title: The Running Performance Profile of Elite Gaelic Football Match-Play.
abstract: Malone, S, Solan, B, and Collins, K.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The running performance profile of elite Gaelic football match-play. J Strength Cond Res 31(1): 30-36, 2017-The current study examined (a) the match running performance of Gaelic football and (b) the decrement in match running performance with respect to position. Global positioning satellite system technologies (4-Hz; VX Sport) were used with 3 elite intercounty teams across 3 full seasons with 250 full game data sets collected. Game movements were classified according to game actions and distance covered across speed zone thresholds (total distance [TD], high-speed running distance [HSRD; ≥17 km·h], sprint distance [SD; ≥22 km·h]; accelerations [n]; peak speed [km·h]). The influence of running performance in each quarter on the subsequent quarter was analyzed across all positional roles. The mean (±SD) TD and HSRD covered during the game were 8,889 ± 1,448 m and 1,596 ± 594 m, respectively. Results show a temporal profile for TD with reductions in the second (-4.1%), third (-5.9%) and fourth (-3.8%) quarters, respectively. There was a significant reduction in HSRD in the second (-8.8%), third (-15.9%), and fourth (-19.8%) quarters when compared to the first quarter (p < 0.001). Positional differences were observed for distance-based measures with the middle 3 positions (half-back, midfield, and half-forward) completing the highest running performances. These positions also showed increased decrements in TD and HSRD and SD across quarters. The current data indicate a reduction in exercise intensity over the duration of elite Gaelic football match-play. It is unclear if this reduction is because of fatigue, pacing, contextual factors, or nutritional strategies employed by players.
authors.affiliation: 1Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom; and 2Department of Science, Gaelic Sports Research Centre, Institute of Technology Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Solan
authors.forename: Kieran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult