From Youth to Senior : External Load Progression and Positional Differences in Spanish Women’s National Teams During World Cup Competitions
The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the external load demands of players from the Spanish women’s national football teams across the U-17, U-20, and senior categories during their respective FIFA World Cup participations. Key kinematic variables were assessed via global positioning syst...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad Francisco de Vitoria |
| Repositorio: | DDFV. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Francisco de Vitoria |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ddfv.ufv.es:10641/7161 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10641/7161 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | GPS female football load match soccer women General Materials Science Instrumentation General Engineering Process Chemistry and Technology Computer Science Applications Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes Yes yes |
| Sumario: | The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the external load demands of players from the Spanish women’s national football teams across the U-17, U-20, and senior categories during their respective FIFA World Cup participations. Key kinematic variables were assessed via global positioning systems (GPS), including total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR; ≥18 km·h−1), sprint distance (≥21 km·h−1), accelerations (>3 m·s−2), decelerations (<–3 m·s−2), and high metabolic load distance (HMLD) during 3 world cups (U17, U20 and senior). Significant differences were observed between the senior team and both U-20 and U-17 in nearly all variables, with greater magnitude as the intensity of the metrics increased, showing effect sizes ranging from moderate to very large (d = 0.95 to 4.76). Positional analysis by categories showed that senior full backs (FB) and central midfielders (CM) showed higher demands compared to U-20 and U-17. For TD, senior covered more than U-17 (FB: p = 0.001; d = 1.11 | CM: p = 0.023; d = 0.97), with small differences vs. U-20 (d ≤ 0.54). In HSR, both positions outperformed U-17 and U-20 (FB: p ≤ 0.007; d = 0.87–1.15 | CM: p ≤ 0.031; d = 0.71–1.11). In HMLD, both FB and CM displayed very large differences compared to U-17 and U-20 (all p < 0.001; d = 2.54–6.16). These findings underscore the need for progressive development of locomotor capacities from early stages, considering both age category and playing position, to facilitate a more seamless transition to elite-level football. |
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