Aerobic Fitness Is the Main Determinant of Match-Related Physical Performance Decline in Professional Football Players (Part 2)
- 1Institute of Sport Sciences, Biomechanics & Integrative Physiology of Exercise Dynamics (BIPED) laboratory, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; and
- 2Performance Laboratory Football Club Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
Abstract
Antenucci, L, Schmidt, C, and Malatesta, D. Aerobic fitness is the main determinant of match-related physical performance decline in professional football players (part 2). J Strength Cond Res 40(11): e1190–e1198, 2026—High-intensity efforts are critical in football performance and declines in running distance and acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) capacity are often observed after the 60th or 75th minute, partly indicating player fatigue. This study investigated the decline in physical performance during a professional football match and its relationship with physical fitness parameters. Global navigation satellite system data from an entire Swiss first-division season (30 matches) were analyzed for 19 professional football players. The players' speed at the first and second lactate thresholds (sLT1/sLT2) and peak incremental speed (PIS) were assessed using a maximal incremental treadmill test. The maximal sprint speed (MSS) was determined from match data to calculate the anaerobic speed reserve (ASR = MSS − PIS). The distance covered in low-/high-/very high-speed running (LSR/HSR/VHSR) and sprinting using individual thresholds (30% ASR), and the number of ACCs/DECs performed in 4 intensity zones (ACC1/2/3/4/DEC1/2/3/4: ±0.5–1.0, 1.0–2.0, 2.0–3.0, >3 m·s−2) were measured across 6 periods (P1-P6) of 15 minutes of matches. The vertical peak power was measured using squat and countermovement jumps. Significant (p ≤ 0.05) declines (4–27%) were observed after the 60th minute across all running, ACC/DEC intensity zones, and in total distance (TD) and total number of ACCs/DECs (ACCTOT/DECTOT) counts, except for sprint distance and ACC1/DEC1. Moderate-to-large correlations were found between aerobic fitness (sLTs and PIS) and decreases in TD, ACCTOT/DECTOT, and high-intensity running, ACCs/DECs between P1 (0–15 minutes) and P5 (60–75 minutes) (r = 0.46–0.67; p ≤ 0.049). Coaches should focus on enhancing players' aerobic fitness to improve their ability to maintain physical performance throughout match-play.
Related
- Comparing Match-Related Physical Performance Using Arbitrary and Individual Running Speed, Acceleration, and Deceleration Zones in Professional Football Players (Part 1)
- Effects of vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D status and physical performance in football players: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Does Preseason Training Load Shape Body Composition? External Load, Internal Load, and Fatigue in Semi-Professional Football Players.
- Tell me the match context, and I’ll tell you how much the team will run, or should have run: an update and divisional extension of a predictive running model for Spanish professional football
- Isokinetic Knee Strength and Multidirectional Jump-Landing Asymmetry in Professional Football Players After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study
BibTeX
@article{antenucci2026aerobic,
title = {{Aerobic Fitness Is the Main Determinant of Match-Related Physical Performance Decline in Professional Football Players (Part 2)}},
author = {Leo Antenucci and Christian Schmidt and Davide Malatesta},
journal = {Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1519/jsc.0000000000005546},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000005546},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Aerobic Fitness Is the Main Determinant of Match-Related Physical Performance Decline in Professional Football Players (Part 2)
AU - Leo Antenucci
AU - Christian Schmidt
AU - Davide Malatesta
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/07
JO - Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
DO - 10.1519/jsc.0000000000005546
UR - https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000005546
AB - Antenucci, L, Schmidt, C, and Malatesta, D. Aerobic fitness is the main determinant of match-related physical performance decline in professional football players (part 2). J Strength Cond Res 40(11): e1190–e1198, 2026—High-intensity efforts are critical in football performance and declines in running distance and acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) capacity are often observed after the 60th or 75th minute, partly indicating player fatigue. This study investigated the decline in physical performance during a professional football match and its relationship with physical fitness parameters. Global navigation satellite system data from an entire Swiss first-division season (30 matches) were analyzed for 19 professional football players. The players' speed at the first and second lactate thresholds (sLT1/sLT2) and peak incremental speed (PIS) were assessed using a maximal incremental treadmill test. The maximal sprint speed (MSS) was determined from match data to calculate the anaerobic speed reserve (ASR = MSS − PIS). The distance covered in low-/high-/very high-speed running (LSR/HSR/VHSR) and sprinting using individual thresholds (30% ASR), and the number of ACCs/DECs performed in 4 intensity zones (ACC1/2/3/4/DEC1/2/3/4: ±0.5–1.0, 1.0–2.0, 2.0–3.0, >3 m·s−2) were measured across 6 periods (P1-P6) of 15 minutes of matches. The vertical peak power was measured using squat and countermovement jumps. Significant (p ≤ 0.05) declines (4–27%) were observed after the 60th minute across all running, ACC/DEC intensity zones, and in total distance (TD) and total number of ACCs/DECs (ACCTOT/DECTOT) counts, except for sprint distance and ACC1/DEC1. Moderate-to-large correlations were found between aerobic fitness (sLTs and PIS) and decreases in TD, ACCTOT/DECTOT, and high-intensity running, ACCs/DECs between P1 (0–15 minutes) and P5 (60–75 minutes) (r = 0.46–0.67; p ≤ 0.049). Coaches should focus on enhancing players' aerobic fitness to improve their ability to maintain physical performance throughout match-play.
SN - 1064-8011
SN - 1533-4287
ER -