@article{Campos-Vazquez_Zubillaga_Toscano-Bendala_Owen_Castillo-Rodríguez_2023, title={Quantification of high speed actions across a competitive microcycle in professional soccer}, volume={18}, url={https://www.jhse.ua.es/article/view/2023-v18-n1-quantification-high-speed-actions-across-competitive}, DOI={10.14198/jhse.2023.181.03}, abstractNote={<p>The main aim of this study was to compare the high-speed training session (TRs) and competitive match (OMs) demands induced on professional soccer players across an in-season microcycle. Maximum velocity (MV) and the number of actions and distance performed at high (N-HV > 14.4 km·h<sup>-1</sup>), very high velocity (N-VHV > 19.8 km·h<sup>-1</sup>) and sprint (N-SP > 25.2 km·h<sup>-1</sup>), in different distance zones (0–5, 5–15, 15–30, >30 m) were evaluated. Twelve professional soccer players competing within the Spanish 1<sup>st</sup> Division were the participants of the study. TRs were categorised according to days leading to the match day (MD-5, MD-4, MD-3, MD-1). The results showed significant differences between OMs and TRs across all analysed variables, except for N-HV, N-VHV, and N-SP 15–30m in the comparisons between OMs and MD-4. In addition, N-SP 15–30 m in MD-4 and MD-3 were significantly higher than in MD-1 (ES = 0.87 and 0.80, respectively) without differences in MV highlighting a tapering strategy. To conclude, the current investigation revealed a potential tapering strategy in professional soccer in conjunction to highlighting a way of maintaining MV and high speed actions across low-distance ranges (<15 m). Therefore, it would be necessary to further induce task with high-velocity actions in high-distance ranges (>30 m) across the TRs in order to replicate the velocity peaks occurred in OMs.</p>}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Human Sport and Exercise}, author={Campos-Vazquez, Miguel Angel and Zubillaga, Asier and Toscano-Bendala, Francisco Javier and Owen, Adam Lee and Castillo-Rodríguez, Alfonso}, year={2023}, month={Jan.}, pages={21–33} }