{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T23:28:07Z","timestamp":1768606087942,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768521600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology","award":["UID\/04045"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/04045"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"National Funds by FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDP\/04748\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/04748\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aimed to quantify the absolute and relative data across a typical microcycle (MC) in female professional soccer players utilizing a match day minus (MD-) approach. Ten players (24.7 \u00b1 2.6 years) from an elite female Portuguese team participated in this case study. Data was analyzed in absolute or relativized values (per minute) and included the following metrics: duration, total distance, high-speed running distance (HSR, &gt;15 km\/h), number of accelerations (ACC, &gt;1\u20132 m.s\u22122 [ACC1]; &gt;2\u20133 m.s\u22122 [ACC2]; &gt;3\u20134 m.s\u22122 [ACC3]; &gt;4 m.s\u22122 [ACC4]) and decelerations (DEC, &lt;1\u20132 m.s\u22122 [DEC1]; &lt;2\u20133 m.s\u22122 [DEC2]; &lt;3\u20134 m.s\u22122 [DEC3]; &lt;4 m.s\u22122 [DEC4]). Total distance showed a significant difference between MD-4 and MD-2 (p = 0.047, moderate effect), which presented the lowest value of all MC days, while MD presented the highest value of HSR compared to all training days (p &lt; 0.001, large to very large effect) for both absolute and relativized data. Relative data showed higher values for MD-5 with significant differences during MD-2 for ACC1, ACC2, DEC1, and DEC2 (p &lt; 0.01, large to very large effect), while absolute data showed higher values during MD-4 for ACC2, DEC1, and DEC2 (p &lt; 0.01, large to very large effect). Absolute ACC3 was higher during MD-3, denoting significant differences from MD-2 (p = 0.002, large effect). This study highlighted that it is possible to train, in specific sessions, with identical loading patterns of match play, specifically for ACC and DEC metrics. However, HSR distance was found to be higher during MD, while training values were significantly lower.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app16020926","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T11:39:37Z","timestamp":1768563577000},"page":"926","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Quantification of Absolute and Relative Training and Match Data Across a Typical Microcycle Utilizing a Match Day Minus Approach\u2014A Case Study Examining Female Professional Soccer Players"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6671-6229","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafael","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, School of Sport, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"},{"name":"Life Quality Research Centre (CIEQV), Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4524-4784","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M\u00e1rio C.","family":"Espada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Life Quality Research Centre (CIEQV-IP Set\u00fabal), Campus do IPS\u2013Estefanilha, 2910-761 Set\u00fabal, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Set\u00fabal, Escola Superior de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o, 2914-504 Set\u00fabal, Portugal"},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"SPRINT Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center (SPRINT), 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"},{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de \u00c9vora, 7004-516 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1356-7853","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando J.","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Life Quality Research Centre (CIEQV-IP Set\u00fabal), Campus do IPS\u2013Estefanilha, 2910-761 Set\u00fabal, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Set\u00fabal, Escola Superior de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o, 2914-504 Set\u00fabal, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2447-7829","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Renato","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, School of Sport, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"},{"name":"Life Quality Research Centre (CIEQV), Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4357-4269","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Paulo","family":"Brito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, School of Sport, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"},{"name":"Life Quality Research Centre (CIEQV), Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7554-2718","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matilde","family":"Nalha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Santar\u00e9m Polytechnic University, School of Sport, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2007-4827","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ryland","family":"Morgans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff CF23 6XD, UK"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-014-0253-z","article-title":"Monitoring Training Load to Understand Fatigue in Athletes","volume":"44","author":"Halson","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Miguel, M., Oliveira, R., Loureiro, N., Garc\u00eda-Rubio, J., and Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez, S.J. (2021). Load Measures in Training\/Match Monitoring in Soccer: A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. 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