Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40455926›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Exploring the utility of the 3-minute all-out running test in assessing match performance and external loads in university soccer players.

Duncan Peter Sutcliffe, Mark Kramer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Duncan Peter SutcliffePhysical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec), North-West University, Potchefstroom, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1493-714X
Mark KramerPhysical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec), North-West University, Potchefstroom, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study evaluated the utility of the 3-minute all-out running test (3MT) in assessing match performance and physiologically relevant load metrics among male university soccer players. We aimed to explore the relationship between 3MT metrics, including critical speed (CS), finite energy reserve (D'), and maximal running speed (Smax), with key match performance indicators, while also assessing the efficacy of a modified method for tracking player load.

methodsTwenty-six male university soccer players completed the 3MT to determine CS, D', and maximal speed (Smax). Match performance data (n = 3-8 matches per player) were concurrently gathered, including total distance covered, high-speed running (HSR), very high-speed running (VHSR), and overall player load. Correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between 3MT variables and match performance, with a specific focus on how a modified load-tracking method compared to traditional approaches.

resultsPlayers with higher CS exhibited smaller fluctuations in D' kinetics, indicating more efficient energy utilization during matches. A strong positive correlation was found between 3MT-derived Smax and the initiation of both HSR (r = 0.73, p < 0.01) and VHSR (r = 0.69, p < 0.05), highlighting the link between sprint capacity and match-specific high-intensity efforts. Lastly, a modified method for assessing player load demonstrated a high correlation with traditional methods (r = 0.99), while also accounting for individual metabolic demands. The modified approach offers a more nuanced understanding of player workload, potentially improving fatigue management, performance, and injury prevention.

conclusionsThe 3MT proved to be a valuable tool for evaluating individual physiological conditioning while also mapping on to key match performance metrics and external loads in university soccer players. The association with key performance indicators such as high-speed running capacity and sustained effort highlights its potential for optimizing training strategies.

Indexed as

Athletic PerformanceExercise TestRunningSoccerAdultAthletesHumansMaleUniversitiesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40455926
PMCPMC12129316

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.