The running performance and estimated energy cost of hurling specific small-sided games

The current study examined the extent to which pitch dimensions can influence the physical and estimated energetic demands of hurling small-sided games. Training data (n=990) were collected from 24 (age 25.5 3.2 years; height 178.9 3.2 cm; body mass 78.5 4.5 kg) hurling players using 4-Hz global positioning system technology (VX Sport, Lower Hutt, New Zealand). Total distance (m), high-speed running distance (m; 17 km/h), very high-speed running distance (m; 22 km/h), total accelerations (n), acceleration distance (m), peak and mean velocity (km/h) were considered. In addition changes in velocity were analysed by assessing the acceleration actions during SSG. This allowed for the assessment of estimated energy expenditure (kJ/kg) and the equivalent distance covered a different metabolic power thresholds. The main findings show that traditional speed-based data increased as pitch dimensions were increased (p ¼ 0.002; d ¼ 4.53 0.46; very large). Furthermore, as relative player area increased there was an increase in estimated energy expenditure (p ¼ 0.004; d ¼ 2. 16 0.20; very large) and average metabolic power metrics (p ¼ 0.002; d ¼ 1.13 0.46; moderate). Distances covered at metabolic power categories (TP) increased with small-sided games pitch dimension (p ¼ 0.002; d ¼ 0.3 0.06; small). The study enables coaches to better understand the physical demands imposed on players during specific hurling small-sided games pitch dimensions, and highlights that traditional speed-based data underestimate the running demands of small-sided games.