HEART RATE AND ACTIVITY PROFILE FOR YOUNG FEMALE SOCCER

• Main Authors: Granda, J., Barbero-Álvarez, V, Gómez-López, M, Barbero-Álvarez, JC., Castagna, C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Alicante 2008-07-01
• Series: Journal of Human Sport and Exercise
• Subjects: female soccer; match analysis; physiological stress; GPS.
• Online Access: http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/6635/3/JHSE_3_2_1.pdf

The physical and physiological demands of high-level male soccer have been studied extensively, while few studies have investigated the demands placed on females during match-play, however, there is no information available about the heart rate and activity profile of young female soccer players during match play. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine cardiovascular (heart-rates HR) and physical demands of young female soccer players during a match. Players were observed during a friendly competitive match (7-a-side) over 2 x 25-min halves. Match activities were assessed with Global Position System technology (1Hz). Result showed that young female soccer players attain 88±4.4% and 86.3±4.8% of HRmax during the first and second half respectively (P=0.3), the average heart rate was 87%. During the first and second half, they covered 2072±197 m and 1905±144 m (P<0.001) respectively. At speed faster than 13 km/hr, they covered 132.6 m and 116 m during the first and second halves respectively (P=0.4). The results show that, during competitive matches, YFPs experience a cardiovascular load similar to that reported for adolescent male soccer players and professional female soccer players. However match work-rate (total distance covered and distance at a speed of >13 km/h) resulted lower than that previously reported for age-matched male soccer players and elite female soccer players. This seems to indicate that gender and competitive level differences in match physical performance seem to occur mainly in the absolute match work-rate domain.