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?

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Sport; Most Demanding Periods
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Assessment of most demanding periods in soccer

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Portugal
  • Maia, Portugal
    • Universidade da Maia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Male Soccer players competing at the highest national level, free from injuries during the period of data analysis.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Soccer players competing at the highest national level

Exclusion Criteria:

• Injured athletes

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Soccer Players; Soccer players enrolled in the research project	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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Distance covered	1 minute, 3 minute, 5 minute

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Maia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 20, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 20, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): January 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 7, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 20, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: soccer; intensity; training load
• Other Study ID Numbers: MDP_01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No