Training load and recovery status during a short-term overseas training camp in Taiwan futsal players

Purpose
The purpose of the study was to examine the physiological performance profiles and recovery status in a men futsal team during a short-term overseas training camp.

Methods
Among 11 Chinese Taipei men national futsal players, we determined the average heart rate (HR), the natural log of the square root of the mean sum of the squared differences between R-R intervals (LnrMSSD), and activity profiles, as well as applied a wellness questionnaire and a recovery scoring guide during a 5-day overseas training camp with 2 training matches.

Results
For activity profiles, speed zone 2 (5.0–7.9 km ∙ h^–1, p = 0.01), zone 3 (8.0–11.9 km ∙ h^–1, p < 0.01), zone 4 (12.0–17.9 km ∙ h^–1, p = 0.01), and deceleration zone 2 (1.0–1.99 m ∙ s^–2, p = 0.01) on the 2nd match day were significantly larger than those on the 1st match day. The 2nd match day showed a smaller percentage of HR zone 1 (50–59% of HRmax, p = 0.04) than the 1st match day. The wellness questionnaire, recovery scoring guide, resting HR, and LnrMSSD presented no significant difference across the training camp (p > 0.05).

Conclusions
The absence of fluctuation in the recovery status and resting cardiac responses is not associated with changes in training and match loads. The players’ recovery status and intensity of running patterns during an overseas futsal training camp were not influenced by the accumulation of training loads in a short-term period.