Analysis of Existing Soccer Conditioning Data

The purpose of this study was to examine the internal and external load of collegiate women’s soccer players by examining and comparing both physiological and psychological factors associated with typical pre-season and in-season training sessions and competitions. Focusing on physiological and psychological factors such as Heart Rate, Distance traveled, Sprints and Training load and their influence on soccer performance during both training sessions and competitions. Twenty-Two Division I collegiate women’s soccer players wore Polar Team Pro heart rate monitors daily during training and competitions and reported subjective Data on the Fit for 90 database. Over the course of the season HR stayed steady for both training (140 ± 6.16 bpm) and competition (135 ± 3.069 bpm) while a decrease was seen in TL scores during training sessions over the course of the season (Week 1: 697.628 AU, Week 14: 209.285 AU). The same was not seen for competitions, TL scores remained relatively stable over the course of the season (Week 2: 646.071 AU, Week 14: 67.363 AU). Training load scores were determined by the total distance covered on a weekly basis. These findings suggest that the physiological factors collected have a relationship with the psychological factors assessed by the athletes. The data suggests that the use of both physiological and psychological data is important in providing the best opportunity for athlete utilization and performance over the course of a longer season such as soccer.