LOAD MANAGEMENT IN FOOTBALL

BRIDGING SCIENCE AND REAL-WORLD PRACTICE

Managing training load is not simply about collecting GPS data. The real challenge is understanding what the data represent, how they relate to the demands of football, and how they can be translated into better training decisions.

This workshop combines current scientific evidence with practical applications from the football environment.

Participants will explore how external and internal load can be monitored and interpreted, how match demands can be used as a reference, and how training exposure can be manipulated across the microcycle according to the intended physical stimulus.

The workshop will cover:

● Principles of external and internal load monitoring

● External & Internal Load Monitoring
● GPS Metrics & Threshold Selection
● High-Speed Running, Sprinting & ACC/DEC
● Most Demanding Periods & Match Demands
● Microcycle Planning & Individualized Exposure
● From Data to Training Decisions

Learning Objectives

✓ Explain what key external and internal load metrics represent

✓ Interpret the dose–response relationship between training load and player response

✓ Select appropriate metrics according to the monitoring question

✓ Interpret GPS data within the context of football training and competition

✓ Differentiate between absolute, individualized and normalized approaches to player monitoring

✓ Use match demands to inform training prescription and player exposure

✓ Analyse load distribution across the football microcycle

✓ Evaluate whether the intended training stimulus has been achieved

✓ Translate performance data into actionable information to support decision-making