Match analysis and heart rate of top-level female beach volleyball players during international and national competitions.

Background: This case-study compared match activities and time spent in selected heart rate intensity zones in top-level female beach volleyball players during National and International competitions.

Methods: A Blocker (180.2 cm; 72.7 kg; 35 years) and a Defender (179.3 cm; 73.5 kg; 20 years) activity profile were measured from Global Positioning Satellite and percentage of maximum heart rate systems (%HRmax) in different zones during 66 International and 33 National Brazilian Championship. Magnitude-based inference and Cohen's effect sizes were used for statistical comparisons.

Results: Both competition (i.e., International and National), the Blocker presented a higher time spent in 50-59% (100/0/0: almost certainly; 95/5/0: likely), 60-69% (97/3/0: very likely; 88/11/1:likely), and 90-100% (100/0/0: almost certainly), but lower time in 70-79% (0/1/99: very likely) and 80-89% (0/0/100: almost certainly) of HRmax than the Defender. Higher distances covered in walking (94/6/0: likely), low-intensity [LIR] (99/1/0: very likely), medium-intensity [MIR] (100/0/0: almost certainly) and high-intensity running [HIR] (86/10/3: likely), as well as acceleration (m/s2) in 0.5-0.99 (89/11/0: likely) and 2-2.99 (80/19/1: likely), and peak velocity (89/11/0; 95/5/0: likely) were seen in the Blocker compared to the Defender. Compared to National competitions, International demonstrated higher values in total distance (88/12/0: likely), peak velocity (100/0/0: almost certainly), match profile in LIR (100/0/0: almost certainly), MIR (100/0/0: almost certainly), HIR (100/0/0: almost certainly; 93/2/4: likely), 1-1.99 (100/0/0: almost certainly), 2-2.99 (100/0/0: almost certainly), >3 (96/4/6: very likely) acceleration; and in 1-1.99 (100/0/0: almost certainly), 2-2.99 (100/0/0: almost certainly), >3 (98/2/0: very likely; 100/0/0: almost certainly) deceleration; as well as during 90-100% of HRmax (94/6/0: likely).

Conclusions: Blocker athlete and International competitions presented higher physical demands than their pairs during the matches, suggesting that the position and the level of competition are influenced by match demands.