The validity and reliability of 5-Hz global positioning system units to measure team sport movement demands.
The purpose of this research was to investigate the validity and the reliability of 5-Hz MinimaxX global positioning system (GPS) units measuring athlete movement demands. A team sport simulation circuit (files collected from each unit = 12) and flying 50-m sprints (files collected from each unit = 34) were undertaken, during which the total distance covered; peak speed; player load; the distance covered; time spent and number of efforts performed walking, jogging, running, high-speed running, and sprinting were examined. Movement demands were also separately categorized into low-intensity activity, high-intensity running, and very high-intensity running. The results revealed that GPS was a valid and reliable measure of total distance covered (p > 0.05, percentage typical error of measurement [%TEM] < 5%) and peak speed (p > 0.05, %TEM 5-10%). Further, GPS was found to be a reliable measure of player load (%TEM 4.9%) and the distance covered, time spent, and number of efforts performed at certain velocity zones (%TEM <5% to >10%). The level of GPS error was found to increase along with the velocity of exercise. The findings demonstrated that GPS is capable of measuring movement demands performed at velocities <20 km·h(-1), whereas more caution is to be exercised when analyzing movement demands collected by using GPS velocities >20 km·h(-1).
Human Movement Department, School of Leisure, Sport, and Tourism, University of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. richard.j.johnston@student.uts.edu.au
Richard J
RJ
Johnston
Mark L
ML
Watsford
Matthew J
MJ
Pine
Robert W
RW
Spurrs
Aron J
AJ
Murphy
Elizabeth C
EC
Pruyn
D000328:Adult; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology / Q000592:standards; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology / Q000592:standards; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology / Q000592:standards