Designing Pre-Season Training Programs using GPS Systems: a Systematic Approach [Article Review]

Introduction

The article “Designing Pre-Season Training Programs Using Global Positioning Systems: A Systematic Approach” by Chris Wing presents an in-depth examination of how Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has revolutionized the way sports practitioners design and monitor pre-season training for athletes. Recognizing pre-season as a critical period for enhancing physical qualities without the interference of competition, the article describes how GPS-derived data can streamline and improve the balance between workload, performance gains, and injury prevention for sport-specific needs.

Key Takeaways

A pivotal element of the article is its detailed 7-step systematic approach to developing data-driven training programs. It begins by highlighting the core utility of GPS devices: objectively tracking player movements, velocities, high-speed efforts, loads, and collisions, and translating these metrics into actionable information for training design. The article emphasizes the importance of segmenting competitive matches into intense periods, pointing out that average data often underrepresents the peak demands athletes face during actual play. For example, Australian Football midfielders may show an average work rate of 141.9 m/min, while the most intense 5-minute period spikes this to 178.2 m/min, underscoring the necessity for training at peak intensities.

The article also advises practitioners to be selective with GPS-derived variables, focusing on those most relevant to each sport and playing position (such as sprint distance for mobile forwards in Australian Football). Reducing the breadth of variables streamlines program design and avoids contradictory demands, with summary variables like Body Load and Player Load offering further efficiency, especially in intermittent sports where direction changes and contacts are frequent.

A crucial takeaway is the recommendation to use the “worst-case scenario” (the most demanding competition segment) as the training benchmark, ensuring athletes are not just prepared for the average demands, but for peak match intensity. This approach helps minimize under-preparation and injury risk. The article further introduces the acute:chronic workload ratio as a modern monitoring tool to adjust training volumes practically and safely, maintaining athletes within an optimal workload zone (ratio 0.8–1.3) to maximize adaptation and reduce injury.

Finally, the article acknowledges the limitations of GPS technology (such as signal issues indoors) and the need to supplement with accelerometry data, ensuring practitioners apply technology judiciously.

Conclusion

Practically, the insights from this article equip coaches and sports scientists with a clear, technology-driven methodology to design position-specific, intensity-appropriate, and injury-conscious pre-season training programs. By integrating GPS analysis of both competition and training, practitioners can replicate genuine match demands in pre-season sessions, periodize workloads to optimize performance peaks, and use real-time data to avoid overtraining or under-preparation. This evidence-based strategy is directly applicable for maximizing athlete readiness and minimizing injury risk across team sports, making GPS-informed training programs a cornerstone of modern sport performance management.

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