Match-to-match variations in external load measures during congested weeks in professional male soccer players

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze within-week and within-match external load variations in male soccer players over three consecutive matches during a congested week.Methods: The cohort included nineteen elite professional (age: 26.5 ± 4.3 years) from European First League team. Players were monitored daily full season using measurements collected by global positioning systems (GPSs). GPS-derived measures of total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR), high metabolic (HML), maximal speed (maxSpeed) each match.Results: TD HML intensity meaningfully lower the second half than first for all weeks (p 0.05), these presented inconsistently minimum-to-strong effect sizes some overall weeks.Conclusion: findings this revealed that distances significantly different between halves weeks, regardless number matches. Meanwhile, HSR maxSpeed no significant differences across overall.