Non-starters vs. starters: Comparison of in-season training load relative to match load in professional soccer players

feedback of relevant metrics, thus greatly aiding coaching staff to modify different variables in training programs related to the physical and physiological demands of the players (Casamichana, Román-Quintana, Castellano, & Calleja-González, 2015).Likewise, it is useful to provide a detailed summary of the training load (volume, intensity and frequency;Foster et al., 2001;Scott et al., 2013).In that sense, analysing cumulative load with and without match data can provide different interpretations and it is expected that starters and/or players with higher match participation will have higher cumulative load values (Oliveira et al., 2021).Therefore, to be effective, training programs in soccer keep a relation to the loads imposed during matches (i.e., relative training load; Modric et al., 2021).Coaches require an adequate distribution of training load between the previous and the following match, to achieve a desired adaptive response and thus avoid the fatigue that may affect players' performance in competition