The Training Load Indices in Professional Soccer Players: Pre-Season Index of Overall Demand

The index of overall demand as an output of the training factors (volume, intensity and density), is an all-around index for assessment of training loading pattern. The aim of this study was to investigate the index of overall demand in Iranian premier league professional soccer players during pre-season phase of annual plan. Nineteen professional soccer players (age mean and SD: 25.1 ± 0.6 years, height mean and SD: 176.5 ± 0.78 centimetres, weight mean and SD: 80.5 ± 8.54 kilograms) belonging to an Iranian professional soccer team, participated in this study. All players included participated in the pre-season. For this longitudinal study, training load data were collected over a 4-week period during pre-season. The GPS system with the 15 Hz MEMS was used in all the training sessions. Additionally, flashing RED light was used to track HR. Higher training duration were showed in the microcycle 1 compare to the microcycle 4. The relative as well as the absolute volume of the training decreased from the first to the fourth microcycles, On the contrary, the partial and overall training intensity increased during the pre-season phase. We showed no significant changes in the relative and the absolute density of the training. The index of overall demand as an all-around index of training loading pattern decreased from the first to the third microcycles, while it increased in the fourth microcycle. According to our findings the volume, intensity and density of training are three key factors in training and optimal adaptation to these components leads to the improvement of performance. The index of overall demand as a training main variable reflects the actual training load. The index of overall demand, help coaches to manage the training load of athletes.