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Study note

Match running performance fluctuations in elite soccer: indicative of fatigue, pacing or situational influences?

Updated Oct 17, 2026

Human researchJournal of sports sciences2013Read the source on PubMed

What the study found

High-intensity running varied with earlier activity, match context and substitutions, making a simple fatigue-only explanation inadequate.

Participants and protocol

Computer tracking divided elite soccer matches into five-minute periods and examined activity in relation to score, match importance, position and substitutions.

What this cannot establish

Observational match patterns do not isolate fatigue from tactics or deliberate pacing. Soccer findings do not establish an optimal marathon pacing strategy.

Publication details
Record
PubMed 23808376
Indexed subjects
Fatigue · Time and Motion Studies · Physical Endurance · Running · Soccer
Source record checked
2026-10-18

Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.

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