Author(s): MARTIN, M., ANELLI, M., SAVASTO, S., TOMASINI, L., Institution: SPORT SERVICE MAPEI S.R.L., Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 1951

INTRODUCTION:
Differences in the high-speed performance during official matches between male and female soccer players (Bradley et al., 2014; Mohr et al., 2008) and between age groups (Palucci Vieira et al., 2019) have been reported. However, those studies employed absolute thresholds to identify speed zones. Since female players have lower maximal speed than male (Haugen et al., 2020) and differences exist between senior and younger teams, the physical output during official matches might be similar between groups when adjusting for maximal speed of each player, that is using relative thresholds. Thus, the aims were to assess the differences between age groups and sex in the physical performance during official matches, using both absolute and relative thresholds to identify high speed running distances.
METHODS:
U19 (n=34, 18.5±0.9 yrs, 74.4±9.1 kg, 181±7 cm) and senior male (FT, n=22, 26.5±5.3 yrs, 82.5±6.6 kg, 184±7 cm) and U19W (n=31, 17.3±0.9 yrs, 61.9±10.1 kg, 166±7 cm) and senior (FTW, n=28, 25.5±4.3 yrs, 63.7±6.2 kg, 170±6 cm) female players from a professional Serie A soccer club participated in this study. Using a GPS (GPEXE Pro2, Exelio), running distances were measured in each match of the 2023–24 and 2024-25 seasons (110 FT, 46 FTW, 93 U19, 48 U19W matches) collecting 1630 individual match data. High-speed zones were identified using absolute (14.4, 19.8, 25.2 km/h) and relative (80-85, 85-90, 90-95 and 95-100% of max speed, which was measured >3 times a year using a 30-m sprint test) thresholds. Mixed models were used to analyse differences between sex and age group.
RESULTS:
Using absolute thresholds, FT and U19 male players showed higher high-speed running distances (speed zones 14.4-19.8 km/h, 19.8-25.2 km/h and >25.5 km/h) compared to females (p<0.001, ES small to moderate). Considering relative thresholds, no sex-related differences in distance run between 80-85%, 85-90%, 90-95% and 95-100% of the maximal speed were found (p>0.062).
Regarding the age group, considering both absolute and relative thresholds, FTW players showed similar high speed running distances compared to U19W (p>0.062), except for the distance in speed zone 14.4-19.8 km/h (p<0.018, ES small). Similarly, male FT players showed similar high speed running distances compared to U19 (p>0.139), except for distance >25.2 km/h (p=0.033, ES small).
CONCLUSION:
Sex-related differences in high-speed performance of professional soccer players during matches exist only when considering absolute thresholds, while distance >80% of the individual maximal speed was similar between males and females. Since FTW and U19W players have lower maximal speed than FT and U19 (around 29.5 and 33.5 km/h respectively), using the same absolute thresholds necessarily result in females showing lower physical performance.
In addition, irrespective of sex, no age-related differences in high-speed distances exist when using relative thresholds to identify speed zones.