Exercise Science
2000 Volume 3 Issue 3
Speed Endurance Training
for Football
BARRY DRUST
At certain times during the game players may be required to sprint long distances (eg the
length of the pitch to support team-mates during a fast counter-attack) or repeat high
intensity bouts with only small amounts of rest between each sprint.
Speed endurance training improves the ability provide energy at the rate required low intensity activity) rather than passive as
to maintain, and repeat, sprint type activities throughout exercise. Such high levels of this will speed up the removal of metabolic
by increasing the body's ability to produce physiological stress not only helps to improve waste products and enhance recovery.
energy, via the anaerobic energy systems, and the capacity of the anaerobic energy system to
improving the ability to recover following high produce energy, but also the ability of the Organisation of Speed
intensity bouts. metabolic systems to tolerate waste products Endurance Training
(eg lactic acid) that may lead to fatigue.
Principles of Speed Endurance Training Football-specific speed endurance training
Training to improve Speed Endurance should be organised around three specific
Speed endurance training should be types of drills:
performed at almost maximal exercise Speed endurance training in football has
intensities. This means that training is both traditionally used models that are adapted " Football-specific drills- activities that
physically and mentally demanding and must from athletics. This approach normally utilises replicate the activity pattern seen in games
be performed according to an interval an interval training programme that requires a (eg sideways movements, changes in
principle. The length of the exercise and number of repetitions of a set distance to be direction, accelerations and decelerations);
recovery periods depends on the type of completed in a pre-determined time (eg 200
speed endurance training that is performed. m in 30 seconds) separated by a suitable " Drills with the ball;
Speed endurance training can be divided into recovery period (eg 30 seconds). Though this
two categories: type of training will lead to improvements in " Technical drills - drills that are normally
the ability to maintain and repeat high associated with the development of
" Production Training - training to improve intensity efforts, it may not be the most specific game skills (eg dribbling,
the ability to perform at a high intensity for effective way of developing speed endurance shooting) that can be modified in terms
relatively short periods of time; in football players. of their exercise:rest duration to adhere
to the principles outlined in Table 1.
" Maintenance Training - training to increase The adaptations that occur as a result of high
the ability to maintain exercise at a high intensity training are specific to the muscle Combining one or more examples of these
intensity and to recover from such groups that are trained. It is therefore of great different types of drills in a circuit (as shown
exercise periods. importance to make sure that the muscle in Figure 1) is a good way to ensure that the
groups that are used in training are the same training session taxes all the relevant muscles
Table 1 illustrates the principles for both as those used during performance. This means involved in football. The drills shown provide
production and maintenance training. The that the effectiveness of speed endurance examples of football-specific drills (drills 1,3
exercise bouts in production training are training programmes for football will be and 4), drills with the ball (drill 5) and
relatively short (20-40 seconds) compared to maximised if the activities included are similar technical drills (drills 2 and 6). By repeating
the duration of rest (2-4 minutes). This to those found in games. each drill outlined in Figure 1 for the desired
stimulates the anaerobic energy systems of exercise period (eg 30 seconds) a total of 3
the body that are used to support high Speed endurance training in football should, minutes of high intensity activity would be
intensity activity and permits full recovery therefore, incorporate frequent changes in completed for each circuit. This should be
before the next exercise bout. A high intensity direction and different types of movement increased as players become fitter by
of exercise can therefore be maintained patterns (eg sideways and backwards changing both the number of drills that are
throughout the whole of the training session. movements) as well as the straight line patterns included and the duration of the high intensity
used in more traditional approaches. It is also exercise bouts.
Maintenance training, on the other hand, uses beneficial, where possible, to incorporate
exercise and rest periods that are very similar drills with the ball as this will further increase Creativity should be encouraged when
in duration. This regimen results in the the football-specific nature of the exercise. devising speed endurance drills as variation in
individual becoming fatigued as the session The recovery bouts which separate the the activities used will not only improve the
goes on due to the inability of the body to exercise periods should be active (ie include training stimulus, but will also provide the
2000 Volume 3 Issue 3
variation in activity that is often necessary to Conclusion Further Reading
maintain high levels of motivation throughout
such training sessions. Coaches should devise Speed endurance training improves the ability Bangsbo J (1994). Fitness training for football:
a large bank of activities so that different drills to maintain and repeat high intensity activity. A scientific approach. H.O. Storm: Bagsvard.
can be used for different training sessions. The exercise intensity should be close to
The choice of drills may be partly decided by maximal during training and should therefore Williams M., Borrie A., Cable T, Gilbourne D.,
the focus of the session, as certain drills will be preceded by an appropriate warm up. The Lees A., MacLaren D. and Reilly T. (1997).
be better suited to the development of speed demanding nature of speed endurance training Umbro conditioning for football. Edbury
production or maintenance training. It is, limits its inclusion to players who have already Press: London
however, possible for identical drills to be developed a good base of conditioning. This
used for both types of speed endurance may make it unsuitable for some amateur Dr Barry Drust is a Lecturer in Exercise
training as long as the principles outlined in players and children. If included, the type of Physiology at the University of Teesside.
Table 1 are retained. Existing drills can also be activities should replicate the activity pattern He also works as a part time consultant to
modified to change the training stimulus. For associated with football games and should, Middlesborough Football Club providing
example, the drills in Figure 1 can be where possible, use the ball. advice on the physical preparation and
performed using sideways (drills 1 and 4} or evaluation of the club's players.
forwards and backwards motions (drill 3)
instead of the activity pattern described.