{Reference Type}: Journal Article {Title}: Monitoring Within-Individual Dose-Response Relationships in Professional Soccer Players: The Importance of Fitness Level. {Author}: Rabbani A;Ermidis G;Clemente FM;Anderson L; {Journal}: Int J Sports Physiol Perform {Volume}: 19 {Issue}: 7 {Year}: 2024 Jul 1 {Factor}: 4.211 {DOI}: 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0434 {Abstract}: OBJECTIVE: To (1) examine within-individual player dose-response associations between selected training-load measures and changes in aerobic fitness level via submaximal exercise heart rate (HRex%) and (2) measure the relationships between these dose-response associations with basal HRex% (to study the influence of fitness level on dose-response relationship).
METHODS: During an in-season phase, selected training-load measures including total minutes, total distance, mechanical work (the sum number of accelerations and decelerations > 3 m2), high metabolic load distance, and Edwards' training impulse were collected via Global Positioning System and heart-rate sensors for analyzing accumulated load. A submaximal warm-up test was used repeatedly before and after 9 phases to elicit HRex% and track fitness changes at an individual level.
RESULTS: Negative to positive extensive ranges of within-individual associations were found among players for different metrics (r = -.84 to .89). The relationship between pooled HRex% (basal fitness) and dose-response correlations showed inverse very large (r = -.71) and large (r = -.65) values for accumulated weekly minutes and distance. However, moderate values were found for all other measures (r = -.35 to -.42).
CONCLUSIONS: Individual players show extensive different ranges of dose-response associations with training measures. The dose-response association is influenced by players' fitness level, and players with lower fitness levels show stronger inverse relationships with accumulated minutes and total distance.