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Match analysis and heart rate of futsal players duringcompetitionJ. C. Barbero-Alvarez a , V. M. Soto b , V. Barbero-Alvarez a & J. Granda-Vera aa Department of Teaching of Corporal Expressionb Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Granada, Granada, SpainVersion of record first published: 20 May 2008.

To cite this article: J. C. Barbero-Alvarez, V. M. Soto, V. Barbero-Alvarez & J. Granda-Vera (2008): Match analysis and heartrate of futsal players during competition, Journal of Sports Sciences, 26:1, 63-73

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Match analysis and heart rate of futsal players during competition

J. C. BARBERO-ALVAREZ1, V. M. SOTO2, V. BARBERO-ALVAREZ1, & J. GRANDA-VERA1

1Department of Teaching of Corporal Expression and 2Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Granada,

Granada, Spain

(Accepted 19 February 2007)

AbstractHeart rates were monitored and time – motion analysis performed for 10 players (mean age 25.6 years, s¼ 2.5; body mass73.8 kg, s¼ 5.7 kg; height 1.75 m, s¼ 0.06) during four competitive futsal matches. Mean heart rate during the match was90% (s¼ 2) of maximum heart rate. Heart rate records were classified based on the percentage of time spent in three zones(485%, 85 – 65%, and 565% maximum heart rate); players spent 83%, 16%, and 0.3% in these three zones, respectively.During the second period, there was a significant reduction (P5 0.01) in the percentage of time spent at an intensity above85% of maximum heart rate (first vs. second period: 86% vs. 79%). Players’ movements were classified as standing, walking,jogging, medium-intensity running, high-intensity running, and sprinting (maximal speed running). Time – motion analysisindicated that the mean distance covered per minute of play was 117.3 m (s¼ 11.6), of which 28.5% (s¼ 2.2) was coveredwhile performing medium-intensity running, 13.7% (s¼ 2) during high-intensity running, and 8.9% (s¼ 3.4) whilesprinting. From the results, we conclude that futsal is a multiple-sprints sport in which there are more high-intensity phasesthan in soccer and other intermittent sports.

Keywords: Futsal, match analysis, heart rate, competition demands

Introduction

Futsal (the official name for five-a-side indoor

soccer) was introduced in 1930 with the aim of

allowing football to be played in restricted spaces. It

has enjoyed a spectacular increase in popularity over

recent years and is played worldwide in both

professional and amateur leagues by men and

women, boys and girls. Its organizing body remains

FIFA, under whose auspices international com-

petitions are arranged. However, it now has its own

character using aspects of different sports

(basketball, handball, and hockey).

Futsal is an intermittent sport that makes high

physical, technical, and tactical demands on

players. It is played on a court of 40620 m with

goals of 362 m (the same as in handball). As in

basketball, two 20-min periods are scheduled, and

here there is an important distinction from football,

in that like basketball, the clock is stopped for some

events, which usually means that the game lasts

75 – 85% longer than the scheduled 40 min. This

varies according to the possibilities given by the

rules: time-outs, double penalties, court cleaning,

stoppages for injuries, medical attention, and

so on. Teams can request a time-out (1 min) in

each half and there is a break of 10 min between

halves.

A team comprises five players, four on-court

players and the goalkeeper, with an unlimited

number of substitutions, so that the intensity and

rhythm of the game are very high and do not decline

as the match progresses (Alvarez, Gimenez,

Corona, & Manonelles, 2002). The maximum

number of players in a squad for a match is 12 (ten

court players and two goalkeepers). Each match is

officiated by two referees and a linesman. From a

tactical perspective, blocking (as in basketball) is

frequently used and rotation of the components of

the team is as in ice-hockey.

Many researchers have tried to evaluate the

demands of competition in these sports using both

internal and external performance indicators. They

have used movement analysis (Carter, 1996; Mohr,

Krustrup, & Bangsbo, 2003) and measurement of

physiological parameters (internal indicators) such as

heart rate (Burke, 1998) and the concentrations

of blood lactate (Bangsbo, 1994b; Deutsch,

Correspondence: V. M. Soto, Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y el Deporte, Universidad de Granada, Carretera de Alfacar s/n, 18011 Granada,

Spain. E-mail: vsoto@ugr.es

Journal of Sports Sciences, January 1st 2008; 26(1): 63 – 73

ISSN 0264-0414 print/ISSN 1466-447X online � 2008 Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/02640410701287289

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Maw, Jenkins, & Reaburn, 1998), blood glucose

(Jardine, Wiggins, Myburgh, & Noakes, 1988), and

plasma free fatty acids (Van Rensburg, Kielblock,

Van der Linde, & Van der Walt, 1986) to esta-

blish physiological responses in intermittent team

sports.

Time – motion analysis has been used to quantify

the movements of a range of sports, including soccer

(Bangsbo, Norregaard, & Thorso, 1991; Castagna,

Abt, & D’Ottavio, 2002), handball (Alexander &

Boreskie, 1989; Pers, Bon, Kovacic, Sibila, &

Dezman, 2002), basketball (McInnes, Carlson,

Jones, & McKenna, 1995), rugby (Docherty,

Wenger, & Neary, 1988), and hockey (Boyle,

Mahoney, & Wallace, 1994). However, there has

been limited time – motion analysis of futsal players

during match-play (Barbero, Soto, & Granda,

2004a), and the activity patterns of futsal could

differ from other sports since each player has to

perform both attacking and defensive tasks. Only a

few scientific studies have been done on futsal,

although some researchers have carried out time –

motion analysis in indoor football; however, these

studies were undertaken more than a decade ago

(1991), but published only recently (Hernandez,

2001). These were done with juvenile category

players (Oliveira, 1999), or on courts with reduced

dimensions (Bello, 1998) in the Brazilian League.

Moreover, indoor football has an extremely high

anaerobic component (8.5 mmol � l71, s¼ 2.6, range

4.1 – 12.6 in five players, unpublished dates) and

requires a cardiovascular demand of between 85 and

90% of individual maximum heart rate, in most

matches reaching maximum heart rate (Alvarez et al.,

2002; Barbero, Soto, & Granda, 2004b).

Using time – motion analysis and heart rate

monitoring, the aim of the present study was to

examine the activity profile and physiological de-

mands associated with the physical effort made by

professional futsal players during competitive

matches.

Methods

Participants

Ten male professional futsal players on the team of a

Spanish Professional Futsal League club, with a

mean playing experience of 8 years, agreed to

participate in the study after being fully informed of

what was required of them and providing their

written consent. Their mean age, height, and body

mass were 25.6 years (s¼ 2.5), 1.75 m (s¼ 0.06),

and 73.8 kg (s¼ 5.7), respectively. The players

trained five times per week for *1.5 h per training

session and participated in a professional match once

a week.

Match analysis

Players were monitored by a video system during

four regular games, played at the beginning, during,

and at the end of the season; all players (n¼ 8 – 10)

who participated in each match were followed

(except the goalkeepers).

A bi-dimensional photogrammetric system

(Barbero, 2002) was used. Play was recorded by

two digital video cameras (Panasonic NV-DS1 EG)

set up approximately 5 m from one court sideline

and 10 m above the field of play, each recording one

half of the court. The images were captured and

stored in a computer using a video capture card (AV

Master 98 – Fast Multimedia). Next, the player was

digitized in real-time with specially designed software

(Runner v. 1.0) so as to follow movements and to

determine distances and speeds during the game,

before the positional register was reconstructed,

synchronized, and smoothed to obtain the results

(Barbero, Soto, & Granda, 2003) (Figure 1).

Reconstruction is necessary because the coordi-

nates obtained are deformed because of the perspec-

tive. Synchronization allows adjustment of the data

obtained by both cameras, and the smoothing of

the player’s positional data is intended to minimize

the possible errors produced as a consequence of

imprecise digitization. The possible errors generated

by the system are constant and can be easily

smoothed using digital filters. The accuracy and

intra-operator reliability of the method employed was

calculated using the following protocol: the same

operator was always used for the digitizing phase.

Before data acquisition, this operator was thoroughly

trained in digitizing skills, analysing more than 10 h

of futsal players’ motions. To determine reliability,

the operator repeated 5 min of real futsal motions

10 times at different speeds (walking, jogging, and

running), where the spatial and temporal dimensions

were well known as a reference square was used.

The results of this analysis showed that the reliability

and accuracy of the system is from 0.4 to 1.5%

(Barbero, 2002), depending on the speed at which

the player is moving. At high speeds, the estimated

error is+ 8.6 m each 5 min; when the player is still

or moving slowly, the error is+ 2.3 m each 5 min

(Barbero et al., 2003). Finally, the calculus module

(specifically designed and developed software for

calculating the kinematic data) allows the results

to be generated through numeric or graphic

parameters.

All games were played on a high-quality indoor

court consisting of a parquet flooring system. Based

on the descriptions of Reilly and Thomas (1976) and

Docherty et al. (1988), and adaptations to this model

as proposed by several authors (Hernandez, 2001;

Van Gool, Van Gerven, & Boutmans, 1988), we have

64 J. C. Barbero-Alvarez et al.

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established the following categories for the analysis

of match activities: standing, walking, jogging,

medium-intensity running, high-intensity running,

and maximal speed running (sprinting) (Table I).

From the stored data, the distances covered and

time spent in each of the match categories were

obtained with customized software.

Heart rate

Heart rate was recorded continuously in four

official matches every 5 s using a Polar Vantage NV

(Polar Electro Iberica, S.A., Barcelona, Spain).

Continuous heart rate recordings were successfully

recorded for all participants throughout each match,

and the game was defined in terms of ‘‘playing time’’

(the whole time participants spent on court, exclud-

ing breaks at half time or time-outs, and time spent

on the bench).

Maximum heart rate was taken to be the highest

heart rate achieved during match-play, since for all

participants this heart rate was found to be above

(1 – 3 beats �min71) maximal treadmill-determined

heart rates during an incremental test (Conconi test).

Although simple rules for heart rate prescription

are imprecise, the heart rate associated with various

percentages of maximal oxygen intake ( _V O2max) was

used to prescribe exercise intensity. Ekelund and

colleagues (2001) suggested a heart rate above

160 beats �min71 as the absolute heart rate corre-

sponding to ‘‘very vigorous’’. As our participants

were professional athletes, the threshold used in this

study to correspond to ‘‘very vigorous’’ exercise was

4170 beats �min71. Similarly, we considered 85%

of maximum heart rate (HRmax) to correspond to

the most vigorous activity (Stachenfeld, Eskenazi,

Gleim, Coplan, & Nicholas, 1992), which can be

Table I. Match categories.

Categories Speed (m � s71) Speed (km �h71)

Standing 0 – 0.1 0 – 0.36

Walking 0.2 – 1 0.37 – 3.6

Jogging 1.1 – 3 3.7 – 10.8

Medium-intensity running 3.1 – 5 10.9 – 18

High-intensity running 5.1 – 7 18.1 – 25

Maximal speed running 47.1 425.1

Figure 1. Methodological stages.

Futsal match analysis and heart rate 65

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considered to be equivalent to 80% of peak oxygen

uptake.

Relative time was determined in three intensity

zones based on the classification proposed by

Woolford and Angove (1991) and the recommenda-

tions of the ACSM: supra-threshold or very vigorous

activity (485% HRmax), aerobic zone or moderate

activity (65 – 85% HRmax), and sub-aerobic or

low activity (565% HRmax).

Statistical analysis

Data collection, treatment, and analysis were per-

formed using a Microsoft Office Excel 2003 spread-

sheet and the SPSS for Windows statistical package

(v. 11.0). Data are presented as means, standard

deviations (s), and ranges. Mean values for match

activities and heart rates were compared. Differences

between the two halves were compared using a

Student’s t-test. Comparison was made of heart rates

recorded and speed attained during the first and last

5 min of each half. Statistical significance was set at

P5 0.05.

Results

Distances covered

The mean total distance covered during match play

was 4313 m (s¼ 2139, range 601 – 8040) and the

mean distance covered per minute of play was

117.3 m �min71 (s¼ 11.6, range 102.7 – 145.4).

Examples of individual distances covered during a

minute for each player are displayed in Figure 2.

The mean distances covered walking and jogging

were 397 m (s¼ 214, range 39 – 718) and 1762 m

(s¼ 935, range 204 – 3216) respectively (Figure 3).

The mean distances covered by players during

medium- and high-intensity running were 1232 m

(s¼ 605, range 151 – 2423) and 571 m (s¼ 271,

range 90 – 1052) respectively. The mean distance

covered at maximum speed was 349 m (s¼ 175,

range 113 – 783).

These results show that futsal players are walking

and jogging 9.0% (s¼ 1.5) and 39.9% (s¼ 4.1) of the

mean distance covered respectively. Also, 28.5%

(s¼ 2.2) of the distance is covered at medium speed,

while high-intensity efforts (i.e. those above

5 m � s71) account for 22.6% of the distance covered:

13.7% (s¼ 2) as high-intensity running and 8.9%

(s¼ 3.4) as maximum efforts or sprints.

First and second halves. When comparing the first and

second halves, players who did not take part in both

halves were excluded, and thus a total of 27 samples

were analysed (6, 8, 6, and 7 players for each of the

matches). The mean total distances covered during

the first and second halves were 2496 m (s¼ 1025,

range 754 – 4392) and 2596 m (s¼ 932, range

400 – 4395) respectively, although the increased

distance covered (3.8%) was not significant

(Figure 4). However, the relative distance (distance

Figure 2. Example of the mean distance covered per minute by each player in the first and second halves of a game of futsal.

66 J. C. Barbero-Alvarez et al.

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Figure 3. Percentages, standard deviations, and mean distances covered in the different categories established in this study. MIR¼medium-

intensity running; HIR¼high-intensity running.

Figure 4. Total distance and distance covered per minute during the first and second half in a futsal match (players taking part in both halves

of the match).

Futsal match analysis and heart rate 67

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covered per minute played) decreased by 7.1%, from

118 m �min71 (s¼ 13, range 92 – 147) in the first

half to 111 m �min71 (s¼ 9, range 101 – 129), which

was significantly different (P¼ 0.023). No such

differences were found in the two halves for the

distance covered in the established categories, except

for the periods in the standing category (P¼ 0.013):

0.7 m vs. 1 m.

During the second half, the percentage of the total

distance total covered standing and walking in-

creased significantly (P¼ 0.000 and P¼ 0.029 re-

spectively). Equally, the percentage of the distance

covered at high intensity decreased significantly

(13.9%, s¼ 2.1 vs. 12.9%, s¼ 2; P¼ 0.029), but no

differences in the jogging, medium-intensity running

or maximum speed categories were noted (Figure 5).

No significant differences were observed between

halves for the percentage of the total distance at high

intensity (21% vs. 21%) or for the total distance

covered at high intensity (525 m vs. 543 m).

Heart rate

In the four games analysed, the mean heart rate was

174 beats �min71 (s¼ 7, range 164 – 181). The mean

intensity during the match represents 90% of maxi-

mum heart rate (s¼ 2, range 86 – 93).

If the percentages of time that a player’s heart rate

remained within a particular range is analysed, it can

be seen that heart rate exceeded 170 beats �min71

(vigorous activity) for 72% (s¼ 16, range 42 – 90%)

of the time played in the match. Equally, by esta-

blishing the percentages at different intensities with

respect to each individual’s maximum heart rate, the

following mean values were obtained:

. Very vigorous activity: the time spent above 85%

of maximum heart rate was 83% (s¼ 67, range

67 – 90) of playing time.

. Moderate activity: the time spent between 65%

and 85% of maximum heart rate was 16%

(s¼ 6, range 10 – 32) of playing time.

. Low activity: the time spent below 65% of

maximum heart rate was 0.3% (s¼ 0.5, range

0 – 1) of playing time.

First and second halves. The mean heart rate during

the second half (172 beats �min71; 88.1% HRmax)

was significantly lower (P5 0.01) than in the first

half (176 beats �min71; 91.1% of HRmax) (Figure 6).

The frequency distributions for heart rate during the

two halves and the means are shown in Figure 7. A

significant difference (P¼ 0.017) only was observed

between the first and second halves in the range

150 – 160 beats �min71, producing an increase in the

percentage of time (5.3%, s¼ 3.8% vs. 9.6%, s¼ 6.8)

for this category. Nevertheless, during futsal games,

since heart rate exceeded 170 beats �min71 for

77.4% (s¼ 14.7, range 50 – 96%) of the time in the

first half and 66.6% (s¼ 20.3, range 34 – 91) in the

second half, there were statistically significant

Figure 5. Percentages and standard deviations of distance covered in the different categories in the first and second half.

68 J. C. Barbero-Alvarez et al.

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differences in heart rate distributions between halves

(P¼ 0.025).

There were also significant differences for the rela-

tive time spent at different intensities (Figure 8).

In the second half, there was a significant increase

(P¼ 0.011) in the time that the player spent at

intensities between 65 and 85% of maximum heart

rate (13.5%, s¼ 6.4 vs. 20.1%, s¼ 9.6) and a statis-

tically significant reduction (P¼ 0.009) of the time

spent at intensities above 85% of maximum heart

rate (86.2%, s¼ 6.4 vs. 79.4%, s¼ 9.4).

Discussion

The aim of the present study was to examine the

activity profile and physiological loads associated

with the physical effort made by professional futsal

(five-a-side indoor soccer) players during competi-

tive matches. The mean distance covered was

4313 m (s¼ 2139, range 601 – 8040) and depended

on the time participated in the game, as shown by the

range. These values correspond to a mean participa-

tion time of 2587 s (s¼ 509, range 622 – 4026). The

total distance covered cannot be taken as a perfor-

mance indicator in sports with unlimited substitu-

tions, unlike other team sports such as football or

rugby. The values found differ slightly from those

reported in similar studies (Bello, 1998; Hernandez,

2001; Oliveira, 1999). This discrepancy in results

could be due to differences in methods of analysis, as

well as the standards of participants who took part in

the studies (senior professional players or juveniles)

(Table II).

It should be emphasized that the total movement

of players on the court is affected by many different

parameters: position on the field, tactical disposition,

characteristics of the match itself, all in some way can

affect the amount of space covered by players.

Nevertheless, the total distance covered by futsal

players is very similar to that covered by basket-

ball players (McInnes et al., 1995) and handball team

players (Pers et al., 2002).

We believe that in team sports with unlimited

numbers of changes, the distance covered per minute

(relative distance) is more representative of the

general intensity of the exercise and can be used as

an overall index to provide more precise information

about the demands of competition. In this study,

the average distance covered per minute was

117.3 m �min71 (s¼ 11.6), much higher than the

108 m �min71 reported by Molina (1992) in

Brazilian futsal and slightly higher than the

113 m �min71 reported by Oliveira (1999) in

Portugese juveniles. The similarity in the data

obtained by Oliveira (1999) and ourselves in

comparison with Molina’s 1992 estimates appears

to indicate an increase in the demands and dynamics

of the game in the last decade. The development of

offensive (4 in line) and defensive (pressure in all

parts of the court) tactics has increased the demands

made by competition, a fact reflected in the greater

distance covered per minute.

Figure 6. Mean heart rate and percentage of individual maximum heart rate during the first and second half. **P5 0.001.

Futsal match analysis and heart rate 69

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Fig

ure

7.

Per

cen

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ind

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th

eart

rate

ran

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du

rin

gth

efi

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and

seco

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hal

fan

dth

em

ean

.*P5

0.0

5.

70 J. C. Barbero-Alvarez et al.

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Although the total distance covered increased by

3.8% in the second half (2496 m, s¼ 1025 vs.

2596 m, s¼ 932), there was a significant reduction

(7.1%) in the distance covered per minute

(118.4 m �min71, s¼ 12.9 vs. 110.6 m �min71,

s¼ 9). This paradox is explained by the notable

increase (12.2%) in the total time played in the

second half (2236 s, s¼ 304.2 vs. 2509 s, s¼ 10.2).

Moreover, the reduction in the distance covered per

minute of participation in the second half may be

related to the decline in the intensity or work rate

towards the end of the game as a result of muscular

fatigue.

A reduction in the distance covered in the second

half has been observed in football (Bangsbo et al.,

1991; Van Gool et al., 1988). This fatigue was less

pronounced in individuals with high aerobic power

and the decline in performance was related to a

reduction in glycogen reserves in the leg muscles

(Saltin, 1973), although other factors such as

dehydration and physiological changes within the

muscle cell could be implicated (Bangsbo, 1994b;

Saltin, 1973).

Although making comparisons with research in

other sports has its limitations due to differences in

rules, field of play, and duration, for example, some

useful comparisons can be made with other inter-

mittent team sports. In futsal, the percentage of the

total distance covered at high and maximum speed

(high-intensity exercise) is greater than in basketball

(McInnes et al., 1995), handball (Alexander &

Boreskie, 1989) or football (Bangsbo, 1994a; Reilly,

1994), revealing the high demands imposed by

competition and suggesting that it is one of the most

demanding sports. Indeed, the work-to-rest ratio is

1:1, where rest means the player is stationary,

walking or jogging, and work means the distance

covered at medium, high or maximum speed.

We did not observe significant differences among

the various specific positions either in the distance or

Table II. Average distances per period and totals (m).

Authors 1st half 2nd half Whole match m �min71

Bello (1998) 5271 108

Molina (1992) 4072

Oliveira (1999) 2018+296 2058+ 209 4076+427 113.4

Hernandez (2001) 6535.3

Present study 2496.1+1024.9 2595.7+ 932 4313.2+2138.6 117.30+ 11.6

Figure 8. Percentages of time spent in low activity (565% HRmax), moderate activity (65 – 85% HRmax) and very vigorous activity (485%

HRmax) during the first and second half and the mean. *P50.05; **P5 0.01.

Futsal match analysis and heart rate 71

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in the percentage distance covered at different inten-

sities, indicating some similarity both in the quantity

and quality of the movements made by all the players

on the court, apart from goalkeeepers who were

excluded from the present analysis. This evidence

seems to demonstrate the versatilty of futsal players.

Certainly, futsal players can fulfil two or even three

distinct functions (universal player) depending on

the circumstances of the match, the team’s needs at a

specific moment or the characteristics of the players

on the court at that time.

There was a significant decrease in the distances

covered at high speed in relative terms (percentages)

during the second halves, while at the same time the

categories of standing and walking increased.

However, the percentage of the total distance

covered at maximum speed did not vary (7.5% vs

7.9%) between the two halves of the match, so that

the percentages covered at high intensities (21.4% vs

20.8%) were similar. Equally, the analysis of the

amount of high-intensity exercise during a soccer

match showed no significant difference between the

first and second half of a game (Rebelo, Krustrup,

Soares, & Bangsbo, 1998).

The mean heart rates and percentages of max-

imum heart rate recorded during futsal play in the

present study were generally higher than those

recorded for football, handball, and basketball

matches (Alexander & Boreskie, 1989; Loftin,

Anderson, Lytton, Pittman, & Warren, 1996;

McInnes et al., 1995; Reilly, 1996). The higher heart

rate in futsal is probably a result of the high load on

the anaerobic metabolism, greater than that de-

manded in other team sports. In relative terms, the

futsal player’s heart rate remains above 85% of

maximum heart rate for 83.2% of actual playing

time. These values indicate that for more than 80%

of the time spent on court, the player is performing

very vigorous activity. Furthermore, because rest

periods are short and incomplete, heart rate rarely

falls below 150 beats �min71, which is in contrast to

other sports such as basketball, soccer, rugby, and

handball.

We observed important differences in heart rate

between the first and second halves. There was a

reduction in mean heat rate and in the percentage of

maximum heart rate in the second half. Similar

results have been reported for football, where a drop

of 10 beats �min71 between the first and second half

was observed (164 vs. 154 beats �min71) (Bangsbo,

1994a). Also, the time that a player’s heart rate

remained above 170 beats �min71 was reduced.

Finally, there was a marked increase in the percen-

tage of time when heart rate was between 65 and

85% of maximum, while there was a decrease in the

percentage at intensities above 85% of maxiumum.

These data reflect physiological processes associated

with fatigue and the reduction in intensity that

occurs in the second half (118.42 vs.

110.55 m �min71).

To summarize, the present study shows that of the

total distance covered by professional futsal players,

almost a quarter (22.6%, s¼ 4.7) is spent at high

intensity and can, on occasions, exceed a third.

During the second half, players run fewer metres per

minute and the percentage of distance covered at

high speed decreases, although there are no differ-

ences in the percentages of high-intensity exercise

between the two halves. Equally, there are reductions

in the mean heart rate and the percentage of

maximum heart rate, and an increase in the relative

time spent between 65 and 85% of maximum heart

rate, while the very vigorous activity or the time spent

at intensities over 85% of maximum declines during

the second half.

Thus we conclude that futsal is a multiple-sprint

sport in which high-intensity exercise constitutes a

greater proportion of match time than in football and

other multiple-sprint sports.

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