Physical Demands during an Elite Female

Soccer Game: Importance of Training Status

PETER KRUSTRUP1, MAGNI MOHR1, HELGA ELLINGSGAARD2, and JENS BANGSBO1
1
Institute of Exercise and Sport Sciences, Department of Human Physiology, University of Copenhagen, DENMARK; and
2
Sports Medicine Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, DENMARK

ABSTRACT
KRUSTRUP, P., M. MOHR, H. ELLINGSGAARD, and J. BANGSBO. Physical Demands during an Elite Female Soccer Game: Importance
of Training Status. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 37, No. 7, pp. 1242–1248, 2005. Purpose: To examine the activity profile and physical
loading of elite female soccer players during match play and to study the relationship between training status and physical match performance.
Methods: Time-motion analysis and HR recordings were performed on 14 elite female soccer players during competitive matches. In
addition, the players carried out a laboratory treadmill test and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test. Results: The total distance covered during
a game was 10.3 km (range: 9.7–11.3) with high-intensity running (HIR) accounting for 1.31 km (0.71–1.70). HIR was performed 125 times
(72–159) for 2.3 s (2.0 –2.4) on average. The average and peak HR in a game were 167 beats per minute (bpm) (152–186) and 186 (171–205),
respectively, corresponding to 87% (81–93) and 97% (96 –100) of HRmax. Maximal pulmonary oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) was 49.4
mL·min⫺1·kg⫺1 (43.4 –56.8), and incremental treadmill test (ITT) performance was 4.49 min (3.38 –5.17). The Yo-Yo test performance was
1379 m (600 –1960). The total distance covered during match play did not correlate with V̇O2max or ITT performance but correlated with the
Yo-Yo test result (r ⫽ 0.56, P ⬍ 0.05). Significant positive correlations were observed between HIR and V̇O2max (r ⫽ 0.81, P ⬍ 0.05), ITT
(r ⫽ 0.82, P ⬍ 0.05), and Yo-Yo test performance (r ⫽ 0.76, P ⬍ 0.05). No relationship was observed between %HRmax during match play
and any of the performance measures. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that 1) HIR during games varies markedly between elite
female soccer players, 2) all players have high HR throughout a competitive game with periods of near-maximal values, 3) the distance
covered by HIR during match play is closely related to the physical capacity, and 4) the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test can be used as an
indicator of the physical match performance of elite female players. Key Words: TIME-MOTION ANALYSIS, HR, V̇O2max, YO-YO TEST
PERFORMANCE.

M
uch information has been obtained about the
physical capacity of elite female soccer players
(3,6,16,19,20,21). These studies have shown that
the aerobic power, sprinting ability, and intermittent exer-
cise performance vary significantly between levels of com-
petition (20) and playing position (3,6,16,19,21) but also
between players at the same playing position and playing
standard (6). Measurements of HR performed during elite
female games indicate that match play is physically de-
manding for most outfield players (20), although these stud-
ies did not determine the players’ HRmax. Recent studies
performed on elite male soccer players have shown that the
amounts of high-intensity running and backward running
decrease markedly during competitive games (12) and that
Address for correspondence: Peter Krustrup, Institute of Exercise and Sport
Sciences, The August Krogh Institute, Universitetsparken 13, DK-2100
Copenhagen Ø, Denmark; E-mail: pkrustrup@ifi.ku.dk.
Submitted for publication December 2004.
Accepted for publication March 2005.
0195-9131/05/3707-1242/0
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE®
Copyright © 2005 by the American College of Sports Medicine
DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0000170062.73981.94
1242
the distance covered by high-intensity running in matches is
closely related to the training status (8). However, little
information is available about the activity profile of elite
female soccer players during match play, and it has not yet
been investigated whether the maximum aerobic power and
intermittent exercise performance are important determi-
nants of the physical match performance in elite female
soccer. In addition, it is still unknown whether the aerobic
loading during match play is related to training status.
A number of field and laboratory tests are currently used
in elite soccer in order to evaluate training status of the
players, to predict match performance, and to determine the
effect of training. The field tests have the advantage that all
players in a team can be tested frequently, easily, and
rapidly at low cost. Recent studies have shown that perfor-
mance in the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test correlates
well with the physical match performance of male elite
soccer players (8) and top-class referees (7). Therefore, it
would be of interest to investigate whether the Yo-Yo in-
termittent recovery test result provides a good indication of
the soccer-specific fitness of elite female players.
Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate
whether differences in the physical capacity of elite female
soccer players influence the activity profile and physical
loading during competitive games. Another purpose was to
evaluate the application of the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery
(IR) test in elite female soccer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Subjects
Fourteen elite female soccer players from the best Danish
league took part in the study. Their age, height, weight, and
fat percentage were 24 yr (range: 19 –31), 58.5 kg (49.0 –
70.7), 1.67 m (1.56 –1.80), and 14.6% (9.3–21.9), respec-
tively. The playing positions were defenders (N ⫽ 5; 24 ⫾
4 (⫾SD) yr, 60.7 ⫾ 6.3 kg, 1.68 ⫾ 0.07 cm, and 15.4 ⫾
3.7%), midfielders (N ⫽ 5; 23 ⫾ 5 yr, 56.0 ⫾ 5.9 kg, 1.65
⫾ 0.04 m, and 12.5 ⫾ 2.2%), and attackers (N ⫽ 4; 25 ⫾
4 yr, 58.7 ⫾ 3.8 kg, 1.66 ⫾ 0.04 m, and 16.1 ⫾ 2.4%). Two
of the defenders were central defenders, and the remaining
three defenders were fullbacks. The players had been mem-
bers of a soccer club for 14 (9 –23) yr. All players had more
than 3 yr of experience in the best Danish league and were
regular first team members. The players were fully informed
of all experimental procedures before giving their written
informed consent to participate. The study was approved by
the ethics committee of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg
communities.
Match Analysis
The 14 players were video recorded once during a com-
petitive game in the best Danish league. The four matches
included in the study were played within a 3-wk period in
the middle of the competitive season. None of the players
were injured during the observed game. Each player was
filmed close up during the entire match by a VHS movie
camera (NV-M50, Panasonic, Germany) 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. Each loco-
motor activity was categorized as standing (0 km·h⫺1),
walking (6 km·h⫺1), jogging (8 km·h⫺1), low-speed running
(12 km·h⫺1), moderate-speed running (15 km·h⫺1), high-
speed running (18 km·h⫺1), sprinting (25 km·h⫺1, or back-
ward running (10 km·h⫺1). The above activities were later
divided into four locomotor categories: 1) standing; 2) walk-
ing; 3) low-intensity running, encompassing jogging, low-
speed running, and backward running; and 4) high-intensity
running, consisting of moderate-speed running, high-speed
running, and sprinting. The locomotor categories were cho-
sen in accordance with Bangsbo et al. (2), except for the
sprinting speed, which was determined after detailed studies
of the videotapes. Thus, the average sprinting speed was
calculated from measurements of the time for the players to
cover known distances (i.e., between premarkers in the grass
and the center circle) by sprinting. The frequency and av-
erage duration of each locomotor activity were recorded in
5-min periods throughout the game. The distance covered
for each locomotor activity was determined in 5-min inter-
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF ELITE FEMALE SOCCER
vals as the product of the total time and mean speed for that
activity. The total distance covered during a match 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 coefficients of variation for test-
retest analysis were 1, 2, 5, 3, and 3%, respectively, for total
distance covered, walking, low-intensity running, high-in-
tensity running, and backward running. Before each player
analysis, the player’s locomotive style was studied and
several validation-tests were performed according to the
predetermined locomotive categories. All match recordings
included in the present study were analyzed by the same
experienced observer.
Physiological Measurements during Match Play
HR was recorded in 5-s intervals during the same com-
petitive games using a Polar Vantage NV HR monitor (Polar
Electro Oy, Kempele, Finland). The chest monitor and wrist
receiver, weighing ⬃100 g, was placed on the player ap-
proximately 45 min before kickoff.
Testing Procedures
Within 3 wk of the competitive game, a player carried out
a laboratory treadmill test and the Yo-Yo IR test.
Laboratory treadmill testing. The laboratory tread-
mill running test was performed to determine an individual
HR-V̇O2 relationship, HRmax, maximal pulmonary oxygen up-
take (V̇O2max), and performance in an exhaustive incremental
test. The protocol consisted of treadmill running at speeds of 9,
11, and 13 km·h⫺1 in 6-min bouts separated by 2-min rest
periods, followed by the exhaustive incremental test. The latter
test started at a running speed of 13 km·h⫺1 for 2 min and
continued at 15 km·h⫺1 for 30 s with a stepwise 1 km·h⫺1
speed increment every 30 s until exhaustion. Time to exhaus-
tion was recorded as the test result. Oxygen uptake was mea-
sured during the last 2 min of each submaximal running speed
and during the incremental test by a MedGraphics CPX/D
online system (St. Paul, MN). HR was recorded in 5-s intervals
during the entire protocol by a Polar Vantage NV HR monitor
(Polar, Kempele, Finland). A blood sample was taken imme-
diately after each exercise bout and hemolyzed within 10 s in
an ice-cold Triton X-100 buffer solution and analyzed for
lactate using a YSI 2300 lactate analyzer (Yellow Spring
Instruments, OH.) (5). Individual V̇O2max and HRmax were
determined as the peak values reached in a 15- and 5-s period,
respectively, during the last part of the incremental test.
The Yo-Yo IR level 1 test. The test was performed
outdoors on artificial grass as described by Krustrup et al.
(8). Briefly, the test consisted of repeated 2 ⫻ 20-m runs at
a progressively increased speed controlled by audio bleeps
from a tape recorder. Between each running bout, the play-
ers had a 10-s rest period, during which 2 ⫻ 5 m of jogging
was performed. When a player had failed twice to reach the
finish line in time, the distance covered was recorded as the
test result. The test was performed after a 10-min warm-up
period. The duration of the test was 8 –20 min. All the
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 1243
players had been familiarized with the test procedure pre-
viously.
Statistical Analysis
Mean data and ranges are presented. Differences between
15-min periods within the match were evaluated using re-
peated-measures ANOVA. When a significant interaction
was detected, data were subsequently analyzed using a
Tukey post hoc test. Differences between the first and sec-
ond half were determined using the Student paired t-test.
Differences between the different team positions were tested
with ANOVA. Correlation coefficients were determined and
tested for significance using a Pearson’s product-moment
test. A significance level of 0.05 was chosen.
RESULTS
Match activities. The total number of activity changes
was 1459 (range: 1336 –1529), corresponding with an ac-
tivity change every 4 s on average (Fig. 1). The number of
high-intensity runs performed during the game was 125
(72–159) with an average duration of 2.3 s (2.0 –2.4) (Fig.
FIGURE 1—Match activities during competitive elite female soccer
games. Number of occurrences (A) and average duration (B) of stand-
ing; walking; jogging; low-speed (LS), moderate-speed (MS), and high-
speed (HS) running; sprinting (Spr); and backward (Bw) running. The
various symbols represent each of the 14 players.
1244 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
1). The number of sprints was 26 (9 – 43) (Fig. 1). Standing,
walking, and running at low intensity accounted for 16%
(10 –23), 44% (38 –53), and 34% (26 – 43) of the total match
time, respectively. In the remaining 4.8% (2.8 – 6.1) of the
total time, the players performed high-intensity running.
The total distance covered during a match was 10.3 km
(9.7–11.3). The amounts of low- and high-intensity running
were 9.0 km (8.4 –9.8) and 1.31 km (0.71–1.70), respec-
tively. Sprinting accounted for 0.16 km (0.05– 0.28). The
distance covered at a high intensity decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) by
30% (0.27 to 0.19 km) and 34% (0.24 to 0.16 km) from the
first to the last 15-min period of the first and second halves,
respectively. The total number of headers and tackles was 8
(3–19) and 14 (7–21), respectively.
HR during match play. Mean HR during a match was
167 beats per minute (bpm) (range: 152–186), which corre-
sponded to 87% (81–93) of HRmax being 193 bpm (175–212)
(Fig. 2). Peak HR reached during the game was 186 bpm
(171–205), corresponding with 97% (96 –100) of HRmax. Nei-
ther the mean nor the peak HR was different between the
15-min periods during the game (Fig. 2). Based on individual
FIGURE 2—A. HR in 15-min periods during a competitive elite female
soccer game (N ⴝ 14). The various symbols represent each of the 14
players. B. Individual relationship between V̇O2max and average HR
during a match expressed in percentage of HRmax (N ⴝ 14). The filled
circles, open circles, and filled triangles represent defenders (N ⴝ 5),
midfielders (N ⴝ 5), and attackers (N ⴝ 4), respectively.
http://www.acsm-msse.org
TABLE 1. Correlation coefficients for interindividual relationships between V̇O2max, incremental treadmill test (ITT) performance, running speed at 2 mM lactate, and the Yo-Yo
intermittent level 1 recovery test (Yo-Yo IR1) and physical performance in a competitive elite female soccer game.
2 mmol䡠Lⴚ1 Yo-Yo IR1
V̇O2max ITT Performance Lactate Performance
Total distance covered r ⫽ 0.20 r ⫽ 0.49 r ⫽ 0.64 r ⫽ 0.56
NS, P ⫽ 0.503 NS, P ⫽ 0.071 P ⫽ 0.014* P ⫽ 0.038*
High-intensity run 冱0–90 min r ⫽ 0.81 r ⫽ 0.82 r ⫽ 0.83 r ⫽ 0.76
P ⬍ 0.001* P ⬍ 0.001* P ⬍ 0.001* P ⫽ 0.002*
High-intensity run 冱30–45, 75–90 min r ⫽ 0.55 r ⫽ 0.74 r ⫽ 0.64 r ⫽ 0.83
P ⫽ 0.040* P ⫽ 0.002* P ⫽ 0.014* P ⬍ 0.001*
HR (%HRmax) r ⫽ 0.18 r ⫽ 0.17 r ⫽ ⫺0.01 r ⫽ 0.38
NS, P ⫽ 0.552 NS, P ⫽ 0.549 NS, P ⫽ 0.972 NS, P ⫽ 0.174
V̇O2max — r ⫽ 0.71 r ⫽ 0.77 r ⫽ 0.55
P ⫽ 0.005* P ⫽ 0.001* P ⫽ 0.040*
ITT performance — — r ⫽ 0.84 r ⫽ 0.85
P ⬍ 0.001* P ⬍ 0.001*
⫺1
2 mmol䡠L lactate — — — r ⫽ 0.73
P ⫽ 0.003*
*Significant linear correlation between the two variables.

HR relationships from the treadmill test, average V̇O2 during capacity of the players. Moreover, the present study re-
match play was estimated to be 2.2 L·min⫺1 (1.8 –2.9) or 77% vealed that the Yo-Yo IR test is a good predictor of elite
(69 – 84) of V̇O2max. Peak V̇O2 during match play was esti- female soccer players’ ability to perform high-intensity run-
mated to be 96% (92–99). ning throughout competitive matches.
Physiological capacity. V̇O2max was 2.89 L·min⫺1
(range: 2.58 –3.29) or 49.4 mL O2·min⫺1·kg⫺1 body weight
(43.4 –56.8). Performance in the incremental treadmill test
(ITT) and Yo-Yo IR test was 4.49 min (3.38 –5.17) and
1379 m (600 –1960), respectively. The V̇O2 during treadmill
running at speeds of 9, 11, and 13 km·h⫺1 was 1.72 (1.42–
1.97), 2.13 (1.89 –2.44), and 2.43 (2.12–2.84) L·min⫺1, re-
spectively, corresponding to 59% (52–72), 74% (67– 83),
84% (78 –92) of V̇O2max. The corresponding HR was 133,
152, and 168 bpm, respectively, or 69% (60 – 82), 79%
(71–90), and 87% (81–97) of HRmax. Blood lactate at rest
and at running speeds of 9, 11, and 13 km·h⫺1 was 0.8
(0.5–1.4), 1.0 (0.7–1.5), 1.5 (1.0 –2.6), and 2.9 (1.4 –5.1)
mmol·L⫺1, respectively. Peak blood lactate reached after
ITT was 8.0 mmol·L⫺1 (5.8 –10.3).
Training status in relation to match activities and
HR. The correlation coefficients for the interindividual
relationships between the various test results and physical
match performance are summarized in Table 1. Briefly, total
match distance did not correlate with V̇O2max or ITT per-
formance but correlated (P ⬍ 0.05) with the running speed
at 2 mM and the Yo-Yo IR test result (Fig. 3, Table 1).
Positive correlations (P ⬍ 0.05) were observed between the
amount of high-intensity running and all four test results
with r values from 0.76 to 0.83 (Fig. 4, Table 1). The sum
of high-intensity running performed in the last 15-min pe-
riods of the two halves correlated (P ⬍ 0.05) with the
Yo-Yo IR test result (r ⫽ 0.83) as well as ITT performance,
running speed at 2 mM lactate and V̇O2max with r values
from 0.55 to 0.74 (Fig. 5, Table 1). No relationship was
observed between %HRmax during match play and any of
the test results (r ⫽ ⫺0.01 to 0.38) (Fig. 2, Table 1).

DISCUSSION
The most important finding of the present study is that the
physical match performance of elite female soccer players
varies in close association with differences in the physical
FIGURE 3—Individual relationship between the total distance cov-
ered during a competitive elite female soccer game and V̇O2max (A) and
performance on the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery (IR) test (B) (N ⴝ 14).
The filled circles, open circles, and filled triangles represent defenders
(N ⴝ 5), midfielders (N ⴝ 5), and attackers (N ⴝ 4), respectively.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF ELITE FEMALE SOCCER Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 1245
FIGURE 4 —Individual relationship between the amount of high-intensity running during a competitive elite female soccer game and V̇O2max (A),
incremental treadmill test performance (B), running speed at 2 mM lactate (C), and performance on the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery (IR) test (D)
(N ⴝ 14). The filled circles, open circles, and filled triangles represent defenders (N ⴝ 5), midfielders (N ⴝ 5), and attackers (N ⴝ 4), respectively.

The 14 elite female soccer players investigated in the
present study covered a total distance of ⬃10.3 km and had
on average ⬃1400 activity changes during a game. These
values are similar to or slightly lower than values reported
for elite male soccer (1,2,12,13,14). On the other hand, the
average distance covered by high-intensity running of 1.3
km corresponds with less than two thirds of that in elite male
soccer (1.9 –2.4 km) (2,12). Interestingly, small between-
player variations were observed in the total number of
activity changes (1336 –1529, SD ⫽ 4.9% of mean) and the
distance covered at low intensity (8.4 –9.8 km, 4.8%),
whereas large variations were found in the distance covered
by high-intensity running (0.71–1.70 km, 20.8%). The latter
finding was mainly due to large variations in the number of
high-intensity running bouts, as the mean duration of the
intense running bouts were similar among the players (Fig.
1). It was furthermore observed that the amount of high-
intensity running decreased markedly within each half and
that 13 of 14 players did the least high-intensity running in
the last 15-min period of the first or second half. The finding
of a large decline in high-intensity running at the end of the
game is in accordance with a recent study on elite male
1246 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
soccer by Mohr et al. (12) and can be taken as a sign of
fatigue. Together, the time-motion analysis revealed that
elite female soccer consists of multiple brief intense exer-
cises separated by low-intensity activities and that one of the
main factors differentiating between good and poor physical
performance is the amount of high-intensity running.
HR measurements were used to provide information
about the aerobic energy turnover during the match play.
The mean HR ranged from 152 to 186 bpm with an average
value of 167 bpm, which is similar to or slightly higher than
what has been observed in other studies investigating elite
female (15) and elite male soccer (1,2,4,15,17). The peak
HR reached during games was observed to vary as much as
from 171 to 205 bpm. In the present study, each player’s
HRmax was determined and the average and peak HR ob-
served during games could therefore be expressed in per-
centage of HRmax. The average and peak HR corresponded
with 87% and 97% of HRmax, respectively, with rather small
variations in average (81–93%) and peak values (96 –100%)
(Fig. 2). These results indicate that essentially all outfield
players have a high aerobic loading throughout a game with
periods of near-maximal values. It was, moreover, observed
http://www.acsm-msse.org

FIGURE 5—Individual relationship between the sum of high-intensity
running in the last quarter of the first and second half of a competitive
elite female soccer game and (A) V̇O2max and (B) performance on the
Yo-Yo intermittent recovery (IR) test (N ⴝ 14). The filled circles, open
circles, and filled triangles represent defenders (N ⴝ 5), midfielders (N
ⴝ 5), and attackers (N ⴝ 4), respectively.
that the HR in the percentage of HRmax did not correlate
with any of the fitness assessments (Fig. 2), suggesting that
the aerobic loading was not dependent on the player’s phys-
ical capacity. This finding shows that the aerobic energy
system is highly tasked also for players with superior phys-
ical capacity, indicating that the activity profile and energy
use during match play is adjusted based on the player’s
physical ability.
In accordance with a number of previous studies
(3,6,16,19,20,21), the elite female players in the present
study had marked between-player variations in physical
capacity. For example, the V̇O2max of the players varied
from 43 to 57 mL·min⫺1·kg⫺1, and the Yo-Yo test perfor-
mance ranged from 600 to 1960 m. When plotting the
fitness assessments obtained in the present study to the
amount of backward running, low-intensity running, and
total distance covered, no correlations were observed for
V̇O2max and treadmill test performance, whereas the Yo-Yo
test result and the running speed at 2 mM lactate were
weakly correlated with the amount of low-intensity running
and total distance covered (Fig. 3). In contrast, it was ob-
served that V̇O2max, treadmill test performance, running
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF ELITE FEMALE SOCCER
speed at 2 mM lactate, and the Yo-Yo test result all were
correlated with the amount of high-intensity running (Fig.
4). From the fairly high correlation coefficients, it appears
that all the applied fitness assessments provided a good
indication of the distance covered at a high intensity during
a game, which is one of the main factors differentiating
between good and poor physical match performance. It
should be emphasized, however, that players covering a
similar match distance of 1.25 km of high-intensity running
ranged in V̇O2max from 46 to 53 mL·min⫺1·kg⫺1, in tread-
mill test performance from 4.0 to 4.8 min, in running speed
at 2 mM lactate from 11 to 13 km·h⫺1, and in Yo-Yo test
performance from 1100 to 1500 m (Fig. 4). On that basis, it
may be considered whether all the observed players used
their entire physical capacity during the game. For example,
it is well-known that defenders perform less high-intensity
running during a game than midfielders and attackers
(1,2,8,10,12,13), and it has been discussed whether this is
due to tactical or physical limitations of the defenders
(1,2,8). We observed a huge range in the amount of high-
intensity running within the group of defenders (0.7–1.7
km), but the average value for high-intensity running was
only slightly lower for the defenders compared to the mid-
fielders (17%) and attackers (13%) (Fig. 4). The HR mea-
surements revealed that all players had an average HR above
80% of peak HR and that the aerobic loading was equally
high for the defenders, midfielders, and attackers (86, 88,
and 88% of peak HR, respectively; Fig. 2B). Moreover, all
players except one performed less high-intensity running
toward the end of the first and/or second halves. Together,
these observations suggest that the observed games were
physically demanding for all the players and that each of the
players performed an amount of high-intensity running
close to her optimal level. In support of this notion, Mohr et
al. (12) observed small match-to-match variations in the
amount of high-intensity running during elite male soccer
games (coefficient of variance ⫽ 9%).
The present study also tested whether the Yo-Yo IR test
can be used to evaluate match-specific physical capacity of
elite female soccer players. In accordance with what has
been observed for elite male soccer players (8) and top-class
referees (7), the present study showed that the Yo-Yo test
performance correlated with the amount of high-intensity
running performed in games. The present study also re-
vealed a positive correlation between maximal oxygen up-
take and high-intensity running during a game, whereas no
such relationship was observed for elite male soccer (8).
These findings indicate that the aerobic power is more
important for the physical match performance in elite fe-
male than elite male soccer and may be explained by a lower
anaerobic capacity in elite female players than in their male
counterparts (9,18). In accordance, the peak blood lactate of
8 mM reached after exhaustive incremental running per-
formed in the present study is seemingly lower than the
values reported for elite male soccer players (⬎10 mM)
(11). An indicator of the ability to sustain fatigue during
match play, that is, the sum of the high-intensity running
performed in the last 15-min periods of the two halves, was
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 1247
also plotted against the four fitness assessments. As can be
seen in Figure 5, the Yo-Yo test was observed to correlate
closely with the physical performance toward the end of the
two halves. Significant correlations, with lower correlation
coefficients, were also observed between the sum of high-
intensity running in the last 15-min periods and the incre-
mental treadmill test performance, running speed at 2 mM
lactate, and maximal oxygen uptake (Fig. 5). Together these
findings provide evidence that the performance on the
Yo-Yo IR test is a good predictor of physical match per-
formance throughout elite female soccer games. Measure-
ments of maximal aerobic power is an equally good indi-
cator of the total amount of high-intensity running during a
game but seems to be a less sensitive tool to evaluate the
ability to sustain fatigue during match play.
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In summary, the present study demonstrated that the
physical capacity is an important determinant of the number
of intense actions performed by elite female soccer players
in a game and that the aerobic loading during match play is
high, independent of training status. Moreover, it was shown
that the Yo-Yo IR test can be used as an indicator of the
physical performance of elite female players throughout
competitive matches.
We thank the soccer players for participating in the study. The
technical assistance from Jan-Malm Hansen, Christoffer Krustrup,
Lena Varntoft, Per Hansen, and Mette Zebis is greatly appreciated.
We also acknowledge the contribution of the elite female soccer
club FVK and their coach Jørgen Veje.
The study was supported by Team Denmark and The Sports
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