Author(s): ZHAO, T., CUI, S., WU, X., Institution: BEIJING RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SPORTS SCIENCE, Country: CHINA, Abstract-ID: 1462

INTRODUCTION:
Domestic women's football competitions are held year-round, with one or two matches weekly and short intervals between events. Quantifying training and match loads in in-season microcycles is critical to defining the specific physiological demands of female players, guiding tailored periodization and recovery strategies, and balancing physical limits with adequate recovery. Research on daily training and match loads of Chinese professional female football players remains scarce. This study aimed to analyze the external and internal load characteristics of daily training and matches in competition-season microcycles for Beijing female football players, and compare microcycle load features between starters and substitutes.
METHODS:
An observational cohort study was conducted on a Beijing professional women's football team in the 2024/2025 Chinese Women's Super League, including only four standard weeks (1 match/week, ≥5 days between matches, ≥5 training days/week). Twenty out of 22 eligible players were included;GK were excluded.Training and match load data were collected via wearable technologies: 10Hz GPS (Catapult S7) for external load, 100Hz acceleration sensors for acceleration cumulation, and Polar Wearlink® heart rate straps for internal load. Descriptive statistics (mean±SD) were applied to all data. Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests verified normality and variance homogeneity. Multivariate and repeated measures ANOVA assessed group and training-match differences (P<0.05).
RESULTS:
Moderate/high-intensity running, sprinting, and high-acceleration frequency showed a load pattern of MD-3>MD-2>MD-4>MD-1; total running distance, deceleration frequency followed MD-2>MD-3>MD-4>MD-1.On MD+1, the average frequency of high acc/dec in substitutes' training was less than 50% of that in match play.Starters exhibited total/moderate/high-intensity/sprint running distance peaked at MD-3; acceleration/deceleration peaked at MD-3/MD-2. Except for sprint distance and high acceleration/deceleration frequency, all other load variables of substitutes in MD+1 compensation training were higher than those on regular training days.With match load as the benchmark, substitutes had lower weekly cumulative load than starters in all indicators except Avg HR%.
CONCLUSION:
This study quantified the internal and external load characteristics of Beijing professional female football players in competition-season microcycles, confirming that match loads (internal/external) were higher than training loads. Microcycle training load peaked at MD-3 and gradually decreased toward match day. Neuromuscular demands (acc/dec) in daily training were consistently lower than match demands, and substitutes had lower overall weekly workload than starters, especially in high-intensity running and time >90% HRmax. Current training designs require adjustment, particularly in compensatory sessions, to better replicate match high-intensity demands for substitutes and ensure optimal physiological readiness of the entire squad.