{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]],"date-time":"2025-07-01T04:11:26Z","timestamp":1751343086695,"version":"3.41.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]],"date-time":"2025-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751241600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec013\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Walking football (WF) can be used as an impactful activity for healthy aging and decrease the high levels of sedentary behavior among older adults. This study examines the external and internal intensity profiles of male and female participants during a WF tournament, addressing a gap in research on game demands and induced load.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec014\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study involved 176 players aged 50\u2009+\u2009participating in a 40-min, 5v5 WF tournament with unlimited substitutions. External intensity profiles (total and categorized distances) were measured using Global Positioning System (GPS), while heart rate (HR) monitors assessed internal intensity profiles, including absolute HR and intensity zones based on %HRmax.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec015\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The proportion of male participants (n\u2009=\u2009123; 70.3%) was higher than females (n\u2009=\u200952; 29.7%), p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001. They were similar in age (61.6\u2009\u00b1\u20098.6 and 60.8\u2009\u00b1\u20096.9, respectively). Males covered a higher distance per minute than females, with sex showing a moderate effect (63.3\u2009\u00b1\u200910.7 m\/min vs. 54.7\u2009\u00b1\u200915.8 m\/min; p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001; Cohen\u2019s <jats:italic>d<\/jats:italic><jats:sub><jats:italic>unbiased<\/jats:italic><\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.69 [0.36; 1.03]), especially in fast walking (41.7\u2009\u00b1\u200912.2 m\/min vs. 32.6\u2009\u00b1\u200916.7 m\/min; p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001; Cohen\u2019s <jats:italic>d<\/jats:italic><jats:sub><jats:italic>unbiased<\/jats:italic><\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.66 [0.33; 1.00]). Males played more time than females (22:26\u2009\u00b1\u200909:47 min:ss vs. 15:41\u2009\u00b1\u200907:46 min:ss; p\u2009&lt;\u2009.001), with moderate effect (Cohen\u2019s <jats:italic>d<\/jats:italic><jats:sub><jats:italic>unbiased<\/jats:italic><\/jats:sub>\u2009=\u20090.73 [0.40; 1.06]). However, no differences between sexes were identified in the intensity load variables, such that the female average %HRmax was 80\u2009\u00b1\u200911% and the male was 82\u2009\u00b1\u20098% during the practice.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec016\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Overall, while males generally exhibit higher external intensity profiles in WF, both sexes experience similar internal intensity profiles, highlighting WF\u2019s potential as a scalable, health-promoting intervention for aging populations.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0318286","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]],"date-time":"2025-06-30T17:32:14Z","timestamp":1751304734000},"page":"e0318286","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["External and internal intensity profiles of older male and female participants during a walking football game"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8225-8667","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"J\u00falio A.","family":"Costa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Catarina","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Barbosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Andr\u00e9","family":"Seabra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Brito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Pinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Catarina","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Rafaela","family":"Moreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7874-4104","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Bruno","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0318286.ref001","author":"WHO","year":"2020"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0318286.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1249\/FIT.0000000000000645","article-title":"Evolution of the ACSM Guidelines: Historical Perspectives, New Insights, and Practical Implications","volume":"25","author":"BA Franklin","year":"2021","journal-title":"ACSM\u2019s Health & Fitness Journal"},{"key":"pone.0318286.ref003","author":"WHO","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0318286.ref004","volume-title":"ACSM\u2019s exercise testing and prescription","author":"MP Bayles","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0318286.ref005","volume-title":"Older Adult Activity: An Overview","author":"CDC","year":"2023"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0318286.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0000000000002800","article-title":"Exercise\/Physical Activity in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: A Consensus Statement from the American College of Sports Medicine","volume":"54","author":"JA Kanaley","year":"2022","journal-title":"Med Sci Sports Exerc"},{"key":"pone.0318286.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2016.05.009","article-title":"Prevalence and trends in physical activity among older adults in the United States: A comparison across three national surveys","volume":"89","author":"SK Keadle","year":"2016","journal-title":"Prev Med"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0318286.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0274846","article-title":"Objectively measured physical activity levels and adherence to physical activity guidelines in people with multimorbidity-A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"17","author":"LB J\u00f8rgensen","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0318286.ref009","author":"WHO","year":"2019"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0318286.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1080\/24733938.2023.2249426","article-title":"Walking football for Health - 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