NCT07321496

The Most Demanding Match Periods: Should GPS Data be Normalized

The Most Demanding Match Periods: Should GPS Data be Normalized for Performance and Fatigue Monitoring in Soccer?

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Maia · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 35 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

To date, the characterization of Most Demanding Periods (MDPs) in soccer has relied almost exclusively on absolute metrics, suggesting that the peak demands currently reported in the scientific literature are inherently shaped by these fixed thresholds. This reliance on such absolute metrics may lead to an under- or overestimation of the true relative intensity experienced by each player, thus limiting the accuracy of MDPs interpretation. Therefore, exploring whether normalized thresholds alter the magnitude of MDPs across a range of time windows (1, 3 and 5 minutes) is crucial to better understand how the most demanding passages of match play manifest when player-specific capacities are considered. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to compare the MDPs derived from absolute and normalized thresholds for HSR and sprinting.

Conditions

• Most Demanding Periods
• Sport

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Assessment of most demanding periods in soccer	The most demanding periods will be compared over 3 different time windows: 1, 3 and 5 minutes. Both High speed running and sprint distances will be observed.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-01
• Primary completion: 2025-12-30
• Completion: 2026-01-30
• First posted: 2026-01-07
• Last updated: 2026-01-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Portugal