New Research Highlights Training Consistently Underdelivers High-Intensity Cardiac Stimulus for Non-Starters

Firstbeat Technologies has co-published a new research paper with renowned sports scientist Martin Buchheit, analyzing heart rate data from 20 professional football teams across 9 leagues.

The study examined 948 microcycles from elite football environments to better understand how much time players spend in key heart rate zones during training and matches.

Key Findings

One of the key findings was that while training generally delivers sufficient exposure above 80% of maximum heart rate, it often falls short at intensities above 90% HRmax.

This is especially relevant for non-starters, who typically receive less match exposure and therefore fewer opportunities to reach high-intensity cardiovascular stimulus.

The research also highlights an important difference between external and internal load. GPS-based metrics may show that players are completing sufficient distance or high-speed running, but this does not always mean they are receiving the same metabolic or cardiac stimulus.

For performance staff, the practical takeaway is clear: compensatory training for non-starters should not focus only on matching external outputs. To support fitness maintenance and development, sessions may also need to be designed around targeted heart rate responses.

Read the full paper here.