Match-play demands of elite U17 hurlers during competitive matches

Young, D, Mourot, L, Beato, M, and Coratella, G. Match-play demands of elite U17 hurlers during competitive matches. J Strength Cond Res 34(7): 1982-1989, 2020-The current study aimed to quantify the match-play workload in elite male under 17 hurlers, measuring the differences between the first and second halves and between positions. Global positioning system (10-Hz) and heart rate monitors were used to collect data from 76 players during 18 matches. Players' total distance (TD), relative distance (RD), high-speed running (HSR), the number and length of sprints, and the total sprint distance (TSD) was 6,483 6 1,145 m, 108 6 19 m$min2¹, 583 6 215 m, 18 6 6, 15 6 3 m, and 272 6 77 m, respectively. Peak and mean heart rate were 194 6 8 b$min2¹ and 167 6 4 b$min2¹, respectively. Decrements in TD (p, 0.001, effect size [ES] = 0.72), RD (p, 0.001, ES = 0.72), HSR (p, 0.001, ES = 0.55), the number of sprints (p, 0.001, ES = 0.57), mean length of sprint (p, 0.011, ES = 0.25), TSD (p, 0.001, ES = 0.69), mean heart rate (p, 0.001, ES = 0.35), and peak heart rate (p, 0.001, ES = 0.52) were found between halves. Largely-to-very largely greater TD, RD, and HSR were covered by midfielders, half-backs, and half-forwards compared with full-backs and full-forwards. No between-position difference was found in peak and mean heart rate. The current results are the first to highlight the differences in external and internal position-specific workload in elite male under 17 hurlers. Coaches need to consider the position-specific demands and between-half drop-off to prepare young hurlers appropriately to repeat the match-play performances of competition.