Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine | Vol. 10, No.

 2/2015:  25–31

DISTANCES COVERED ABOVE AND BELOW THE ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD

BY PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN DIFFERENT COMPETITIVE
CONDITIONS
Paweł Chmura,1, A, B, C, D Marek Konefał,2, A, B, C, D Edward Kowalczuk,3, B, D
Marcin Andrzejewski,4, A, C, D Andrzej Rokita,1, D, E Jan Chmura2, A, D, E
1
Department of Team Games, University School of Physical Education, Wrocław, Poland
2
Department of Athletes Motor Skills, University School of Physical Education, Wrocław, Poland
3
Football Club, Hannover 96, Robert-Enke-Str. 1, Germany
4
Department of Recreation, University School of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland
A
Study Design; B Data Collection; C Statistical Analysis; D Manuscript Preparation; E Funds Collection

Address for correspondence:

Paweł Chmura, PhD
University School of Physical Education, Department of Team Games
I.J. Paderewskiego 35
51-612 Wrocław, Poland
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract.  In modern endurance training information about an athlete’s performance below and above the anaerobic threshold is
crucial. The aim of the present study was a comparative analysis of the total distance covered by football players in two rounds of
the 2013/1014 playing season. Furthermore, the study also assessed the performance of elite Bundesliga players during competitive
matches, above and below the running speed of 4 m·s –1, corresponding to the level of anaerobic threshold (AT). The players’ mean body
height was 183.00 ±6.44 cm, body mass 78.19 ±7.42 kg, and mean age was 27.99 ±3.47 years. The analysis was carried using the
Impire AG motion analysis system on the basis of official match reports from the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB). The study revealed
that the total distance covered by the players in match-play was significantly shorter in the second round of the playing season.
The distance covered by the players below the AT is significantly shorter in the spring round than in the autumn round, while the distance
covered above the AT shows a reverse, although non-significant tendency. In the spring round the volume of players’ work performed
above the anaerobic threshold is greater than the volume of exercise performed below the AT.

Key words:  football, autumn round, spring round, covered distance, anaerobic threshold, Bundesliga

Introduction
Association football is the most popular sport in the world. Football dynamics and popularity have given
rise to numerous research studies into motor skills of football players (Meylan and Malatesta 2009; Mujica et al.
2009; Requena et al. 2009). Present-day training of elite football players requires coaching staffs to know and use

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 Paweł Chmura, Marek Konefał, Edward Kowalczuk, Marcin Andrzejewski, Andrzej Rokita, Jan Chmura

state-of-the-art match analysis technology in their practice. One of the football coach’s key tasks is the proper
selection and implementation of individualized loads for players’ motor training. This individualization allows for
optimal use of players’ technical-tactical skills in the conditions of incremental fatigue (Rampinini et al. 2009).
Actions with and without the ball executed by football players during a match are diverse and multidirectional.
Bishop and Girard (2013) emphasize that football players are required to perform multiple repetitions of actions with
the maximal or nearly maximal intensity (accelerations, frequent changes of running pace and direction, sprints,
jumps), interrupted with short rest breaks (standing, jogging or actions with low or moderate intensity). The acyclical
character of football actions and the high variability of situations during a match make football players utilize both
aerobic and anaerobic energy from different energy sources.
A modern football player should display high levels of endurance, speed, strength and coordination skills.
A practical measure of evaluation of players’ endurance skills is the length of covered distance during a match. Elite
football players cover a total mean distance of 10–12 km at 80–90% of maximum heart rate (Strøyer et al. 2004;
Di Salvo et al. 2007). One of the most important indices of players’ physical fitness is maximal oxygen uptake. The
VO2max ranges from 58 to 65 ml·kg·min –1 in elite players (Helgerud et al. 2001), which permits attainment of a high
intensity level of exercise and covering longer distances during a game.
A crucial indicator of players’ aerobic fitness is the anaerobic threshold, often referred to in exercise physiology
as the 4 mmol·l –1 onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). It corresponds to the highest workload intensity level
at which a balance is still maintained between lactate production and lactate clearance with no changes in blood pH
(Keul et al. 1981). The 4 mmol·l–1 OBLA is reached at 55–75% of VO2max and 75–90% of HRmax.
The anaerobic threshold is most often marked using an analysis of blood lactate concentration during
exercise of increasing intensity. The main criteria of threshold exercise intensity include running speed, power,
or % VO2max. In sport, the threshold workload is considered to be a running speed at 4 m·s–1. After exceeding
this value a rapid increase in blood lactate can be observed, which leads to an acid-base imbalance, and in
consequence, to increasing fatigue. The performance of short, intensive actions by football players in match-play
may cause a rise in the blood lactate level up to 14 mmol·l –1 (Bishop and Girard 2013).
It has been assumed that after crossing the anaerobic threshold the rate of incremental fatigue has a negative
effect on players’ psychomotor performance Chmura and Nazar (2010) proved that after crossing the AT (4 mmol·l –1)
a player’s psychomotor performance can improve for even 10.1% until reaching the psychomotor fatigue threshold.
It is after crossing the psychomotor fatigue threshold due to increasing fatigue that players’ performance efficiency
and analytical and decision-making skills become greatly impaired.
From the practical point of view, changes in players’ lactate threshold during the football competitive season
constitute an interesting research subject. Radzimiński et al. (2010) revealed that the running speed at the AT was
significantly greater at the end of the spring round of the season than at the beginning of the preparatory training
period, but it hardly differed in comparison with the beginning of the autumn round. Jastrzębski et al. (2011) noted
that at the start of the preparatory training period football players reached lower AT values than after its completion.
According to Chmura and Nazar (2010), in the same period, a 6-week training cycle, brought about a shift of the
anaerobic threshold toward higher workloads for 6.9%. Moreover, Silva et al. (2007) concluded in their study of
Brazilian elite football players that the threshold running speed in a 12-week training cycle increased from 3.7 m·s–1
to 4.1 m·s–1.

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Anaerobic Threshold in Professional Football Players

The aim of the present study was a comparative analysis of the total distance covered by football players in two
rounds of the 2013/1014 playing season. Furthermore, the study also assessed the volume of players’ performance
above and below the running speed of 4 m·s–1, corresponding to the anaerobic threshold in elite Bundesliga players
during competitive matches.

Methods
All 35 matches of the 2013/2014 playing season were analyzed. The analysis encompassed 480 observations
of 41 players (including 13 members of the Germany national team and other national teams) from two top Bundesliga
teams. Only players who played the entire length of the match were selected for the study. The players’ mean body
height was 183.00 ±6.44 cm, body mass 78.19 ±7.42 kg, and mean age 27.99 ±3.47 years. The study was approved
by a local ethics committee.
The analysis was carried using the Impire AG motion analysis system (Tiendemann et al. 2011) with records
of all movements of players in all the 34 matches. These records were then transformed into quantitative data. The
analysis was carried out on the basis of official match reports from the Deutscher Fußball-Bund – DFB.
The study examined the total distance covered by the players in match play, and distances covered below and
above the threshold running speed. Following the official Impire AG match reports the threshold running speed
was accepted as 4 m·s–1 (14.4 km·h –1), which in professional literature corresponds to workloads at the anaerobic
threshold (Śliwowski et al. 2013). Data from both rounds (spring and autumn) of the competitive season were then
compared.
All statistical analyses were conducted with the use of Statistica 10.0. All variables were checked for their
conformity with normal distribution. The normality of distribution was evaluated with the Shapiro-Wilk test (p ≤ 0.05).
Arithmetic means and standard deviations were calculated. To compare the mean values of the examined variables
a single-factor ANOVA was applied. Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) method was used to verify pairwise
differences. To measure correlations between the variables Pearson’s correlation was used. In all statistical
analyses the levels of statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05, p ≤ 0.01 or p ≤ 0.001.

Results
The analysis of the total distance covered by elite Bundesliga players in the 2013/2014 season revealed that in
the autumn round the players covered the distance of 11181 ±790 m, and in the spring round the distance of 10997
±842 m. The differences between these distances were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.01) (Figure 1).
The mean distance below the AT covered by the studied players was significantly shorter (p ≤ 0.001) in the
spring round matches than in the autumn round matches. The difference was 255 m, i.e. 2550 m for all outfield
players on a team (Table 1). The mean distance covered above the AT was 72 m longer in the spring round than in
the autumn round. The difference was, however, statistically non-significant (Table 1).

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 Paweł Chmura, Marek Konefał, Edward Kowalczuk, Marcin Andrzejewski, Andrzej Rokita, Jan Chmura

11200
Distance covered during match-play [m]

11150

11100

11050

11000

10950

Autumn round Spring round

Figure 1. Total distance covered by players during match-play in two different rounds of the playing season

Table 1. Distance covered by elite football players below and above the anaerobic threshold

Round Autumn Spring

Covered distance x ±SD p
Below AT [m] 8663 ±510 8408 ±498 0.001***

Above AT [m] 2518 ±537 2590 ±581 0.164

Statistically significant ***(p ≤ 0,001).

In the autumn round matches the distance covered above the AT amounted to 22.5%, and in the spring round
to 23.5% of the total covered distance. The correlation coefficient between the total distance covered by players and
the volume of the work performed below the AT was r = 0.739 (p ≤ 0.001), while it amounted to r = 0.781 (p ≤ 0.001)
above the AT.

Discussion
Data on the amount of physical exercise performed by players below and above the anaerobic threshold is
crucial in modern endurance training. The covered distance in match-play reflects players’ level of aerobic fitness
and anaerobic fitness after crossing the threshold. The results of the present study indicate that elite Bundesliga
players covered significantly shorter total distances and distances below the AT in the spring round matches than
in the autumn round matches. A different tendency can be observed in the length of covered distance above the
AT. In the spring round the examined players performed greater exercise loads above the running speed of 4 m·s –1
than in the autumn round.
The studied players covered a significantly shorter distance below the AT in the spring round (8408 ±498 m)
than in the autumn round (8663 ±510 m). These results correspond to 76.5% and 77.5% of total distance covered

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Anaerobic Threshold in Professional Football Players

in match play, respectively. These results confirm the aerobic character of match-play exercise (Gibson et al. 2013;
Manzi et al. 2014). The lower amount of work performed below the AT results primarily from the shorter total
distance covered in match-play and longer distance above the AT in the spring round. It can also be a result of lower
emphasis on aerobic endurance development in players during the pre-competitive training session, and/or the use
of use of specific training loads or recovery periods of insufficient length during the competitive season. This might
also be related to the high frequency of league and domestic and European cup matches.
In sport training theory and methodology workloads at the AT can be used for aerobic fitness training. Janssen
(2001) and Bunc and Psota (2001) show that exercise performed near the AT is most effective for development
of aerobic fitness. A practical marker of development of aerobic endurance above threshold HR is the lactate
threshold running speed, which ranges from 3.4 to 4.2 m·s–1, and in some extreme cases may even reach 4.7 m·s–1
(17  km·h –1). According to Kindermann et al. (1993) elite football players should be able to reach the threshold
running speed at 4 m·s–1. Thus this value was accepted in the present study as the threshold value, especially since
the mean intensity of match-play exercise in elite players remains near the anaerobic threshold (Stølen et al. 2005).
After crossing the running intensity threshold (4 m·s–1) the player’s energy metabolism becomes anaerobic in
character (Bangsbo et al. 2006; Krustrup et al. 2006). It involves a dynamic rise in lactate accumulation in muscles
and, in consequence, increasing fatigue. The length of the covered distance can be indicative of the player’s
tolerance to increasing fatigue, and on the other hand, of the player’s anaerobic endurance. The results of the study
show that the distance covered above the threshold in the spring round was longer (72 m) than in the autumn round,
which points to an increase in players’ anaerobic endurance level. This could be also caused by the reduced level of
aerobic endurance, as illustrated by the shorter distance below the anaerobic threshold in the spring round.
Thomassen and Halvari (2007) reveal that playing matches at the intensity level close to the AT is highly
significant for sport performance. Thus an analysis of the length of distance covered by the elite Bundesliga
players below and above the AT is necessary for setting up a level to be reached by other players. Often excessive
motivation may lead to the crossing of the AT and a dramatic drop in fitness and performance effectiveness.
However, according to Chmura and Nazar (2010) players’ psychomotor performance still increases after crossing
the AT until reaching a specific intensity level. This means that despite a considerable acid-base imbalance and
increasing fatigue, players’ performance efficiency improves until reaching the psychomotor fatigue threshold.
The observed decrease in the total distance length covered in the spring round matches can be a result of
increasing fatigue during the season. On the one hand, it may lower the AT and decrease the amount of exercise
performed below it, but on the other hand, it may also lead to better adaptation to exercise of high intensity. Studies
show that the total distance covered by players in a match is highly correlated with VO2max (Thomas et al. 2006;
Karakoç et al. 2012). This is confirmed by the present study which also revealed a high correlation between the
total covered distance and distance below the AT (r = 0.739) and above the AT (r = 0.781). Kozłowski and Nazar
(1999) also point to correlations between players’ AT level and ability to perform intense exercise (r > 0.90), aerobic
performance of skeletal muscles, percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers and capillary density.
In sport, the threshold running speed is accepted as the upper limit of exercise intensity, at which aerobic
performance can still be carried out. To put it simply it can be assumed that a distance covered until reaching the
running speed of 4 m·s–1 is a measure of players’ aerobic endurance. Football coaches regard this measure as an
important criterion of assessment of the body’s response to specific workloads. A higher AT means that a player can
perform with higher intensity without incremental fatigue and that he can also recover more quickly. Kalapotharakos

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 Paweł Chmura, Marek Konefał, Edward Kowalczuk, Marcin Andrzejewski, Andrzej Rokita, Jan Chmura

et al. (2011) and Ziogas et al. (2011) state that the anaerobic threshold is a more sensitive measure of physiological
workload that VO2max. The periodization of sport training and related changes of threshold loads in particular
training cycles directly affect the players’ level of exercise adaptation.
The discussed characteristics of players’ match performance point to the significant role of players’ pre-
season endurance preparation in modern football. In the preparatory training period before the spring round of
the playing season it is recommended that coaches and motor preparation trainers place a particular emphasis on
aerobic training to help their players sustain the length of total covered distance in match-play and, in consequence,
cover longer distances above the anaerobic threshold. This issue stilly requires further research.

Conclusion
1. The present study revealed that the total distance covered by football players in match-play is significantly
lower in the second round of the competitive season.
2. The distance below the anaerobic threshold run by football players is significantly shorter in the spring
round than in the autumn round. However, the distance covered above the anaerobic threshold displays a reverse
tendency, but the difference is non-significant.
3. During the spring round of the playing season the amount of exercise performed above the anaerobic
threshold increases and exercise below the AT decreases.

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Cite this article as: Chmura P., Konefał M., Kowalczuk E., Andrzejewski M., Rokita A., Chmura J. Distances Covered above and below
the Anaerobic Threshold by Professional Football Players in Different Competitive Conditions. Central European Journal of Sport
Sciences and Medicine. 2015; 10 (2): 25–31.

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