Locomotor activities and subjective load differences between professional youth soccer players and professional development loans: A comparative analysis

Abstract

This study quantified and compared the weekly locomotor activity and subjective load between elite and development loan youth soccer players registered to a primary club. Development loan players were loaned to a lower-league club and trained part-time with their loan club whilst being available for development fixtures and training with the primary club. Data were collected in 16 squad players and 4 development loan players at loan clubs across a 41 week competitive phase of the 2018/2019 season. Analysis was completed on total distance (m), PlayerLoadTM (au), low intensity running (<14.4 km·h−1, m), running (19.8–24.98 km·h−1, m), sprinting (>24.98 km·h−1, m), accelerations (>2 m·s−2 count) and decelerations (