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COMPARISON OF GAME EXTERNAL DEMANDS OF NCAA DIVISION I FOOTBALL PLAYERS BETWEEN POSITIONAL GROUPS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In-season competition represents a particularly critical and demanding training phase for American football players. Moreover, these in-season demands can vary widely based on position. Efforts to screen for and thereby mitigate performance decrements by monitoring game loads during the off-season decreases risk of injury and helps to maintain physical and mental performance throughout the season. However, few studies have investigated position-specific external loads during in-season competition. Therefore, the present study assessed differences in external loads among positional groups during in-season competition. METHODS: Forty-nine National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football players were monitored using GPS receivers with integrated accelerometers and gyroscope (Catapult) during 13 games throughout the 2022 season. Groups were categorized as skill (SK: defensive backs, quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, n = 19), midfield (MD: linebackers, tight ends, n = 9), or linemen (LM: defensive line, offensive line, edge rushers, n = 21) positions. Mean daily external load (Player Load [PL]) was quantified as the sum of accelerations across all axes of the internal triaxial accelerometer during movement in arbitrary units (AU). A One-way ANOVA was used to determine positional group differences (α=0.05). RESULTS: Positional group had a significant effect on PL (p < 0.01). Bonferroni post-hoc analysis revealed significant differences between LM vs. MD (317 AU vs. 424 AU, p < 0.01) and LM vs. SK (317 AU vs. 449, p < 0.01). However, there were no differences between SK and MD (SK: 449 AU vs. MD: 424 AU, p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: LM positions exhibit lower external demands compared to other positions during in-season competition. These findings should be considered when developing training programs during an athlete’s off-season and pre-season training to prepare for position-specific demands during in-season competition. Future studies should investigate internal load demands during in-season competition and explore alternative load metrics for LM positions.

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