## 4 Discussion
Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that female players who performed higher running metrics during the match (explosive distance covered over 1.12 m/s\({}^{2}\) and distance covered with acceleration over 3 m/s\({}^{2}\)) had minor differences between post-match-to-baseline measurements and values of neuromuscular parameters during knee extension in the dominant leg (IPF and \(\text{RFD}_{150}\)). Lastly, female players who performeda major number of accelerations/decelerations during the match had minor differences between post-match and baseline neuromuscular parameters during the knee flexion test (IPF, RFD\({}_{150}\) and RFD\({}_{250}\)). Collectively, the players who performed the most actions at the highest intensity in the match are the players who experienced the smallest post-match-to-baseline differences. The authors hypothesised that those players who perform more high-speed actions may be well adapted to the demands of the match. Despite the intriguing relationship between higher running metrics during the match and neuromuscular parameters during knee extension reported in our study, future experimental studies are required to confirm the association between these two variables. This research contains several limitations that should be clearly discussed to understand the actual usefulness of the experiment. This study did not establish normative values for IPF, RFD or H:Q in female football players. However, it highlights the fluctuations in strength variables induced by the acute effect of a competitive football match using accessible and cost-effective equipment. This study focused on unilateral testing to provide a well-controlled and isolated assessment of leg muscle function, enhancing reproducibility and allowing for a detailed analysis of the quadriceps and hamstrings independently. However, football is an intermittent sport in which players adopt various body positions, and most high-intensity actions are performed involving both legs. Therefore, future research should also incorporate bilateral testing using more ecologically valid movements, such as jumps, changes in direction and linear sprints, to better replicate the demands of football. Additionally, only the physical parameters imposed by the official match (i.e., running metrics and mean heart rate) were assessed, while the physical volume and intensity parameters from training sessions in the days leading up to the match were not measured. Moreover, other potential factors influencing fatigue development in players (beyond physical demands) were not controlled. These include team formation, contextual variables and the competitive level of the opposing team. Reporting recovery habits (i.e., sleep time, post-match diet, hydration, etc.) were not collected in this experiment even though they may be essential to understanding individual differences in the recovery patterns. Lastly, despite the practical relevance of this study, we were unable to assess physiological variables during the match to identify the underlying causes of fatigue. Key indicators such as blood lactate concentration, blood glucose concentration, blood markers of muscle damage and muscle glycogen content could have provided deeper insights into the mechanisms of fatigue during competition and their association with strength decreases. Future research should incorporate these measures to explore the potential mechanisms underlying neuromuscular fatigue induced by competitive matches in female football players. This study was focused on reporting data as a group means, but future research should measure individual patterns of recovery after a competitive match as, in the real world, football practitioners must apply research findings on an individual basis.