The integration of external and internal match load with contextual factors to assess training status in football.
Multilevel modelling · R · Excel
For my bachelor’s thesis, I worked with GPS and heart rate data recorded during matches of a professional U18 football team, some of which I helped collect during my internship with the club. Using multilevel regression models, I examined how well GPS-derived movement measures could explain players’ mean heart rate during matches. I then assessed whether including contextual factors, such as weather conditions and match location, improved the models’ fit. Finally, I tested whether deviations between observed and predicted heart rate were associated with closely scheduled matches, exploring their potential as an indicator of fatigue.