distance of 30–40 m from the touchline. The
videotapes were later replayed on a monitor for computerized
coding of the activity pattern. The following locomotor
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Movement Pattern in Elite Female Soccer

TABLE 1. Total distance, total running distance, high-intensity running and sprint distance during first and second half and
total games during international and domestic games.*

International Domestic

First half Second half Total game First half Second half Total game

Total distance (km) 5.0 6 0.9 4.9 6 1.0 9.9 6 1.8 4.9 6 0.8 4.8 6 0.8 9.7 6 1.4
Total running distance (km) 3.0 6 0.1 2.9 6 0.1 5.9 6 0.1 2.9 6 0.1 2.8 6 0.1 5.8 6 0.1
Backwards running (km) 0.31 6 0.04 0.29 6 0.04 0.60 6 0.07 0.34 6 0.05 0.27 6 0.04 0.61 6 0.08
High-intensity running (km) 0.82 6 0.05† 0.72 6 0.05†‡ 1.53 6 0.1† 0.71 6 0.05 0.62 6 0.04‡ 1.33 6 0.9
Sprint distance (m) 136 6 3† 120 6 3 256 6 57† 114 6 2 107 6 2 221 6 45

*Values are mean 6 SE for 17 players.

†Significantly higher compared with domestic games (p , 0.05).
‡Significantly lower than first half (p , 0.05).

categories were used: standing (0 km per hour), walking (6 km
per hour), jogging (8 km per hour), low-speed running (12 km
per hour), moderate-speed running (15 km per hour), high-
speed running (18 km per hour), sprinting (25 km per hour),
and backward running (10 km per hour). The locomotor
categories were chosen in accordance with Krustrup et al. (9)
and Mohr et al. (15). The above activities were later divided
into 4 locomotor categories: (a) standing; (b) walking; (c) low-
intensity running, encompassing jogging, low-speed running,
and backward running; and (d) HIR, consisting of moderate-
speed running, high-speed running, and sprinting. The
frequency and duration of each activity were recorded in 5-
minute periods throughout the game. The distance covered
for each activity within each interval was determined as the
product of the total time and mean speed for that activity. The
total distance covered during a game was calculated as the sum
of the distances covered during each type of activity. In the
study by Krustrup and Bangsbo (7), it was observed that the
coefficient of variation for test-retest analysis was 1, 2, 5, 3, and
3%, respectively, for total distance covered, walking, low-
intensity running, HIR, and backward running. The intra-
individual variations in walking, low-intensity, high-intensity,
running, and backward running were 2, 5, 3, and 3%,
respectively. All game recordings included in the present
study were analyzed by 2 experienced observers. Each player
was analyzed by the same observer in the domestic and
international games. The data are presented for 5-, 15-, 45-,
and 90-minute periods.
To compare the HR between the game types, 15 players
worn a HR monitor (Team system; Polar Electro OY, Kempele,
Finland) during the games. Data were collected continuously
every 5 seconds during the games and analyzed using Polar
Precision Performance 4.0 Program. The players’ peak HR was
established performing the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test
level 2 or the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 2 (3,10) on
an indoor surface.

Statistical Analysis
Descriptive statistics are repre-
sented as mean 6 SD. The
movement analysis data and
HR data are represented as
mean 6 SE. Tests of normal
distribution (Shapiro-Wilk’s test)
were conducted on all data before
analysis, and data were normally
distributed (p $ 0.05). Differences
between the international and
domestic games and differences
between the first and second
halves were tested by using
a Student’s paired t-test. Dif-
ferences between the 5- and
Figure 1. High-intensity running (HIR) distance in 15-minute periods throughout the game for 17 elite female
players. *Significantly (p , 0.05) lower compared with the periods 0–60 minutes of the international game. 15-minute periods within a game
§Significantly (p , 0.05) lower compared with the periods 0–45 minutes of the domestic game. type and between game types
were analyzed using a 2-way
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Figure 2. Sprinting distance in 15-minute periods throughout the game for 17 elite female players. *Significantly
(p , 0.05) higher compared with the domestic game.
analysis of variance with repeated measures (game type 3
time). Where applicable, Tukey’s Post Hoc test was used to
identify specific differences within the data. Statistical power
calculations were also performed in each analysis. p values
below 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
RESULTS
Number of Game Activities
The mean duration of the games was similar between the game
types (93.1 6 0.5 minutes INT vs. 92.2 6 0.3 minutes DOM).
The number of game activities was also similar between game
types (1,641 6 41 INT vs. 1,593 6 30 DOM). The number of
high-intensity runs was significantly (p , 0.05) higher in INT
compared with DOM (187 6 15 vs. 168 6 12), whereas no
difference was found for the number of sprints (23 6 2 vs. 20 6
2, NS). In INT, the players spend 20.9 6 1.0% of the total game
time standing, 42.8 6 1.4% walking, 30.6 6 1.5% running at
low intensities, and 3.9 6 0.5% backward running, which did
not differ significantly from DOM. However, the players
spend longer relative time sprinting (0.65 6 0.06 vs. 0.54 6
0.05%, p , 0.05) in INT compared with DOM. When
comparing the 2 halves within INT, the players spent more
relative time (p , 0.05) at both low and high intensities during
the first compared with the second half (31.3 6 1.5% vs. 29.9 6
1.5% for low intensity, 6.3 6 0.5% vs. 5.5 6 0.5% for high
intensity) but no differences were found in sprinting between
the halves (0.7 6 0.1% vs. 0.6 6 0.1%). Similar differences were
observed within DOM when comparing the 2 halves: low-
intensity running (32.9 6 1.6% vs. 30.5 6 1.8%), HIR (6.4 6
0.7% vs. 5.2 6 0.5%) (p , 0.05), and sprinting (0.56 6 0.07% vs.
0.51 6 0.04%, NS). The statistical power of the tests above
ranged from 55 to 87%.
Distances Covered
The total distance covered, the total running distance (total
distance covered except walking), and the distance in
backwards running did not differ between the game types
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(Table 1). The distance covered
in HIR was ;13% higher (p ,
0.05) in INT compared with
DOM (Table 1). Also, more
HIR distance was observed in
INT compared with DOM
during both first and second
half (Table 1). The total sprint
distance was ;14% higher (p ,
0.05) in INT compared with
DOM, and the difference was
due to more sprinting in INT
during the first half (Table 1).
When comparing the 2 halves
within INT, total distance cov-
ered during the first half was
longer (p , 0.05) than the
second half, whereas no differ-
ence was found between the halves within DOM (Table 1).
The players covered longer distance (p , 0.05) in HIR during
the first compared with the second half within both game
types (Table 1), whereas no difference was found in sprinting
distance (Table 1). The statistical power for total distance and
HIR ranged from 68 to 96%, whereas the statistical power for
sprinting distances was 37 to 38%.
Game Activity Changes Within the Games
When analyzing the games into shorter periods, we
observed that more (p , 0.05) HIR was performed in the
first four 15-minute periods (i.e., first 60 minutes) of INT
compared with DOM (0.27 6 0.02 km vs. 0.23 6 0.02 km)
(Figure 1). In INT, the HIR in the final 15-minute period of
the game (0.20 6 0.02 km) was lowered (p , 0.05) by 27%
compared with the first 60-minute period (0.27 6 0.02 km).
In DOM, the HIR in the last 15-minute period of the game
(0.18 6 0.02 km) was lowered (p , 0.05) by 24% compared
with the mean values for the first 45 minutes of the game
(0.23 6 0.02 km) (Figure 1). Nevertheless, the relative
decline in HIR between the first and last 15-minute periods
of the game was ;24% both for INT and DOM (61 6 23
and 56 6 18 m, respectively; NS). When comparing the
sprint distance between INT and DOM, more (p , 0.05)
sprint distance was performed in 0–60 minutes of INT
compared with DOM. When analyzing the sprint distance
into 15-minute periods within INT, more sprint distances
were observed in 15–30 minutes compared with all other
15-minute periods of the game. No differences were found
within DOM for sprint distance (Figure 2). The statistical
power of the tests above ranged from 63 to 99% for HIR and
39 to 40% for sprint.
The peak 5-minute HIR was 151 6 7 m in INT and 134 6
6 m in DOM (;13%, NS, p = 0.06). In the following 5-minute
period, the amount of HIR was 79 6 11 and 67 6 8 m,
respectively (NS). Furthermore, the HIR in the peak distance
in INT (151 67 m) was 52% higher than the average distance
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Movement Pattern in Elite Female Soccer

TABLE 2. Total distance, total running distance, and sprint distance for different playing positions in total games during
international and domestic games.*†

International Domestic

Defenders Midfielders Forwards Defenders Midfielders Forwards

(n = 9) (n = 5) (n = 3) (n = 9) (n = 5) (n = 3)

Total distance (km) 9.5 6 0.9 10.6 6 0.3ठ9.8 6 0.2 9.5 6 0.1 10.1 6 0.3 9.5 6 0.5
Total running distance (km) 5.5 6 0.2 6.9 6 0.5 5.2 6 0.2 5.7 6 0.3 6.3 6 0.5 5.1 6 0.4
Sprint distance (m) 221 6 32 316 6 51‡ 262 6 46 230 6 33 221 6 39 191 6 42

*The forwards are not included in the statistical analysis.

†Values are mean 6 SE.
‡Significantly higher compared with domestic games (p , 0.05).
§Significantly higher than defenders (p , 0.05).

covered during all 5-minute intervals not including the peak the peak distance (10 6 2 m). The statistical power of the
distance (73 6 35 m). In DOM, the peak distance was 53% 5-minute period between game types ranged from 28 to 57%.
higher (134 6 6 m) than the average distance covered during
all 5-minute intervals not including the peak distance (63 6 Playing Position
31 m) in DOM. Due to low number of subjects, the forwards (n = 3) are not
For sprint distance in 5-minute periods of the game, we included in the statistical calculations between playing
observed that the sprint distance was 28% higher (p , 0.05) in positions. Therefore, the comparison between and within
the period 15–20 minutes of INT compared with DOM. playing position includes the midfielders (n = 5) and defenders
Additionally, the peak 5-minute sprint distance was also (n = 9). When comparing player positions between the game
significantly longer (p , 0.05) in INT compared with DOM types, the midfielders covered longer (p , 0.05) total distance
(43 6 3 m vs. 35 6 3 m) (;20%). In the following 5-minute (Table 2) and HIR (Figure 3) in INT compared with DOM.
period, the amount of sprinting was similar in both INT and For the defenders, no significant difference was found between
DOM (13 6 3 m). Furthermore, the sprint peak distance in the 2 game types (Table 2 and Figure 3). When comparing
INT was 4-fold higher than during all 5-minute intervals not sprint distance and players’ position between the game types,
including the peak distance (11 6 2 m). In DOM, the peak the midfielders sprinted significantly longer in INT compared
distance was more than 3-fold higher than the average with DOM (Table 2). This corresponds to 43% more (p ,
distance covered during all 5-minute intervals not including 0.05) sprinting distance for midfielders in INT vs. DOM. When
comparing playing positions
within each game type, we
observed that the midfielders
covered more total distance
(Table 2) and HIR (1.9 6 0.2
km vs. 1.3 6 0.1 km; Figure 3)
than the defenders in INT. In
DOM, no significant differences
were found between positions.
When comparing the 2 halves
within each game type, the
midfielders ran significantly
more in total distance, but not
HIR or sprinting, in the first half
compared with the second half
(5.4 6 0.1 km vs. 5.2 6 0.1 km)
in INT. For the sprint distance
Figure 3. Distance in high-intensity running (HIR) for the different playing positions (defenders n = 9, midfielders
n = 5, forwards n = 3). *Significantly (p , 0.05) higher compared with domestic games. #Significantly higher within each game type for play-
(p , 0.05) compared with defenders in the international game. ing positions, no differences
were observed (Table 2). The
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TABLE 3. Mean heart rate in beats per minute and percentage of HRpeak during first and second half and total games
during international and domestic games.*

International Domestic

First half Second half Total game First half Second half Total game

Heart rate (b
min21) 164 6 6 162 6 7 162 6 6 164 6 6 159 6 5 163 6 5

Heart rate (percentage of HRpeak) 86 6 3 85 6 4 85 6 3 86 6 4 84 6 3 85 6 3

*Values are mean 6 SE for 15 players.

statistical power of the difference between positions for total
distance and HIR was 72–87% and for sprint it was 28–36%.
Number of Sprints and High-Intensity Runs During Games
The midfielders made on average 34% more sprints in INT vs.
DOM (27 6 4 vs. 20 6 3, p , 0.05) and 24% more high-
intensity runs (239 6 30 vs. 193 6 21, p , 0.05), whereas no
differences were observed between game types for defenders,
as they performed a similar number of sprints (21 6 3 vs.
19 6 3) and high-intensity runs (149 6 15 vs. 151 6 14) in
INT vs. DOM. The statistical power for number of high-
intensity runs and sprints was 50%.
Although not tested statistically, due to a low number of
subjects, it may be of interest to report that the forwards
performed on average 25 6 5 maximal sprints and 208 6 29
high-intensity runs in INT and 18 6 3 sprints and 180 6 31
high-intensity runs in DOM. This corresponds to a differ-
ence of 37% for number of sprints and 16% for number of
high-intensity runs for the forwards between the game
types.
Heart Rate During the Game
The peak HR was 187 6 2 b
min21 (97 6 3% HRpeak) in INT
and 185 6 2 b
min21 (97 6 2% HRpeak) in DOM (NS).
Furthermore, the average HR in the whole game, between
halves (Table 3) or in 15-minute periods of the game, did not
differ between game types. When comparing HR within INT,
the HR was higher (p , 0.05) in period 15–30 minutes (167 6
9 b
min21) compared with the first 15 minutes of the game
(162 6 7 b
min21), periods 45–60 minutes (158 6 8 b
min21),
and 75–90 minutes (162 6 9 b
min21) of the game. Within
DOM, the HR in the period 15–30 minutes was significantly
higher (163 6 10 b
min21) than the period 45–60 minutes
(158 6 8 b
min21) of the game. When analyzing the HR into
5-minute intervals, the first 5-minute periods of both halves in
INT were significantly lower compared with the remaining 5-
minute periods of the game. In DOM, the first 5-minute
periods of both halves were lower to all the 5-minute periods
in the first half but not in the second half. No significant
differences were found in the 5-minute periods between
the INT vs. DOM game. The statistical power for average
HR and peak HR was 50% and
for each 15- and 5-minute
period was 26–51%.

DISCUSSION
This study aimed to compare
the exercise intensity and fatigue
development for the same elite
female players in 2 game types:
international and domestic
league soccer games. The main
findings are that (a) the same
players, mainly the midfielders,
covered longer distances at
high intensities and sprinted fur-
ther in the international games
compared with domestic league
Figure 4. High-intensity running (HIR) distance in 15-minute periods throughout the international games for games, (b) the players’ fatigue
4 individual players. pattern during the games did
not significantly differ between

VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 4 | APRIL 2010 | 917

Movement Pattern in Elite Female Soccer
game types, and (c) mean and peak HR did not differ
between game types. The difference in HIR distance observed
between the game types was due to more frequent, not longer
duration of, high-intensity activities in the international
games. Furthermore, more sprinting occurred in the inter-
national compared with domestic games. This indicates
more high-intensity work performed in the international
games. This is similar to what has been shown in high-level
female players in international compared with friendly games
and small-sided training (6). It is also in agreement with
studies showing that the work performed during a game is
higher for players in higher competitions levels compared
with players in lower competition levels (15,16). The novel
finding of this study is that the same player, with the same
fitness level, performed different amount of HIR in 2 different
game types. More specifically, the difference in HIR between
game types occurred in the first 60 minutes of the game,
while the players performed similar amount of work at
the end of both game types. Moreover, we observed that
the higher work performed during international games
was contributed mostly by the midfielders. The midfielders
performed on average 7 more sprints and 46 more high-
speed runs in the international compared with the domestic
games. This shows that the midfield players were able to
perform more runs in the international game and indicates
that the midfielder’s physical fitness allows them to work at
a higher level than what they do in the domestic games.
Unexpectedly, even though the players covered more HIR in
the first 60 minutes of the international game, no significant
difference was observed between the game types in the
reduction of HIR in the last 15 minutes of the game.
Reduction of HIR toward the end of games has been
previously shown in studies on male (11,16,17) and female
(9,12,15) players and indicates fatigue. However, as shown in
Figure 1, the gradient of decline in HIR during the last 30
minutes of the games seems steeper in the international
games compared with the domestic games. This may imply
that the fatigue development was in fact larger toward the
end of the international compared with the domestic league
game. Our observations suggest that the players’ fatigue
resistance is likely challenged to a higher level in in-
ternational compared with domestic games. Alternatively, it
could be speculated that the reason for the reduction in HIR
toward the end of the games may differ between the game
types. As more HIR was performed by the midfielders in the
international game, it is likely that the reduction in HIR in the
international games was caused by physically fatigue,
whereas in the domestic games, the reduction in HIR may
have be related to the game outcome or the game tactics.
The midfielders also covered more HIR compared with the
defenders in the international games, indicating that they are
able to physically work at a higher level than the defenders.
The defenders, on the other hand, performed similar work in
both game types, which indicates that they may have used
their full physical capacity during both game types. Thus,
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918 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
a novel finding of this study is that the midfielders seem to be
more physically taxed in international games and seem to
perform more work in international than domestic games,
whereas the defenders may be limited by their physical
capacity. Indeed, several studies have previously found that
defenders, in general, have lower fitness level compared with
midfielders and forwards (8,9,11,14,15). It could be argued
that the reason for the reduction in HIR toward the end of
the games was due to tactics and game outcome for both
game types. However, in our study, the decline in HIR
occurred despite the fact that all international games
were either European Championship qualifying games or
Women’s UEFA Cup games, where the losing team would be
eliminated. In several international games, the scores were
even until the end of the games. Hence, the game outcome
most probably did not influence reduction in HIR toward the
end of the international games.
Noteworthy, we observed large individual variations in the
fatigue development during the games. Eleven of the 17
players performed less HIR in the last 30 minutes in the
international compared with the domestic games, indicating
that the majority of the players experienced a higher degree of
fatigue in the international games. Thus, if more players had
been included in the study or if using an even more precise
measurement for analyzing distances covered, such as the
multiple camera approach, differences in fatigue development
may have been detected. As exemplified in Figure 4, 1 forward
and 1 defender had a large decline in HIR in the second half,
whereas the midfielders only had a small decline in HIR in
the international games. Similar fatigue development was
observed in sprint distances. One forward, for example,
sprinted 110 m in the 45–60 minutes, whereas no sprint was
observed in the last 15-minute period of the game. Another
forward sprinted similar distance in the first (22 m) and last
15-minute period (18 m) of the second half. Similarly, one
central midfielder sprinted 94 m from 45 to 60 minutes but
only 37 m in the last 15-minute period of the game, whereas
another midfielder sprinted similar distances (68 vs. 76 m).
Altogether, this indicates that the fatigue development
during games depend not only on the player’s position but
also on the individual player’s style of playing, tactical role,
and physical capacity. This suggests that training should be
individualized depending on the player’s needs but should
consequently aim to make sure all players are able to perform
HIR during the whole 90-minute games.
Despite differences in the workload between the 2 game
types, we found no difference in HR measures. This indicates
that mean HR response does not adequately reflect differ-
ences in high-intensity activities. Also, the average HR did not
decrease despite a decline in HIR toward the end of the game.
This could, however, be due to factors such as change in
substrate utilization and dehydration that may occur toward
the end of games (2,11). Nevertheless, the HR data should be
interpreted with caution as we were unable to register the
HR data during all games for all players.

Our findings that some players perform more HIR in the
international compared with domestic games may have
implications for the recovery time after a game. It has been
shown that several performance parameters are long term
reduced after a game where the players covered similar
amount of HIR as in the domestic games of the present study
(1). It was reported that sprint ability, jump, and isokinetic
knee strength were reduced, and muscle damage indicators
(creatine kinase and perceived muscle soreness) were
elevated for several days (.69 hours) after a game in high-
level female players (1). This suggests that after competitive
international games, where more HIR distance is covered
compared with domestic games, the performance and
muscle damage parameters may be affected even longer
time. Consequently, this may prolong the recovery time after
international games and should be taken into consideration
by coaches and trainers. This is especially important to
consider during international women soccer tournaments
that allow only 2 days of recovery between games.
In conclusion, the present study shows that the same elite
female players performed more HIR and sprinting in the
international compared with domestic games, whereas no dif-
ferences were observed in total distance covered and HR
response. This indicates that international games are more
intense than domestic games. Furthermore, we found that
fatigue occurred at the end of both game types. Although not
significantly different, our data point toward a larger decline in
HIR toward the end of the international games, which may be
due to fatigue and/or inability to recovery from high intense
running bouts.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Our data suggest that the fitness training for elite women
soccer players should aim at implementing individualized
high-intensity aerobic training and speed endurance training
to meet the physical challenge during international games.
This type of training may also improve the ability to sustain
high exercise intensity throughout a 90-minute game and
hence affect the outcome of the games. In addition, the tac-
tical aspect of an international game may also be considered
to regulate the intensity and energy demands for certain
players and positions to be able to perform at a high level
throughout the whole game.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the soccer players who participated in the study.
The technical assistance of Tine Cederkvist Viskær, Mads
Bendixen, Rasmus Bischoff, Christoffer Krustrup, and Sofie
Rejkjær Svendsen is appreciated.
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