Individual Physical Demands and

Fatigue Profiles in Elite Football

- Implications for training and recovery
strategies
Dan Fransson PhD Student and Dr Magni Mohr
Background
 Dan Fransson´s PhD studies
Physical preparation in football

Football preparation

Application of Science
Approach to fitness training

Tactical
Individual demands High
physical quality
demands science

Fitness
The
Recovery Training Training-
cause of
state In categories
fatigue
football

Physical
capacity Mental
Technical
demands
demands
Match activities
Number of turns
- 8 players in a Euro League game
70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Players
Impacts
Intense running in football
High speed running
There are large individual variations in
fatigue patterns
Fig. 2.1A
800

600

High intensity running (m)

400

200

0
Fig. 2.1B
800

600
High intensity running (m)

400

200

0
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90
Time (min) Mohr et al., 2003, 2008
Individual
differences in
fitness status
Sprint
characteristics
of two players
High speed running
- Position
Sprinting
- Position
Sprint characteristics
- Position
Sprint characteristics
- Attackers
High speed running
- Central Midfield Players
Sprint characteristics
- Different positions
Individual game demands
Individual game demands
Two players in 4v4 small-sided game

Both players are central

midfielders with similar game
demands!
Training responses to a fitness based
training session in a top-class team
Project plan
1. Fatigue indicators in top-class football – a detailed
match analysis approach

2. Relationships between individual variations in game

demands and responses to small-sided games in
elite football players

3. Fatigue and recovery of different muscle groups and

neuromuscular variables during two football games
seperated by three days in male competitive football
players

4. Effect of individualised speed endurance training vs.

small-sided games in football
Study 1

Fatigue profiles in elite football players

during match-play
 Distance (m)

50
100
150
200
250

0
0-5min

5-10min

10-15min

15-20min

20-25min
Fatigue profile

25-30min

30-35min

35-40min

40-45min

Time (min)
45-50min
- one central midfield player

50-55min

55-60min

60-65min

65-70min

70-75min

75-80min

80-85min

85-90min

+
 Distance (m)

50
100
150
200
250

0
0-5min

5-10min

10-15min

15-20min

20-25min
Fatigue profile

25-30min

30-35min

35-40min

40-45min

Time (min)
45-50min
- one central midfield player

50-55min

55-60min

60-65min

65-70min

70-75min

75-80min

80-85min

85-90min

+
Temporary intensity decrement

Fig. 2.3
250 Game-fatigue index
Males
High intensity running in 5-min periods (m)

Females
200
Highest
150
amount of
high intensity
* +
running in a
100
* 5-min interval
50

0
Peak Next 5 min Mean
Time (min)

Mohr et al., 2003; 2008

Game intervals and speed
thresholds
Figure 1

2200
2000
1800 * $
1600
> 0 km/h
1400
> 11 km/h
Distance covered (m)

1000 > 14 km/h

> 17 km/h
> 21 km/h
800
> 24 km/h
* $
600

400 * $
# #
200
#
0
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90
Time (min)
 Figure 2
A)
35
> 14 km/h
1-min peak

Peak periods
30 2-min peak

Peak period distribution (%)

5-min peak
25

- the most 20

15

intense periods 10

in football
5

0
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90

B)
30
> 17 km/h

25
Peak period distribution (%)
20

15

10

0
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90

Time (min)
Peak periods - characteristics

2D)

300 1 min
2 min
5 min
240
Distance covered (m)

180 * #

120
$ $
% %
60

0
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90

Time (min)
Substitutes compared to regular
players
Figure 4

160

* *
Substitutes vs full-game players (%)

140
* *
120 *
100 100%

80

60

40

20

0
TD >11 km/h>14 km/h>17 km/h>21 km/h>24 km/h

Velocities
 Total HIR vs Peak periods
Figure 5
A)
4500

4000
Total high-intensity distance (m)

3500

3000

2500

2000 C)
4500
1500
4000

Total high-intensity distance (m)

1000

500 3500

0 3000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
2500
Peak 5-min distance (m)
B) 2000
4500
1500
4000
Total high-intensity distance (m)

1000
3500

3000 500

2500 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
2000
Peak 1-min distance (m)
1500

1000

500

0
0 50 100 150 200 250

Peak 2-min distance (m)

 In order to prepare the player for the
game, we need to understand the game
responses of the individual player!
Study 2

Relationships between individual variations

in game demands and responses to small-
sided games in elite football players
 Method
 67 professional players from 4 different teams
participated in the study
 Part 1: 45 players played three types of small-sided
games (4v4, 6v6, 8v8) and 6 training games (1:st half).
 Part 2: 22 players played 5 types of small-sided games
(4v4, 6v6, 7v7, 8v8 and 9v9) and 3 competetive reserve
games (1:st half).
 GPS (Catapult Sport S5, Austrailia) and Heart Rate
(Polar Team Sport System, Finland) measurements
 Results

Variables:

• Heart Rate
• Distances in different speedzones
• Efforts in different speedzones
• Maximum speed
• Acceleration efforts total
• Deceleration efforts total
• High intensity accelerations
• High intensity decelerations
Heart Rate Results
% of HR max MEAN HEART RATE 4V4 MEAN HEART RATE 6V6
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
20 20
10 10
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

MEAN HEART RATE 8V8 MEAN HEART RATE TR. GAME

100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
20 20
10 10
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 10 20 30 40 50
 Results
Inter player variations

Time spent >90% of Time spent >90% of

max HR 4v4 00:28:48 max HR Tr. games
00:21:36
00:21:36
00:14:24 00:14:24
00:07:12 00:07:12
00:00:00 00:00:00
0 10 20 30 0 20 40 60

Acceleration efforts Acc efforts >2m/s/s Tr.

Nr of Acc. >2m/s/s 4v4 Nr of Acc Game
20 35
30
15 25
20
10 15
10
5
5
0
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
0 10 20 30
Inter player variation
Results
High Speed Running High Speed Running
meters (>21 km/h)9v9 meters (>21km/h) Game
400 200

300 150

200 100

100 50

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 10 20 30 40

Deceleration Efforts Deceleration Efforts

Nr of efforts (<-3m/s/s) 7v7 Nr of efforts (<-3m/s/s) Game
25 50
20 40
15 30
10 20
5 10
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 10 20 30 40
 Results
Comparison between SSG and Game
Deceleration Efforts (<-3m/s/s) 8v8/Game High Speed Running (>21km/h) 6v6/Game
meters game
Nr of efforts game
700
50
45 600
40 R² = 0,76 500
35 R² = 0,51
30 400
25 300
20
15 200
10 100
5
0 Nr of efforts 8v8 0 meters 6v6

0 5 10 15 20 25 0 100 200 300 400

Acceleration Efforts (>2,5 m/s/s) 4v4/11v11 % time in HR zone 80-100% of max HR

% of time game
90
6v6/11v11
50 80
70 R² = 0,0331
40 60
R² = 0,0109
50
30 40
20 30
20
10 10
0 Nr of efforts 4v4 0 % of time 6v6

0 5 10 15 20 25 0 20 40 60 80
 Conclusion and future research
• We need to monitor to identify the players who are not being training according
to their game demands in for example small-sided games.

• We need to develop different types of football drills that meet the physical game
demands for the individulal player.

• Challenges in the future will be to develop football drills that not only meet the
physical game demands for the individual player, but also tecnical, tactical (with
reactions, decisionsmaking etc.) in the same drills.
Study 3

Fatigue and recovery in different muscle

groups and neuromuscular variables
during two football games seperated by
three days in male competetive football
players
MVC performance before, after
and 24, 48 and 72 h after a game

Fig. 2.15
600

*
*
*
MVC (N)

500

400
0
Before 0 h after 24 h after 48 h after 72 h after

Mohr , 2008
Three games in a week

Sprint performance Muscle damage

Mohr et al, 2015

Aim of Study 3

The aim is to investigate the

neuromuscular fatigue and recovery
patterns in elite footballplayers conducting
two simulated football games with three
days of recovery in different muscle
groups
 Studydesign
Day 1 Baseline CST 1 Bloodsampling – MVC – CST 1– Bloodsampling - MVC

Day 2 24 h post CST 1 Bloodsampling - MVC

Day 3 48 h post CST 1 Bloodsampling - MVC

Day 4 68 h post CST 1 / Bloodsampling – MVC – CST 2 – Bloodsampling - MVC

Baseline CST 2

Day 5 24 h post CST 2 Bloodsampling - MVC

Day 6 48 h post CST 2 Bloodsampling - MVC

Day 7 68 h post CST 2 Bloodsampling - MVC

MVC = Maximum Volentary Contraction ( quadriceps, hamstrings,
adductors, abductors, calfs, core and lower back
CST = Copenhagen Soccer test (Simulated Soccer match
 Pre-liminary results
Changes in MVC - different muscle groups
120

100

80

60

40

20

0
quad h quad v hamstring h hamstring v calfs h calfs v abduktor adduktor R abdmon right rot left rot erector
spina

Baseline Post game 24 h

 Pre-liminary results
individual differenses in recovery – two player examples
120

100

80

60

40

20

baseline post game 24 h

Study 4

Individual speed endurance production

training vs small-sided game –
physiological training responses
 Effect of additional SET drills
during the competitive season

1400
Yo-Yo IR2 præstation (m)

1200

15%
1000

800

600

0
15/4
15. april 15/5maj
15. 15/6
15. juni
Comparing individual training
with small-sided games
Aim of Study 4

The aim is to investigate physiological

training responses in elite football players
after 6 wks of individualised speed
endurance production training vs small-
sided games.
Best predictor of football endurance
 Na+,K+ ATPase

pH α2
ATP

KATP β1 α1-2 β1
+ Na+
K+ K+ K
Na+

Capillary
Best predictor of football high
intensity exercise
Muscle biopsy procedure
 Match outcome relative to which team works hardest
8
we work harder

W
1. We don’t win if the
6 opposition outworks us
2. We don’t lose if we outwork
W the opposition
4
W

W
Diff us-them (km)

2 D W
D
W L
D TD-Diff
D HID-Diff
W
0 D
D
D L
D
L
-2 L
L L L L
L
L
L D
-4
D

they work harder

-6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING