GPS ANALYSIS OF ELITE WOMENS FIELD HOCKEY TRAINING AND COMPETITION

TIM J. GABBETT
Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Club, Red Hill, Queensland, Australia

ABSTRACT
Gabbett, TJ. GPS analysis of elite womens eld hockey training and competition. J Strength Cond Res 24(5): 13211324, 2010This study investigated the physiological demands of womens eld hockey competition and compared these demands to those experienced during game-based training activities. Fourteen elite women eld hockey players (mean 6 SD; age, 23.3 6 3.2 years; maximal oxygen consumption, 53.5 6 4.3 mlkg21min21) participated in this study. Global positioning satellite (GPS) system analysis was completed during 19 training appearances and 32 Australian Hockey League (AHL) appearances. All training sessions consisted of game-based activities (i.e., small-sided training games) that were played on a reduced-sized pitch. Movement was recorded by a global positioning satellite unit sampling at 5 Hz. Data were categorized into discreet movement velocity bands, corresponding to low-intensity (01 ms21), moderate-intensity (13 ms21 and 35 ms21), and high-intensity (57 ms21 and .7 ms21) activities. Players covered 6.6 km (range: 3.49.5 km) over the course of the match. Midelders spent more time and covered greater distances in high-intensity running (i.e., .5 ms21) than strikers and defenders. The number of high-velocity and highacceleration efforts over the course of a match was greater in midelders. In comparison to competition, game-based training sessions resulted in more time spent in low-intensity (i.e., 01 ms21) activities and less time spent in moderate (i.e., 13 ms21 and 35 ms21) and high-intensity (i.e., 57 ms21 and .7 ms21) activities. Although game-based training is likely to be useful for improving the skill levels of players, the skill activities used in the present study did not reect the physiological demands of competition, with players spending more time in low-intensity activities and less time in highintensity activities than competition. Modications in training

group size and/or drill design and complexity may better simulate the physiological demands of competition.

KEY WORDS physiological demands, movement patterns, team sports, eld sports, sprinting INTRODUCTION

Address correspondence to Dr. Tim J. Gabbett, timg@broncos.com.au. 24(5)/13211324 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association

t is well-documented that the greatest training benets occur when the training stimulus simulates the movement patterns and physiological demands of the sport (8). Based on this premise, coaches are increasingly using game-based training activities (e.g., small-sided games) as a means of improving the skill and physical tness levels of team sport athletes (15,7). The use of game-based activities as training drills allows the simulation of movement patterns of team sports, while maintaining a competitive environment where athletes must perform under pressure and fatigue (2,4,7). Perhaps more importantly, game-based training offers an additional challenge to team sport athletes that would not normally be present in nonskill-related conditioning activities (2). The amount of high-intensity running performed during a match has been shown to be an important discriminator of elite and subelite team sport athletes (6). Previous studies of high-intensity intermittent team sports (e.g., soccer, eld hockey) have reported that players cover 912 km and perform 1962 sprints in a match (4,9). Whereas the large variability in physiological demands between studies may reect differences in competitive standard, sports, and/or gender, it is also possible that the discrepancy between studies reects the subjective description of locomotor activities, using video time-motion analysis (4,10). With the introduction of global positioning satellite (GPS) technology, sport scientists and conditioning coaches are able to gain specic information on the distances covered in low- and high-intensity activities and, the sprinting velocities achieved by these athletes during training and competition. However, to date no study has documented the physiological demands of game-based training activities and competition in elite team sport athletes using GPS technology. With this in mind, the purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological demands of specic positional playing groups (i.e., strikers, midelders, and defenders) in elite eld hockey players using GPS technology. Furthermore, these demands were
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TABLE 1. Time spent in discreet velocity bands in elite womens eld hockey competition. Striker Velocity (ms21) 0 to 1 1 to 3 3 to 5 5 to 7 .7 Total Time (s) 2,934 6 339 1,697 6 104 530 6 66 76 6 34 667 5,242 6 289 Time (%) 55.9 6 3.6 32.4 6 2.6 10.2 6 1.8 1.4 6 0.7 0.1 6 0.1 100.0 6 0.0 Midelder Time (s) 2,674 6 586 1,901 6 566 595 6 145 101 6 42 11 6 9 5,247 6 620 Time (%) 50.6 6 11.7 35.9 6 8.9 11.3 6 2.5 1.9 6 0.8 0.2 6 0.2 100.0 6 0.0 Defender Time (s) 2,423 6 577 2,094 6 481 487 6 153 66 6 30 768 5,078 6 1004 Time (%) 47.8 6 41.2 6 9.6 6 1.3 6 0.1 6 100.0 6 6.7 4.9 2.4 0.5 0.2 0.0

Data are mean 6 SD.

compared with those experienced during training consisting entirely of game-based activities.

METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem

In the present study, the physiological demands of elite womens eld hockey competition were investigated, and these demands were compared with those experienced during training consisting entirely of game-based training activities. We hypothesized that game-based training would offer a specic training stimulus to simulate the physiological demands of elite standard competition.
Subjects

running in addition to speed training prior to the study. Consequently, all participants were in peak physical condition and free from injury at the time of the study. All participants received a clear explanation of the study, including the risks and benets of participation, and written consent was obtained. The Institutional Review Board for Human Investigation approved all experimental procedures.
GPS Analysis

Fourteen elite women eld hockey players (mean 6 SD; age, 23.3 6 3.2 years; maximal oxygen consumption, 53.5 6 4.3 mlkg21min21) participated in this study. Athletes were scholarship holders within the Queensland Academy of Sport womens eld hockey program or members of the Australian Hockeyroos womens eld hockey team. Players had completed a 2-month general and special preparatory program consisting of continuous aerobic and interval

Competition. GPS system analysis was completed during 19 training appearances and 32 Australian Hockey League (AHL) appearances. The AHL is an elite standard eld hockey competition and is the highest standard of eld hockey competition within Australia. The Australian Hockey League is a physically demanding competition that requires players to compete in 2 matches on consecutive days and often requires teams to travel considerable distances (i.e. ight time between 1 and 5 hours) to opposition venues. Game-Based Training. During the specic preparatory phase of training, coaches used game-based training (i.e., small-sided training games played on a reduced-sized pitch) to improve physical qualities, technical skill, and decision-making. Only

TABLE 2. Distance covered in discreet velocity bands in elite womens eld hockey competition. Striker Velocity (ms21) 0 to 1 1 to 3 3 to 5 5 to 7 .7 Total Distance (m) 728 6 231 3,017 6 247 1,941 6 198 423 6 195 46 6 57 6,154 6 271 Distance (%) 11.8 6 3.3 49.1 6 5.0 31.5 6 2.3 6.9 6 3.0 0.8 6 1.0 100.0 6 0.0 Midelder Distance (m) 681 6 243 3,422 6 989 2,181 6 558 571 6 244 77 6 69 6,931 6 1882 Distance (%) 9.8 6 49.3 6 31.7 6 8.2 6 1.1 6 100.0 6 1.8 2.6 2.4 2.7 1.0 0.0 Defender Distance (m) 841 6 3,618 6 1,763 6 369 6 52 6 6,643 6 229 821 566 178 62 1618 Distance (%) 12.8 6 2.4 54.8 6 3.5 26.2 6 3.4 5.5 6 1.7 0.8 6 0.9 100.0 6 0.0

Data are mean 6 SD.

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TABLE 3. Number of high-velocity and high-acceleration efforts and typical distance covered in elite womens eld hockey competition. High-velocity activities* Distance (m) 0 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 .40 Total Striker 16 6 4 13 6 3 16 6 2 562 363 162 54 6 9 Midelder 15 6 5 12 6 4 16 6 7 864 362 463 58 6 16 Defender 11 6 10 6 11 6 56 36 36 43 6 4 4 4 2 2 3 14 Striker 061 21 6 1 16 6 6 161 060 060 38 6 6 High-acceleration activities* Midelder 262 25 6 7 16 6 6 161 060 060 44 6 12 Defender 362 19 6 6 13 6 5 162 060 060 36 6 10

Data are mean 6 SD. High-velocity activities, .5 ms21; high acceleration activities, .0.5 ms22 lasting for 2 or more seconds.

game-based training sessions that involved minimal coaching stoppages were included in the training analysis. To account for variations in individual matches and game-based training sessions, data were collected from all matches played and all game-based training sessions designed to simulate the physiological demands of competition. Movement was recorded by a GPS unit (minimaxX Catapult Innovations, Melbourne, Australia) sampling at 5 Hz. The GPS signal provided information on speed, distance, position, and acceleration. The GPS unit also included triaxial accelerometers sampling at 100 Hz to provide greater accuracy on speed and acceleration. The unit was worn in a small vest, on the upper back of the players.

Data were categorized into discreet movement velocity bands, corresponding to low-intensity (01 ms21), moderateintensity (13 ms21 and 35 ms21), and high-intensity (57 ms21 and .7 ms21) activities.
Statistical Analyses

Differences in the time spent and distance covered in low-, moderate-, and high-intensity activities between competition and game-based training activities were compared using an independent t-test and Cohens effect size statistic. Effect sizes of 0.20.6, 0.61.2, and .1.2 were considered small, moderate, and large, respectively. The level of signicance was set at p # 0.05 and all data are reported as mean 6 SD.

RESULTS
Physiological Demands of Competition

On average, players covered 6.6 km (range: 3.49.5 km) over the course of the match. Midelders spent more time and covered greater distances in highintensity running (i.e., .5 ms21) than strikers and defenders (Tables 1 and 2). The number of high-velocity and highacceleration efforts over the course of a match was greater in midelders (Table 3).
Game-Based Training

Figure 1. Time spent in game-based training and competition.

In comparison to competition, game-based training sessions resulted in more time spent in low-intensity (i.e., 01 ms21) activities and less time spent in moderate (i.e., 13 ms21 and
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35 ms21) and high-intensity (i.e., 57 ms21 and .7 ms21) activities (Figure 1).

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Whereas game-based training is likely to be useful for improving the skill levels of players, the skill activities used in the present study did not reect the physiological demands of competition, with players spending more time in lowintensity activities and less time in high-intensity activities than competition. Several practitioners have previously shown that game-based training can be used effectively to simulate the physiological demands of competition (4,7). With this in mind, the present ndings do not suggest that small-sided training games are ineffective for eld hockey; rather, they provide insight to coaches into the specicity of their training activities. These results suggest that modications in training group size and/or drill design and complexity may better simulate the physiological demands of competition.

DISCUSSION
This study investigated the physiological demands of womens eld hockey competition and compared these demands to those experienced during game-based training activities. Although game-based training is likely to be useful for improving the skill levels of players, the skill activities used in the present study did not reect the physiological demands of competition, with players spending more time in lowintensity activities and less time in high-intensity activities than competition. Modications in training group size and/or drill design and complexity may better simulate the physiological demands of competition. Whereas previous studies have investigated the physiological demands and movement patterns of various team sport activities, a limitation of these studies rests in the subjective description of locomotor activities, using video time-motion analysis (4,10). The present study is the rst to investigate the physiological demands of competition and game-based training activities in elite team sport athletes using GPS technology. The total distance covered in matches was 6.6 km (but up to 9.5 km) with players spending 97.3% of total match play in low- to moderateintensity activities. However, low-intensity periods were interspersed with frequent bouts of high-acceleration and high-velocity movement activities. Although the present ndings demonstrate the need for a well-developed aerobic capacity to allow athletes to cover this distance in a match and to recover after high-intensity bouts of activity, they also demonstrate the need for specic training of the anaerobic alactic (ATP-CP) system in elite women eld hockey players. The typical distances covered in high-velocity and highacceleration efforts were similar among playing positions (i.e., typically up to 20 m). However, the absolute number of high-intensity efforts and total distance covered in these activities was greater in midelders (102 efforts, 648 m) than strikers (92 efforts, 469 m) and defenders (79 efforts, 421 m). These ndings emphasize the importance of individualizing conditioning programs to meet the specic demands of the different playing positions.

REFERENCES
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