Comparison of Psychophysiological Responses in Game Simulation and Different Training Sessions

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JEPonline

Comparison of Psychophysiological Responses in Game Simulation and Different Training Sessions in Female Futsal Athletes

Jonathan Barth1, Yuri Salenave Ribeiro2, Luan Merseburger Picanço2, Fabrício Boscolo Del Vecchio2

1Federal University of Santa Catarina, Biomechanics Laboratory-BIOMEC, Florianópolis, Brasil, 2Federal University of Pelotas, College Physical Education, Pelotas, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Barth J, Ribeiro YS, Picanço LM, Del Vecchio FB. Comparison of Phychophysiological Responses in Game Simulation and Different Training Sessions in Female Futsal Athletes. JEPonline 2016;19(6): 10-16. The purpose of this study was to compare the different modes to quantifying the training load in small-sided game (SSG), repeated sprint ability (RSA), and simulated match (SM). Ten female futsal players participated, which was conducted in three sessions. In all the sessions, heart rate, rating of perceived effort, and total duration of the session to calculate the training impulse (TRIMP), and internal load (IL) were recorded. Significant differences in HR max were observed between SM (196 beats·min-1) and SSG (186 beats·min-1), and also between SM and RSA (185 beats·min-1). However, no differences were found in HR max. Differences were found only in IL between SSG (103 a.u) and SM (222 a.u) and also between SSG and RSA (156 a.u). The RPEBorg presented difference only between RSA (13.5 a.u) and SSG (9.5 a.u) and SM (12 a.u). The results demonstrate that sessions with SM and SSG show similar psychological and physiological responses, but lower than observed in RSA training sessions. Thus, these procedures can be employed to improve physical abilities at different periods of futsal training.

Key Words: Team Sports, Small-Sided Game, Repeated Sprint Ability, Simulated Match

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INTRODUCTION

Futsal is a team sport with timed game and unlimited substitutions during the match that requires a high level of physical, technical, and tactical conditioning (3,8). Unlike several other team sports, players execute offensive and defensive actions during the entire match (8,22). Beyond the intense, fast, and successive efforts, its dynamic provides rhythm variation that requires the maximum use of a player’s physical fitness (15).

In this sense, the exercise intensity focused on physical fitness improvement is one of the main factors in planning the training. Thus, this requires a comprehensive knowledge of the futsal physiological demands the players are subjected to during the matches that result in adaptation to the training routines, which empowers the training methods. Consequently, the players’ training increases the teams competitive performance (11,20). Yet, the reality is that despite the popularity of futsal as a team sport over the past few years, there is still limited information about the training and match characteristic.

In particular, the lack of data speaks primarily to simulated matches (SMs) (18), small-sided games (SSGs) (12), and the repeated sprint ability (RSA) (10), with some information about physiological parameters such as heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), and rating of perceived effort (RPE) (3,8). In this context, the process of physical conditioning in team sports employs two common procedures: (a) the SSGs (9); and (b) the RSA stimulus (5). The SSGs are intermittent activities with high physiological demands that can improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness (9), elevate team performance (12), and has the advantage of being highly customizable (9). The RSA is considered one of the most important components of a futsal player’s physical fitness, mainly because it is a determinant action in decisive moments of the matches (21).

Thus, in regards to the limited information concerning the biological response measurement during different training sessions in futsal, especially considering the SSG and RSA in female athletes, the purpose of this study was to compare the different forms of load quantification during women’s futsal training sessions.

METHODS

Subjects

Ten line female futsal players who train in a state-level futsal club with 3 to 4 training sessions per week for ~90 min each participated in this study. The athletes were in a precompetitive period and were selected because of their participation in a structured and continuous training process, showing high competitive level with technical and tactical ability. Additionally, they were free from musculoskeletal injury in the 6 wks prior to the study and, therefore, were not patients of physiotherapeutic treatment.

The technical committee professionals as well as all the athletes or their legal guardians were informed about the procedures. Each subject signed an informed consent to participate in the study (Local Ethics Committee protocol 005/2012).

Procedures

The research was developed with three on-site visits between 6 and 9 PM in the team court, during its training, with at least 48 hrs of recovery between sessions.

The subjects performed three practice sessions with a randomly determined order of application. In two of these sessions, general (RSA) and specific (SSG) stimuli were conducted, with one of the two in the first part and the other stimulus in the second part after a 10-min passive recovery. The third session consisted of an official futsal match simulation (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Experimental Design.

The HR-related variables were recorded in beats·min-1 using individual heart-monitoring straps and a pulse monitor (RS800CX, Polar™). The RPE was carried out at the end of each exercise effort using the 6 to 20 point scale (RPEBorg) (5). At the end of the session, the 0 to 10 point scale (RPEFoster) was used (13). For the analysis effect, the SM was divided into two 20-min periods and subdivided in four 10-min subperiods. The training IL was quantified from the multiplication of the RPEFoster score for the duration of the time played in minutes. The following equation (1) was used to determine training impulse (TRIMP):

TRIMPBanister = training duration • (HRRES • 0.64) • e1.92 • HRRES

Statistical Analyses

The data used are from the second part of each proposed training session (SSG or RSA) to extract information related to the moment with the higher physical and technical fatigue, when there is a higher incidence of goals and that determines the match outcome (16).

For the analyses, the data normality with the Shapiro Wilk test was first tested. After this procedure, which confirmed the non-normal data distribution, the data were presented in median and 25th and 75th percentiles. In the analysis between the first and second time from the SM, the Mann Whitney test was used. The Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to compare the following: (a) different training stimulus; (b) SSG block differences; (c) RSA successive bouts; and (d) the four SM 10-min subperiods. Significance level was set at 5%.

RESULTS

Table 1. Median (25-75%) of Psychobiological Variables in Different Training Sessions in Futsal (N = 10).

SM / SSG / RSA
HR max (beats·min-1) / 196 (191.5 - 201)ac / 186 (183.8 - 188.8) / 185.5 (182.3 - 193)
HRAVERAGE (beats·min-1) / 156 (148.5 - 159.8) / 153.5 (140.3 - 163.8) / 160 (159 - 166)
TRIMP / 108.6 (75.9 - 125.5) / 79.5 (57.1 - 109.4) / 98.8 (90.3 – 110.1)
RPE Borg / 12 (11 - 12.8)c / 9.5 (7.3 - 11.5)e / 13.5 (13 - 14)
RPE Foster / 3 (3 - 4) / 3 (2 - 4)d / 4 (3.3 - 5)
IL / 222 (193 - 249.3)b / 103 (76 - 142.5)d / 156 (123.5 - 190)

HR = Heart Rate; RPE = Rating of Perceived Exertion; IL = Internal Load; RSA = Repeated Sprint Ability; SM = Simulated Match; SSG = Small-Sided Game; TRIMP = Training Impulse; a = difference between SM and SSG, P<0.01; b = difference between SM and SSG, P<0.001; c = difference between SM and RSA, P<0.05; d = difference between SSG and RSA, P<0.05; e = difference between SSG and RSA, P<0.001

DISCUSSION

The main finding of the present study is the lack of significant differences in physiological and psychological variables between different training sessions in young female futsal athletes. Regarding the training prescription variables, which represent physiological characteristics, the results show a single difference when the three types of effort used in this research were compared: the HRMAX presented higher values in the SM. This may have occurred because, even in the case of match simulation, the atmosphere created was close to a competitive scenario, which at certain times can generate considerable stress and fatigue (17). For HRAVERAGE and TRIMP, statistical differences were not found. This finding points to the similarity between both stimuli (SSG and RSA) and SM, which strengthens the principle of sports training specificity (14). With professional soccer players, no differences were found in the TRIMP and HR when the SSG protocol and exhibition game were compared (2).

With respect to the psychological variable involved in the training load control, similarities in RPE Borg between SM and SSG were identified. However, when the three types of stimuli were compared, it is suggested that the RSA training session can generate greater psychophysical fatigue. The reason for these results is the fact that in various short-duration and high-intensity stimuli, short recovery period is not sufficient for the replacement of phosphocreatine. This outcome increases the rate of the glycolytic pathway, which is limited by the formation of H+ ions that accelerate the process of muscle fatigue (4).

In soccer, the increase in field size is acknowledged that influences RPE (7,19). However, in the present study, the RPE registered during the SSG was not statistically lower than that found in the SM. This suggests that in futsal the increase in individual coverage area (57 m² in SSG to 68.1 m² in SM) did not influence the RPE scores.

According to the findings in the present study, the training sessions involving RSA generated higher perceived exertion compared to those that involved SSG. However, it is important to note that when the IL is analyzed, SSG and RSA stimuli are apparently different from SM demands. This is probably because of the difference between SM training duration.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that training methods that involve SSG, RSA, or SM generate similar physiological responses while the RSA training session results in a higher RPE score when compared to the SM or SSGs. This indicates a greater psycho-physiological impact with the internal load affected mainly by the training duration. These training methods can be used for improving physical fitness associated with futsal performance.

Address for correspondence: Jonathan Barth, Department of Biomechanics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil, 88040-900, Email:

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