Author(s): CAI, X.1,2, MAO, L.1, SPENCER, M.5, LOMBARD, W.3, REN, Y.3, JIANG, H.3, CHEN, X.4, Institution: NANJING NORMAL UNIVERSITY, Country: CHINA, Abstract-ID: 2381

INTRODUCTION:
Field hockey is a team sport that requires a lot of technical, tactical and physical activity [1]. The 2015 new FIH rules have increased the requirements of physical demands of players in matches [2]. Tapering strategies have been widely used in the preparation period for team sports competitions [3]. Thus, optimized tapering strategy in field hockey and revealing the effects of different tapering strategies on the physical demands during matches is crucial important.
METHODS:
2 national level tournaments of 22 elite Chinese females field hockey athletes [Age: (23.5±4.9) years; Height: (168.5±4.6) cm; Weight: (62.4±5.3) kg; BMI: (22.0±1.7) kg/m2] were recorded by GPS/IMA units (Optimeye S5, Catapult Sports, Australia, 10Hz). Two different tapering strategy (3 Weeks) were used in two different tournaments (interval by 6 weeks) with the same opponents, competition schedule and tactical strategies. Similar weekly total running distance and high-speed running distance were recorded by GPS/IMA units during two tapering period, while they performed M-M-M (tapering strategy A, TSA) and M-M-L (tapering strategy B, TSB) in weekly total distance, L-H-M (TSA) and M-M-M (TSB) in weekly total high speed distance respectively (L, low; M, medium; H, high). The independent-sample T-test was used to compare the differences between different tapering strategies and different quarters, significant difference was set at P < 0.05, and very significant difference was set at P < 0.01.
RESULTS:
Regarding to the GPS running data and IMA data of whole matches, TSA performed significantly higher match time (50.2±15.4 vs. 43.6±12.7 min), total distance (5566.4±1494.3 vs. 4818.9±1079.1 m), low-speed running distance (4996.1±1402.3 vs. 4276.5±1036.9 m), total PlayerLoadTM (470.7±121.6 vs. 406.1±97.1 AU), PlayerLoadTM 2D (278.8±71.4 vs. 252.4±61.8 AU), total M&H IMA (58.2±24.8 vs. 47.9±20.1 times) compared with TSB (P<0.05). Regarding to the GPS and IMA data across different quarters, TSA performed significant lower high speed running distance percentage (9.6±3.4% vs. 12.0±6.0%), sprint distance (36.9±23.5 vs. 48.8±35.4 m), running distance per min (103.2±14.0 vs. 111.3±19.3 m/min) than TSB in Quarter 4 (P<0.05). In addition, TSA performed significantly decreasing on running distance per min, high speed running distance per min, PlayerLoadTM per min in Quarter 4 when compared with Quarter 1-3 (P<0.05). However, TSB performed no significant difference on most parameters across 4 quarters.
CONCLUSION:
TSA showed higher volume on low intensity movements than TSB during matches on elite female field hockey players. However, compared with TSA, TSB revealed better physical performance of elite female field hockey players in Quarter 4. In summary, TSA could generate high physical volume on matches’ performance with high physical fatigue; TSB could perform more stable physical performance across quarters with less physical fatigue, especially on Quarter 4.