Catapult Melbourne Oct 2015

UEFA Fitness Coaching Course

Stockholm. November 2015

Making sense of tracking (GPS) data

Chris Barnes
CB Sports Performance Ltd
chrisbarnes60@gmail.com
@chrisbarnes60
UEFA. Nov 2015
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 What the
coach / player sees

Informs what the

coach / player sees

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Noise in tracking data means the
generation of meaningful
interpretations regarding athlete
performance is challenging

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 Why track?

Reduction / mitigation of risk

 Performance maintenance / enhancement
 Map athletic / performance development
 Injury risk mitigation
Broker dialogue
 Athletes / Coaches / Other Professionals
 Complement / support / challenge subjectivity
Identify and manage individual differences
To help to address performance questions
UEFA. Nov 2015
 Why track?

Reduction / mitigation of risk

 Performance maintenance / enhancement
 Map athletic / performance development
 Injury risk mitigation
Broker dialogue
 Athletes / Coaches / Other Professionals
 Complement / support / challenge subjectivity
Identify and manage individual differences
To help to address performance questions
UEFA. Nov 2015
How ready is the coach / athlete / client to take on
the information you want to give?
Calibrate your delivery!!!

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How do you use data to inform performance decisions?

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In applied practice, everything should start with a question
This then becomes a key point of reference

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 Categories

Cardiovascular
Locomotive
(and Mechanical
metabolic) ‘the
‘the chassis’
dashboard’
‘the engine’

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Categories

Cardiovascular
Locomotive
(and Mechanical
metabolic) ‘the
‘the chassis’
dashboard’
‘the engine’

INTERNAL EXTERNAL

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Categories

Cardiovascular Mechanical
Locomotive
(and ‘player load,
metabolic) ‘distances, acc’s, dec’s’
velocities’
‘RZ, TrIMP’ COD

INTERNAL EXTERNAL

UEFA. Nov 2015

 What are our core reporting principles?

Keep it simple!!
“simplicity is complexity resolved”
(Constantin Brancusi)

UEFA. Nov 2015

Core reporting principles
How much work have I done?

VOLUME
Relative to
How hard did I work? match data

INTENSITY
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 Volume - Intensity

Measures derived from loading metrics and presented

relative to 1 match equivalent (i.e. 100% of volume or
intensity of the game)

VOLUME
Average (TrImp, TD, HID, PL) relative to individual
match volume

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Session Volume
Metric Session Data Match Data Ratio
Total Dist (m) 10740
HI Dist (m) 1312
TrImp (AU) 291
Player Load (AU) 888

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Session Volume
Metric Session Data Match Data Ratio
Total Dist (m) 5260 10740 0.49
HI Dist (m) 575 1312 0.44
TrImp (AU) 140 291 0.48
Player Load (AU) 529 888 0.60

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Session Volume
Metric Session Data Match Data Ratio
Total Dist (m) 5260 10740 0.49
HI Dist (m) 575 1312 0.44
TrImp (AU) 140 291 0.48
Player Load (AU) 529 888 0.60
Average 0.50
Session Volume 50%

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 Typical lead in to a game - volume

100

90

80

70
% of match values

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity
Match -4 Match -3 Match -2 Match -1 Match

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Typical lead in to a game - volume
100 Typically between 120% and 190% depending
90 on the player and the training schedule
80

70
% of match values

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity
Match -4 Match -3 Match -2 Match -1 Match

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Intensity

Derived from loading metrics and presented relative to

1 match equivalent (100% match intensity)

INTENSITY
Average (RZ, ‘HID/TD’, Acc/Dec, PL) relative to
individual match intensity

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Session Intensity – 60min session
Metric Session Data Match Data Intensity (%)
Time > 85% Hrmax 11:27 21:50
HIDist 575 1312
TDist 5260 10740
HIDist / TDist 0.11 0.13
Acc + Dec 184 201
Player Load 529 888

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Session Intensity – 60min session
Metric Session Data Match Data Intensity (%)
Time > 85% HRmax 11:27 21:50 79
HIDist 575 1312
TDist 5260 10740
HIDist / TDist 0.11 0.13 85
Acc + Dec 184 201 138
Player Load 529 888 89
Average Intensity 98%

UEFA. Nov 2015

 Typical lead in to a game – training intensity
100

90

80

70
% of match values

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity
Match -4 Match -3 Match -2 Match -1 Match

UEFA. Nov 2015

Typical lead in to a game – volume and intensity
100

90

80

70
% of match values

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity Volume Intensity
Match -4 Match -3 Match -2 Match -1 Match

UEFA. Nov 2015

Core reporting principles
How much work have I done?

VOLUME Relative to
How hard did I work?
match data
INTENSITY
How is my fitness?

EFFICIENCY
UEFA. Nov 2015
 What are our core reporting principles?
Use ‘efficiency’ (metric ratios) to make judgment calls on
changes in athlete performance status

Metabolic ‘efficiency’ = Cardiovascular (TrImp)

Mechanical (Player Load)

Movement (mechanical) = Mechanical (Player Load)

‘efficiency’ Locomotive (TD)

UEFA. Nov 2015

 What are our core reporting principles?

Where possible, report Team Position Drill Player

data against a
POINT OF REFERENCE
Usefulness of data –
coach/player buy in!!

UEFA. Nov 2015

What are our core reporting principles?

Create fingerprints
What would you ‘normally’
expect to see

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 Value of fingerprints

Team Position Drill Player

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In applied practice, everything should start with a question
This then becomes a key point of reference

UEFA. Nov 2015

Is athlete efficiency a marker of injury propensity?

30 Senior / U21 players

Examined mean metabolic and mechanical
efficiency during 1st 10weeks of the season
Looked at relationship to presentation of soft
tissue injury across 1st 20 weeks of the season

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Greater efficiency

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 Average mechanical and metabolic efficiency. U16 / U18 Soccer players. Pre-season 2014
1.2

1.1
Metabolic (Cardiovascular) efficiency

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6
0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2
Mechanical (movement) efficiency

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 Summary

Keep it simple. Use data to broker dialogue

Determine core principles
Identify the signal in data
Start with a question
Create athlete fingerprints

Chrisbarnes60@gmail.com
+447801232094
@chrisbarnes60

UEFA. Nov 2015

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GPS
GNSS