The distribution of match activities relative to the maximal intensities in elite soccer players: implications for practice.

To determine the distribution of match-activities relative to maximum-intensities during official match in elite soccer players. One hundred and forty-eight Italian Serie A soccer players were monitored during 46 official matches (680 individual-samples). Total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR), very high-speed running (VHSR), sprint, acceleration and deceleration were calculated. Maximum-intensities (1-min) were used as the reference value to determine the distribution of relative intensity across the whole-match demands (90-min). Time and distance higher than 90-min (>90-min) were also calculated. The relative (m·min) 90-min 1-min was 59.6(4.4)% for TD, 26.2(4.4)% for HSR, 16.0(3.5)% for VHSR, 9.3(2.3)% for sprint, 19.2(4.6)% for acceleration and 15.4(5.2)% for deceleration. Total distance covered >90-min was ~61.4(5.0)% for TD, ~68.6(1.9)% for HSR, ~80.2(1.3)% for VHSR, ~95.7(0.4)% for sprint, ~75.5(1.3)% for acceleration and ~64.0(2.6)% for deceleration. With the exception of [ES: 0.50 (0.26 to 0.73)] difference for acceleration, the relative distance >90-min was to (ES: 1.64 to 7.78) higher (< 0.05) than the 90-min for each metric. While no between-position difference (> 0.05) was found for total minutes >90-min, between-position differences (< 0.05) for the total distance >90-min were retrieved across each metric. The distribution of the activities relative to maximal intensities could assist coaches for soccer training prescriptions.