Training Load in Professional Soccer: Guide to Monitoring Performance

This concise yet comprehensive book bridges the gap between theory and practice, offering a sound understanding of training load and its impact on performance and injury prevention.

In the opening part it equips the reader with a clear definition of training load as well as evidence-based methods and parameters for its monitoring, including advanced technologies like wearable sensors and tracking systems. It further explores the critical role of training load in preparing athletes for peak performance and managing the overall training process. Specifically tailored to football, the authors analyze the challenges of monitoring training load in team sports and highlight the importance of accurate management for optimal adaptation and fatigue reduction. They further analyze the relationship between training load and injury risk as well as the role of its monitoring in mitigating injury risks. Additional chapters delve into topics such as fatigue in soccer, return-to-play decision-making, manipulating training load within a seasonal schedule, and building a comprehensive monitoring system.

With each chapter written by leading experts in the field, this book is a must-have resource for sport scientists, coaches and players seeking evidence-based strategies to optimize performance and minimize injuries in the dynamic world of soccer.

José M. Oliva Lozano is a sport scientist that holds a Bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences, a Master's degree in Research in Exercise and Sport Sciences, and a Ph.D. His doctoral research focused on the "Analysis of physical performance in professional soccer: an approach based on load monitoring through electronic performance tracking systems (EPTS)." His primary research interests revolve around the analysis of physical performance in professional soccer. Additionally, he is the author of the book titled "The Sport Scientist and Load Monitoring with EPTS in Team Sports," which is currently available only in Spanish. He has been affiliated as a lecturer and researcher at the Universidad de Almería (Spain) and has worked for multiple sports  organizations. Currently, he works for the US Soccer Federation.

Luca Paolo Ardigò obtained a M.Sc. degree in Biology from the University of Milan (Italy), followed by a Ph.D. in Biomechanics from Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He has over 17 years of experience working at the School of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Verona (Italy), initially as an Assistant Professor and later as an Associate Professor in Sport Science. In 2022, he assumed the position of Full Professor in Sports at the Department of Teacher Education, NLA Høgskolen Oslo (Norway). His expertise lies in teaching and researching exercise physiology, biomechanics, and sport science. His primary research areas encompass bioenergetics and biomechanics of human movement and locomotion, exercise and sport performance evaluation, and portable devices for measuring physical activity and metabolic expenditure. He has published 2 books, 3 ebooks, 7 book chapters, and 146 articles in peer-reviewed journals. His teaching focuses on human locomotion and environmental interferences, principles and methods of training (exercise and sport performance evaluation), and bioenergetics measurement techniques.