@Article{Coutinho2024,
journal="Biology of Sport",
issn="0860-021X",
volume="41",
number="4",
year="2024",
title="Weekly external load distribution in football teams of different
competitive levels",
abstract="This study aimed to compare the microcycle load distribution between teams from different competitive levels. A total of 22 microcycles from one team of each competitive level (first division, 1 st  DIV,  n  = 32 players; second division, 2 nd  DIV,  n  = 23 players; third division, 3 rd  DIV,  n  = 23 players) were monitored using GPS (10 Hz, Catapult). During the match, a higher number of high accelerations (i.e., > 3 m/s, per min) were found in the 3 rd  DIV team compared to the 1 st  and 2 nd  DIV teams. On match day (MD) +1\&+2, the 1 st  DIV team covered more total (per min,  p  < 0.001) and high-speed running distance (HSR per min,  p  < 0.001 and  p  = 0.042, respectively) than both the 2 nd  and 3 rd  DIV teams. The 2 nd  DIV team showed lower values in most distance-related variables (total distance covered per min,  p  < 0.001; running distance per min,  p  < 0.001; HSR per min,  p  < 0.001; and sprinting distance per min,  p  < 0.001) for both MD-4 and MD-3 compared to the 1 st  and 3 rd  DIV teams. In contrast, it showed higher sprinting distance per min ( p  < 0.001) on MD-2. In general, the 3 rd  DIV team showed higher values in the number of high accelerations (per min,  p  < 0.001) across all sessions. These results suggest that distance-related variables may be a priority when planning microcycles for the 1 st  DIV team, while accelerations are relevant for the 3 rd  DIV team. A higher emphasis on external load during MD-2 by the 2 nd  DIV team may explain the lower external loads across the microcycle",
author="Coutinho, Diogo
and Oliveira, Diogo
and Lisboa, Pedro
and Campos, Fábio
and Nakamura, Fábio Yuzo
and Baptista, Jorge
and Abade, Eduardo",
pages="155--164",
doi="10.5114/biolsport.2024.133668",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2024.133668"
}