Table 5 Participant characteristics and key methodological approaches from each study included in our systematic review

Anderson et al. [51]

Collegiate (USA)

12

20 ± 3

–

–

- (20 weeks)

Session-RPE load (Foster’s scale)

Conte et al. [30]

Professional (Italy)^a

12

27 ± 4

184 ± 9

77.5 ± 15.1

In-season (5 games)

Video TMA (SONY HDR-CX115)

Coyne et al. [39]

Professional (Unknown)^a

13

29 ± 4

186 ± 9.8

77.9 ± 11.6

Training camp (18 weeks)^b

Microsensor (Catapult)

Session-RPE load (-)

Cruz et al. [52]

Representative (Spain)^a

10

17.2 ± 0.4

177.2 ± 9.5

71.8 ± 15.0

In-season (9 weeks)

Session-RPE load (Borg’s CR-10 scale)

Delextrat et al. [31]

Professional (Spain)^a

42

25.9 ± 4.3

183.4 ± 9.0

–

In-season (3 games)

Video TMA (-)

Ghali et al. [50]

Club level (Canada)^a

60

–

–

–

In-season (1 week)

Microsensor (VERT 2.0)

Session-RPE load (Foster’s scale)

Kraft et al. [44]

Collegiate (USA)

–

–

–

–

- (124 sessions)

Session-RPE load (-)

HR (Polar H7)

Lastella et al. [46]

Representative (Australia)^a

11

17.3 ± 0.9

182.3 ± 5.5

77.0 ± 7.2

Training camp (118 sessions)

Session-RPE load (Foster’s scale)

Lukonaitienė et al. [45]

Representative, Under-18 (Lithuania)^a

12

18.0 ± 0.5

180.4 ± 7.5

72.7 ± 9.3

Training camp (3 weeks)

Microsensor (Catapult OptimEye s5)

Session-RPE load (Borg’s CR-10 scale)

HR (Polar H10)

Representative, Under-20 (Lithuania)^a

12

19.6 ± 0.8

178.6 ± 6.4

68.0 ± 5.9

Lupo et al. [42]

Representative (Italy)^a

15

16.7 ± 0.5

178 ± 9

72 ± 9

Training camp (15 sessions)

HR (Polar H7)

Matthew and Delextrat [29]

Collegiate (United Kingdom)^a

9

25.8 ± 2.5

173 ± 5

63.2 ± 4.5

In-season (9 games)

Video TMA (JVC- × 400)

HR (Polar S810)

BLa (Analox LM5 analyzer)

Nunes et al. [53]

Professional (Brazil)^a

19

26 ± 5

181.8 ± 8.2

75.6 ± 12.6

Training camp (12 weeks)^b

Session-RPE load (Foster’s scale)

Oba and Okuda [57]

High-school, Collegiate, and Professional (Japan)^a

–

–

–

–

Playoffs (3 games)

Video TMA (DKH Co. PTS-110)

Otaegi and Los Arcos [48]

Club level, Under-15 (Spain)^a

8

14.9 ± 0.6

161 ± 1

58.2 ± 7.6

In-season (24 sessions, 7 games)

Session-RPE load (Foster’s scale)

Club level, Under-16 (Spain)^a

11

15.1 ± 0.7

164 ± 1

62.8 ± 7.2

In-season (26 sessions, 8 games)

Palmer et al. [41]

Semi-professional (Australia)

12

28.1 ± 5

176 ± 9.7

75.9 ± 18.2

In-season (33 sessions, 21 games)

Microsensor (ActiGraph GT9X)

Professional (Australia)

12

25.2 ± 5.9

180.6 ± 10.7

79.3 ± 17.1

In-season (54 sessions, 20 games)

Microsensor (ActiGraph GT9X)

Paulauskas et al. [47]

Professional (Lithuanian)^a

29

21 ± 5

181 ± 7

71 ± 7

In-season (24 weeks)

Session-RPE load (Borg’s CR-10 scale)

Peterson and Quiggle [38]

Collegiate (USA)

5

20 ± 1.0

178 ± 14

–

Pre-season and in-season (20 weeks)

Microsensor (Catapult OptimEye s5)

Piedra et al. [54]

Professional (Spain)

11

23.4 ± 3

182.2 ± 9.6

78.6 ± 13.9

Pre-season and in-season (32 weeks)

Session-RPE load (Borg’s CR-10 scale)

Portes et al. [34]

Representative (Spain)^a

48

17 ± 1

176 ± 7

67.2 ± 6.2

Playoffs (3 games)

LPS (WIMU Pro)

Ransdell et al. [36]

Collegiate (USA)^a

6

19.7 ± 1.5

–

–

In-season (144 games)

Microsensor (Catapult OptimEye s5)

Reina et al. [35]

Club level (Spain)^a

12

–

163 ± 6

56.7 ± 6.6

In-season (35 sessions, 8 games)

LPS (WIMU Pro)

HR (Garmin)

Reina et al. [60]

Representative (Spain)^a

G = 13

–

168.6 ± 5.9

–

Playoffs (3 games)

LPS (WIMU Pro)

F = 22

–

176.9 ± 6.0

–

C = 13

–

183.8 ± 4.7

–

Reina et al. [37]

Club level (Spain)^a

10

21.7 ± 3.6

168.5 ± 3.6

59.5 ± 12.3

In-season (22 sessions, 8 games)

LPS (WIMU Pro)

HR (Garmin)

Reina et al. [33]

Representative (Spain)^a

G = 13

–

168.6 ± 5.9

–

Playoffs (6 games)

LPS (WIMU Pro)

F = 22

–

176.9 ± 6.0

–

C = 13

–

183.8 ± 4.7

–

Rodriguez-Alonso et al. [56]

Professional, Olympic (Spain)^a

14

25.8 ± 2.1

180.9 ± 8.0

71.7 ± 7.6

In-season (7 games)

HR (Sport-tester 4.000)

BLa (GM7 micro-stat analyzer)

Professional, Division I (Spain)

11

19.3 ± 2.8

175.1 ± 6.5

71.9 ± 8.7

In-season (3 games)

Sanders et al. [43]

Collegiate (USA)

G = 3

20.3 ± 1.2

172.7 ± 2.5

72.6 ± 3.4

In-season (31 games)

HR (Polar Team)

F = 3

20.0 ± 1.7

181.2 ± 1.5

80.8 ± 4.1

C = 4

19.3 ± 1.3

182.2 ± 6.7

80.3 ± 6.0

Sanders et al. [59]

Collegiate (USA)

11

19.6 ± 1.4

179.7 ± 6.0

78.5 ± 5.7

In-season (31 games)

HR (Polar Team)

Sansone et al. [49]

Semi-professional (Italy)

13

22 ± 3

171.7 ± 6.3

66.3 ± 7.0

In-season (14 weeks)

Session-RPE (Foster’s scale)

Scanlan et al. [32]

Semi-professional (Australia)^a

12

22.0 ± 3.7

174.2 ± 6.9

72.9 ± 14.2

In-season (8 games)

Video TMA (Basler A602FC)

HR (Polar Team)

BLa (Accusport analyzer)

Staunton et al. [40]

Professional (Australia)

9

27 ± 5

182 ± 8

81 ± 12

In-season (18 sessions)

Microsensor (ActiGraph GT9X)

Vala et al. [55]

Professional, Division I (Czech Republic)^a

8

22.7 ± 1.9

176.6 ± 7.9

68.9 ± 6.4

In-season (8 games)

HR (Polar Team)

Professional, Division II (Czech Republic)^a

9

24.1 ± 2.3

179.1 ± 8.4

71.7 ± 10.5

In-season (8 games)

HR (Polar Team)

Vencúrik and Nykodým [58]

Professional (Czech Republic)^a

8

20 ± 3

179.9 ± 4.5

66.8 ± 5.3

- (2 games)

HR (Suunto Team)