Author(s): BELOW, T., GROßE SIEMER, J., THIENES, G., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF VECHTA, Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 2458

INTRODUCTION:
Acceleration-based load monitoring often relies on fixed absolute cut-offs (e.g., ≥2 m·s^−2). Because maximal acceleration declines with initial velocity (vinit), absolute thresholds can underestimate demanding actions and distort between-group comparisons. In canoe polo, pilot evidence suggests minimal exposure above 2–3 m·s^−2 (Vastola et al., 2024). Therefore, this study quantified match-play acceleration demands in elite canoe polo and compared conventional absolute thresholds with a speed-adjusted, relative high-intensity classification based on the percentage-acceleration concept (Sonderegger et al., 2016).
METHODS:
Eighteen German national-team athletes (9 women, 9 men) were monitored with 10-Hz GNSS during 27 matches at the 2024 ICF Super Cup and World Championships. Acceleration events were defined as >0 m·s^−2 for ≥0.5 s. Each event was characterized by maximum acceleration (amax) and vinit. Sex-specific amax–vinit upper envelopes were modelled from match data (0.25 m·s^-1 bins; weighted regression) to estimate maximal observable acceleration as a function of initial velocity apred(vinit). Events were classified as high (>75% apred), moderate (50–75% apred), or low (<50% apred). Sex differences in event counts were tested with Poisson GLMM+OLRE.
RESULTS:
Women accumulated slightly less total accelerations per player-match than men (299 ±56 vs. 321 ±43; p<0.001; IRR = 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–0.99)), yet women produced more high-intensity actions (9.0 ±13.2 vs 4.8 ±3.7; p<0.001; IRR = 1.40 (95% CI 1.31–1.49). High-intensity actions represented 1.5 ±1.1% (men) and 3.0 ±4.0% (women) of all accelerations.
Under absolute thresholding, no event reached amax ≥ 3 m·s^−2 and 2–3 m·s^−2 events were rare (0.09 ±0.29 men; 0.24 ±0.69 women). Relative thresholding therefore identified ~37× (women) to 53× (men) more high-intensity actions than an amax ≥ 2 m·s^−2 criterion. High-intensity actions were predominantly initiated at vinit< 3 m·s^−1 (92.1% men; 99.7% women); ~45–50% started from 0–1 m·s^-1
CONCLUSION:
Canoe polo acceleration intensity is strongly speed-dependent. Fixed absolute cut-offs substantially underestimate high-intensity exposure and obscure meaningful between-sex differences. Speed-adjusted, population-specific thresholds provide interpretable monitoring outputs and support training design targeting repeated high-intensity accelerations from low-to-moderate starting speeds.