Keeping Your Strongest 11 Available:
The Role of Training Load Management at the Euro’s
The 2024 edition of the Euro’s is upon us, and whilst this means more football for fans around the world to enjoy, it also means that players will be faced with an extended season after an already challenging and congested 2023/2024 season.
It’s with this in mind that we will discuss the importance of training load management and how National teams across Europe will be looking to ensure that their strongest XI’s are able to take to the field in the 7 possible games available in the tournament and raise the Henri Delaunay Trophy on the 14th of July at the Olympiastadion.
When we discuss training load management, there are 2 key areas we specifically refer to, those are: internal training load and external training load. But what do these refer to? Internal training load – physiological stress imposed on the athlete in response to the training stimulus, whilst external training load is defined as the work completed by the athlete, independent of internal characteristics.
Both can be monitored using different sets of tools which will provide different information for national teams to digest over the course of their tournament preparation and whilst in Germany at the finals.
In this article we will focus on the different methods of monitoring internal training load. There are several methods that can be used to monitor internal training load, these are:
- Perception of effort
- Session rating or perceived exertion
- Heart rate
- Heart rate recovery
- Heart rate variability
- Questionnaires and diaries.
Perception of effort is monitored using the “Rating of perceived exertion”, otherwise known as RPE and it is one of the most common measures used in assessing internal load. This is because there is evidence that shows us that RPE correlates well with heart rate during steady-state and high-intensity interval training. More so, RPE has been validated as a means of assessing exercise intensity and is often combined with other variables to gain deeper insight into internal load experienced, such as: duration, heart rate, and blood lactate.
The combination of RPE and duration is what is termed as “Session rating of perceived exertion”, which involves the multiplication of session duration by the athletes RPE on a scale of 1 – 10.
Like RPE, sRPE has been found to be valid and reliable, with studies finding a correlation between RPE and heart rate zones. To add context to the total load accumulated, generally we find that pre-season weekly values are in the 3000-5000 AU/week range and that in-season weekly training load ranges between 1700 and 3000 AU/week. It is important to note that it has been argued that s-RPE oversimplifies the complex physiological responses associated with training and that it should be coupled with other measures of internal load, as well as external load to gain a holistic picture of player fatigue and recovery levels.
Heart rate, like sRPE, is also very common as a method of assessing internal load, and is based on the linear relationship between HR and oxygen consumption during steady-state exercise. Percent of maximum heart rate is often used to prescribe and monitor exercise intensity. However, due to daily variation in HR (+/- 6.5%), its important to control for the following factors: hydration status, be aware of environment conditions and the use of any medication.
Through heart rate monitoring, performance staff will be able to monitor if players are being subjected to the planned training stimulus, which in term will allow for specific adaptations and ultimately allow for the staff to note if players require modified training over the course of the week.
Continuing with the use of heart rate monitoring, it can be broken down into two more very focused areas, namely, heart rate recovery and heart rate variability. Heart rate recovery is the rate at which heart rate declines at the cessation of exercise and is a marker of autonomic function and training status.
The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, with a rise in heart rate being due to sympathetic activity and decrease due to parasympathetic activity. Heart rate recovery improves with an increase in training status, remains unchanged when there is no change in training status and decreases when training is reduced.
The use of the HIMS test, a multistage, submaximal test can be used to monitor heart rate recovery and therefore monitor fatigue in athletes.
Not to be confused with heart rate recovery, heart rate variability, is the time difference between each successive heartbeat, otherwise known as the R–R interval. The variability in your heart rate provides critical information about the function of your autonomic nervous system, with an increase in heart rate variability representing a positive adaptation or better recovery status, whilst a reduction in HRV reflects stress and a worse/reduced recovery status.
The rule of thumb with heart rate variability is, the higher the athletes heart rate variability, the fitter or better recovered they are and vice versa. An imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems can lead to reductions in athletic performance, and in more extreme cases, lead to overtraining.
From a practical perspective, we could expect performance staff at the Euros to measure heart rate variability before training sessions, with players with a reduced heart rate variability having their training load modified in line with their fatigued state.
Finally, questionnaires and diaries can be used to gain insight into player wellness and recovery status. This is simple and inexpensive, but because it relies on on subjective information from players it should be used in combination with other physiologically based methods of monitoring.
The questionnaires used will pose questions to the players related to the sleep duration, sleep quality, muscle soreness, energy levels, mood, stress levels, mental focus, nutritional intake and quality and their hydration. A body map is often also included for players to indicate which areas of the body they might be experiencing pain or to indicate a potential injury.
With the scores from the questionnaire combined, a recovery or wellness score can be generated. This should be combined with the other internal measures used to provide a holistic picture of player “readiness to train” status, with any compromised players having their load modified or additional recovery modalities used.
As you can see, there are several methods that will be implemented over the course of the Euros in order for performance staff to track their players and ensure they are available for the next fixture.
What’s important is that these tools are combined and not used in isolation to give a more reliable and valid indication of player load.
TAKE THE COURSE NOW
How do you achieve and manage the balance between physical and tactical training? Where does a fitness coaches work end and where does the work of the soccer coach start?
The Certificate in Soccer Load Management is to provide coaches at all levels of the game, with the knowledge, research, practical examples and specific training load methods that they can easily apply to their own team environment.
This course is suitable for:
- Individuals tasked with the responsibility for the & coaching of soccer teams at all levels.
- Individuals with an interest in developing their knowledge and skills in training methodology, and the physical coaching & development of individual players and teams.
This online course has been developed with some of the most respected practitioners and academics within the game. The focus of the course is as follows:
- Highlighting the reasons we should monitor and assess training load in soccer.
- Introduction to the practical application of modern training load monitoring & assessment tools.
- Providing an understanding of the need to monitor players training load & minimize training ‘spikes’.
- Helping you to understand the balance between soccer related fitness, freshness & fatigue.
- Assisting in preparing players for the physical, technical & tactical demands in a safe, progressive manner.
Outline of the Certificate in Soccer Training Load Management:
Module 1: Soccer Player Testing & Monitoring
Lecturer: Prof. Darren Paul
Module 2: Injury Reduction Strategies in Soccer
Lecturer: Dr. Patrick Orme
Module 3: Applications of Training Load Management
Lecturer: Dr. Vasilios Kalapotharakos
Module 4: Weekly microcycle, planning & performance
Lecturer: Dr. Dawid Golinski
Module 5: External Load Monitoring in Soccer
Lecturer: Dr. Xinji Ji
Module 6: Testing & Monitoring: Training & Games
Lecturer: Dr. Berni Guerrero
Module 7: Soccer Specific Monitoring: Subjective Effort Assessment
Lecturer: Dr. Dawid Golinski
Module 8: Competitive Soccer Training Microcycle
Lecturer: Dr. Adam Owen
FAQs
Who is this course designed for?
This course has been designed for beginner to advanced level coaches who work at varying levels of the game from non-professional, semi-pro up to elite level.
Why is training load important?
Athletes who eventually achieve training loads in a well-controlled manner which prepare them to meet the demands of the sport during rehabilitation are less likely to sustain a subsequent injury on return to play and improve their readiness to train.
What is workload management in sports?
In competitive sport, excessive fatigue plays a key role in injuries as it impairs decision-making ability, coordination, and neuromuscular control. The risk of injury increases when the load exceeds the capacity of the athlete.
How long is the course?
This is a 16-hour course providing elite level techniques and strategies that you can apply to your own team environment to improve the fitness and performance of your players.
Is my progress logged through the course?
After each lecture there is a short multiple-choice test designed to cement your learning. You can access your test results at any time through your course progress area.
Can I stop/pause a presentation part way through?
Yes, the course is completely flexible. You can go back to a module at any time and continue from where you left off.
Can I take the modules in any order?
No. The course follows a set structure that must be studied in numerical order. You can only access the next module once you have completed the previous module test.
What is the duration of the course?
You can access the course 24/7 for 6 months, which gives you plenty of time to complete the lectures, tests and assignment.
Will I get a certificate to show that I have passed the course?
Yes, you will receive a pass certificate provided you have attained the minimum pass grade of 75%.
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