Activity Profile and Physical Performance of Match Play in Elite Futsal Players

Abstract

Understanding the physical demands of futsal requires a precise quantification of the players’ activities during match play.This study aimed to: (1) describe external load, identifying differences between the 1st and 2nd halves in official futsal matches; (2) identify the most important external workload metrics to profile the players; and (3) identify the collinearity between variables in the analysis of physical performance of futsal players. Match external load data were collected from male players (n = 28) in six games of the Final Eight of the Portuguese Futsal Cup 2018. The players increased the distance covered per min at 12-18 km/h in the 2nd half (p 18 Km/h), decelerations (>-2 m/s-2) and metabolic power (W/Kg) are the variables that most discriminate load intensity of elite futsal players.