Table 2. Estimated means (SE) for external and internal training load variables, for the total training session and the small-sided games separately in the football training group. Total Session Small-sided games Load indicator Mean Week 2-4 Week 5-7 Week 8-10 p-value Mean Week 2-4 Week 5-7 Week 8-10 p-value External load Distance    Total Distance (m) 2935(71) 2591(93) 2869(94) 3360(94) <0.001 879(25) 764(37) 889(37) 982(37) <0.001       Low-speed run (<6 km h-1) (m) 1974(38) 1765(49) 1987(50) 2198(50) <0.001 591(13) 518(18) 625(19) 633(19) 0.002a       Mod-speed run (6-12 km h-1) (m) 850(37) 747(57) 782(57) 1010(57) <0.001 241(14) 211(22) 220(22) 286(22) <0.001       High-speed run (>12 km h-1) (m) 110(11) 80(18) 97(18) 149(18) <0.001 48(5) 35(8) 43(8) 63(8) <0.001    Low-speed run (<6 km h-1) (%) 67.9 (0.9) 68.8 (1.6) 69.8 (1.6) 66.2 (1.6) 0.005 68.3 (1.3) 69.2 (2.1) 71.1 (2.1) 65.7 (2.1) 0.007    Mod-speed run (6-12 km h-1) (%) 28.5 (0.7) 28.3 (1.2) 27.0 (1.2) 29.6 (1.2) 0.043 26.6 (0.9) 26.5 (1.5) 24.3 (1.5) 28.3 (1.5) 0.071    High-speed run (>12 km h-1) (%) 3.6 (0.3) 2.9 (0.5) 3.3 (0.5) 4.3 (0.5) <0.001 5.1 (0.4) 4.3 (0.8) 4.6 (0.8) 6.1 (0.8) <0.001 Accelerations - decelerations    Accelerations (>2m s-2) (n) 30.7 (2.1) 27.1 (3.4) 27.3 (3.5) 36.5 (3.5) <0.001 12.1 (0.9) 11.1 (1.6) 11.4 (1.6) 13.2 (1.6) 0.062    Decelerations (<-2m s-2) (n) 27.8 (2.1) 23.1 (3.5) 25.9 (3.5) 33.3 (3.5) <0.001 12.6 (0.9) 10.8 (1.6) 12.1 (1.6) 14.2 (1.6) 0.001 Internal load Heart rate    Average HR (% HRmax) 78.0 (1.0) 76.9 (1.8) 80.3 (1.8) 78.4 (1.7) 0.625a 85.7 (1.0) 86.8 (1.8) 86.4 (1.8) 85.6 (1.8) 0.194a    HR <70% HRmax (% of time) 33.5 (2.7) 34.0 (4.9) 25.1 (4.9) 33.2 (4.8) 0.810 12.1 (1.9) 13.4 (3.2) 8.2 (3.2) 13.5 (3.1) 0.945b    HR 70-80% HRmax (% of time) 21.5 (9.0) 22.6 (2.3) 22.7 (2.4) 19.2 (2.3) 0.151 16.3 (1.6) 14.9 (2.9) 17.8 (2.9) 14.8 (2.8) 0.964    HR 80-90% HRmax (% of time) 22.7 (1.3) 19.9 (2.2) 26.2 (2.3) 23.2 (2.2) 0.166 31.1 (2.1) 28.2 (3.7) 33.4 (3.7) 30.7 (3.4) 0.465    HR >90% HRmax (% of time) 22.3 (2.3) 23.7 (4.3) 26.0 (4.3) 24.3 (4.2) 0.809 40.5 (3.8) 44.0 (6.6) 41.0 (6.6) 40.9 (6.5) 0.574 p-values of time effect (week 2-4 vs week 8-10) based on Linear Mixed-Effects Models analyses (significant values in bold) anot normally distributed and non-parametric tests were performed and reported bnot normally distributed and square root transformation was performed for the analyses. For easier interpretation, non-transformed data means were reported for all variables. For the small-sided games (SSG’s): average values for one SSG were reported (not a summation of the two SSG’s). HR = heart rate; HRmax = maximal heart rate