Our colleague Ross Julian has authored a new meta-analysis on the effects of fixture congestion on physical and technical performance, with colleague’s Dr Richard Page of Edge Hill University and Dr Liam Harper of the University of Huddersfield. Published in the journal Sports Medicine, the findings of their systematic review and meta-analysis include that while modern players can still cover great distances in games, they are conserving energy for the kind of intense bursts that occur around a key moment. Their research also shows how coaches, confronted with schedules that see players involved in domestic, European and international games in quick succession, are resting some players in certain positions more than others, with possible consequences for a player’s performance and risk of injury.
The paper is Open Access, if you’re interested, follow the link