If the notion of individualisation of work was once an abstract concept in physical work, it has now found real legitimacy. The evaluation tools now available to technicians, wheter there are professionnels or amateurs make it possible to accurately evaluate certain physiological parameters, such as maximum heart rate: MYcocach Tracker, MAS ( sportbeeper), specific training zones and their respective heart rates, and even, at a certain level, lactatemia at different intensities.
The notion of individualisation then takes on its full meaning.
Different physiological impacts from one subject to another
Let’s take the case of two players who have maximum heart rates (HR MAX) of 210 and 175 respectively. If the session aims to work in a target zone of 170-175 beats per minute for an aerobic work of 70% to 75% of the MAS, the physiological impacts will be totally different. The first will be perfectly in the zone, while the second will be at 95-100% of his max HR, therefore at intensities developing Maximum Aerobic Power with lactate production!
Considering job position
This individualisation therefore seems unavoidable today as the physical profiles are so heterogeneous. Moreover, if we take into account the requirements of the positions, we can see that the demands are very different between, for example, the central defenders and the defensive midfielders. More explosiveness and speed work for some, more MAP work for others. There is therefore a need to adjust specific workloads. Thus, in the period of physical preparation, should training be carried out by level group according to the MAS? Then, throughout the season, intermittent work should take into account this measured value, and thus propose individualised running distances from one group to another.
This is where the sportbeeper comes into its own and allows you to organise your sessions.
A question of dosage and experience
We can go even further in the individualisation of the work by taking into account the “MAS support time” also called “limit time”. The latter is defined by the player’s ability to maintain a running speed equal to his or her MAS for as long as possible (a test that can be performed using the sportbeeper). For athletes, the average is about 6 minutes, with standard deviations ranging from 4 to 12 minutes. It is the lactic capacity and running economy that will determine performance.

It is the lactic capacity and running economy that will determine performance.
Maintenance of strong quality, and development of poor quality
Finally, a last element to take into account in the individualisation of physical training is the athletic profile of your players.If one of your midshipmen has a MAS of 19 km/h, should he work primarily on his MAP for his position? This does not seem to be an obligation. A good balance must be achieved in order to regularly maintain this strong quality, of course, but also to work on his explosiveness if he seems deficient in this area. Conversely, a midfielder with a MAS of only 16km/h will need to focus on improving his MAS and MAP in order to be able to adequately meet the needs of his position. It’s all about the right mix …. and experience!