Monitoring Internal and External Training Load in Team Sports:

Gabriel Fernando Esteves Cardia

doi:10.46642/efd.v31i339.7330

Gabriel Fernando Esteves Cardia Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM) https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56565251700 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3781-7498

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46642/efd.v31i339.7330

Abstract

Monitoring training load is a key strategy for optimizing performance and reducing injury risk in team sports. Internal and external load measures provide complementary information that supports evidence-based decision-making in training prescription and athlete management. The objective of this review was to synthesize and critically analyze the main methods and technologies currently used to monitor internal and external training load in team sports, emphasizing their practical applications, advantages, and limitations. A narrative literature review with a structured search strategy was conducted, using PRISMA recommendations as a reporting guide. Studies were retrieved from the Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Peer-reviewed articles addressing subjective and objective monitoring approaches were included, encompassing perceptual measures, heart rate–based indices, global positioning systems, accelerometry, and wearable microtechnology. The evidence indicates that external load is predominantly monitored through variables such as distance covered, speed, acceleration, power output, and time-motion characteristics, whereas internal load is commonly assessed using session rating of perceived exertion, heart rate–derived indices, and subjective well-being questionnaires. The combined use of internal and external load measures supports training individualization, improves load management, and contributes to injury risk reduction. In conclusion, training load monitoring should be understood as a dynamic and context-dependent process that requires an integrated and individualized approach to support applied decision-making and long-term athlete development in team sports.

Keywords: Athlete management, Wearable sensors, Rating of perceived exertion, Recovery status, Injury prevention

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