Training Load and Health Problems in a Season of Elite Women’s Football in Norway: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: As the professionalization of women’s football is increasing, the need for studies on female populations is accentuated. Training load, health problems and their relationships are central in elite football and need further exploring. Purposes: I) To investigate differences in training load and health problems in different periods of the season, and II) to examine how training load and health problems may be associated through different periods of the season. Methods: Sixteen players from a team in the women’s top division of Norway were recruited for this prospective cohort study. Training load was assessed with the variables total distance (TD), high speed running (HSR), accelerations (ACC) and decelerations (DEC), collected using Polar Team Pro GPS units (10hz), and session ratings of perceived exertion (sRPE). Health problem data was collected using the OSTRC-H2. The season was divided into five periods: Pre-season 1, part 1, pre-season 2, part 2 and mid-season break. There was an 8-week break in the season due to the 2023 world cup. Players affected by health problems were included in analysis if they met the inclusion criteria (at least 70% of sessions were of known load). Results: Large individual variations in training load were found throughout the season. HSR was lower, and ‘substantial’ and ‘time-loss’ health problem prevalences were higher in the second part of the season. sRPE trended towards being higher in Pre-season 2 (p=0.051), and new health problems per week were higher in Pre-season 2 and season Part 2. There was a rapid increase in training load in Pre-season 2. Players with a health problem reported 18% lower sRPE. Discussion: The rapid increase in training load and/or the influence of the season break could have facilitated the increase in health problems we’ve seen. Health problems could impact the training load of players. The relationship between training load and health problems could be one of mutual influences, as opposed to one-way effects. Conclusions: (I) Training load showed large individual variations. HSR was lower in Part 2, while sRPE tended towards being higher in Pre-season 2. (II) Simultaneously lower HSR and higher health problem prevalence indicates that training load could be influenced by health problems. The increase in new health problems and prevalence preceded by a rapid increase in training load suggests that health problems could be influenced by training load. Further studies on the relationship between training load and health problems are needed.