# Quantifying the Training and Match-Play External and Internal Load of Elite Gaelic Football Players
## 3 Results
### Match and Non-Match Weeks across Position and External Load  
The effect of weekly match context on specific external load measures are presented in Figure 4. During non-match weeks players were shown to have significant (\(p\) = 0.045; ES: 0.31-0.89; _small-moderate_) increases in total distance when compared to match weeks. Similar trends were observed for high-speed running across match and non-match weeks. Increases in high power meters (\(p\) = 0.035; ES: 0.31; _small_) and average metabolic power (\(p\) = 0.035; ES: 0.35; _small_) were also observed across non-match weeks when compared to match weeks.  
Figure 1: The session RPE (\(\delta\)BPE) training load distribution across phases (large bar) and all modes (small bars) mean \(\pm\) SD. Abbreviations: AU, arbitrary units. (**A**) Significant increase in loading between pre-season and in-season (\(p\leq 0.05\)). (**B**) Significant decrease in loading between pre-season, in-season 1 and in-season 2 (\(p\leq 0.05\)). (**C**) Significant increase in load between club 1 and provincial 1 and pre-season, in-season 1 and in-season 2 (\(p\leq 0.05\)). (**D**) Significant decrease in load between in-season 1, club 1, provincial 1, and championship 1 and championship 2 (\(p\leq 0.05\)).  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Phase**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Duration (min)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Total Distance (m)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**High Speed Distance (m)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Very High-Speed Distance (m)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Spit Distance (m)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Accelerations (m)**} \\ \cline{2-11}  & **Training** & **Match-Play** & **Training** & **Match-Play** & **Training** & **Match-Play** & **Training** & **Match-Play** & **Training** & **Match-Play** & **Training** & **Match-Play** \\ \hline Pre-season & 155 \(\pm\) 50.* & - & 22,690 \(\pm\) 220.* & - & 2831 \(\pm\) 90.* & - & 1812 \(\pm\) 87.* & - & 639 \(\pm\) 418.* & 181 \(\pm\) 98. & - \\ In-Sease 1 & 120 \(\pm\) 35 & 72 \(\pm\) 5 & 12,564 \(\pm\) 346.8 & 8999 \(\pm\) 109.8 & 1667 \(\pm\) 810 & 1513 \(\pm\) 78.6 & 1300 \(\pm\) 867 & 489 \(\pm\) 355 & 371 \(\pm\) 377 & 191 \(\pm\) 77.4 & 17 \(\pm\) 90 \\ Club 1 & 150 \(\pm\) 30.* & 65 \(\pm\) 3 & 72 \(\pm\) 5 & 11,334 \(\pm\) 2880 & 9021 \(\pm\) 1287 & 1403 \(\pm\) 94 & 1797 \(\pm\) 874 & 1270 \(\pm\) 897 & 534 \(\pm\) 528 & 429 \(\pm\) 213.* & 401 \(\pm\) 365 & 178 \(\pm\) 91 & 181 \(\pm\) 93 \\ Provisional 1 & 150 \(\pm\) 30.* & 65 \(\pm\) 3 & 727 \(\pm\) 857 & 8972 \(\pm\) 1321 & 12787 \(\pm\) 897 & 1498 \(\pm\) 599 & 1716 \(\pm\) 76 & 798 \(\pm\) 578 & 410 \(\pm\) 302 & 189 \(\pm\) 199 & 184 \(\pm\) 90 \\ Provisional 1 & 150 \(\pm\) 35.* & 16 \(\pm\) 34.* & 3076 \(\pm\) 9021 & 1807 \(\pm\) 109.2 & 2020 \(\pm\) 913.9 & 1804 \(\pm\) 534 & 1404 \(\pm\) 798 & 456 \(\pm\) 873 & 345 \(\pm\) 244 & 421  
Figure 2: The distribution of high-power meters boxes (m: \(\geq\)25 W-kg\({}^{-1}\)) and average metabolic power line (P\({}_{\rm med}\):W-kg\({}^{-1}\)) across seasonal phases within an elite Gaele football team. All data presented as mean \(\pm\) SD.  
Figure 3: _Cont_.  
Figure 4: _Cont_.  
Figure 3: The positional distribution of external load across phases for (**A**) total distance (m), (**B**) high speed running (m; \(\geq\)17.1 km\(\cdot\)h\({}^{-1}\)), (**C**) high-power distance (m; \(\geq\)25 W\(\cdot\)kg\({}^{-1}\)), and (**D**) average metabolic power (P\({}_{\rm met}\); W\(\cdot\)kg\({}^{-1}\)). Data presented as mean \(\pm\) SD.