AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOVEMENT DEMANDS AND RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION IN AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS

Johnston, RJ, Watsford, ML, Austin, DJ, Pine, MJ, and Spurrs, RW. An examination of the relationship between movement demands and rating of perceived exertion in Australian footballers. J Strength Cond Res 29(7): 2026-2033, 2015This study aimed to determine whether a relationship existed between movement demands, match events, and perceptual match load, as determined by rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in professional Australian footballers. The movement variables were collected between 1 and 22 times using global positioning system units from 21 players during the 2011 and 2012 Australian Football League seasons. A range of movement demands and match events were collected to obtain a complete insight into the physical demands and work rates of these athletes. These data were separated into the high-load (HL, 9) and low-load (LL, 8) RPE groups. A Mann-Whitney U-test, independent samples t-test, and effect sizes were used to determine whether any differences existed between the 2 groups and the size of the difference. The results revealed that the HL groups covered more distance, spent more time, and produced more efforts at the high deceleration zone (2.4-6.7%). Further, the HL group had more possessions and disposals of the football than the LL group (9.2-29.6%). The findings have highlighted the importance of monitoring accelerations, decelerations, and instantaneous power outputs to obtain a comprehensive insight into the physical demands placed on team sport athletes. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that training sessions should involve a focus on drills that are composed of both skill development and physical stimulus element.