Relationship between motivation, intensity, performance and physical fitness in youth athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17398/1885-7019.21.571Keywords:
sports, sport training, Self-Determination Theory, inertial movement unitAbstract
The intensity of sports training is key to many positive consequences. This study aimed to know how motivation, self-perceived physical fitness, and self-perceived performance correlate with the intensity that young sports people showed in a session. The sample consisted of 79 athletes with ages between 10 and 16. After the right procedure (bioethical) sports people filled out a short questionnaire about their current perceived motivation, and they trained with an inertial device and heart rate monitor, placed on their body, to measure external (Player Load per minute) and internal (heart rate) intensity. They also answered another scale about their contextual motivation, perception of their performance and perception of their physical fitness. The results showed a relationship between both contextual intrinsic and identified motivation with athletes' external intensity, which also correlated with, self-perceived physical fitness and self-perceived performance. Self-perceived physical fitness was 49% predictive of Player Load per minute (r = 0.71; r2 = 0.49; Cohen’s f2 = 0.96, large; RMSE = 0.19; F(1,77) = 76.7; p < 0.001). Coaches can influence athletes' motivation to improve external intensity in sports training and their performance.
Downloads
References
Abdullah, M. R., Musa, R. M., Maliki, A. B. H. M. B., Kosni, N. A., & Suppiah, P. K. (2016). Role of psychological factors on the performance of elite soccer players. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 16(1), 170-176. http://dx.doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2016.01027
Almagro, B. J., Sáenz-López, P., & Moreno-Murcia, J. A. (2012). Perfiles motivacionales de deportistas adolescentes españoles. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 21(2), 223-231. https://archives.rpd-online.com/article/view/782.html
Almagro, B. J., Sáenz-López, P., Fierro-Suero, S., & Conde, C. (2020). Perceived performance, intrinsic motivation and adherence in athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9441. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249441
Antoranz, Y., Del Campo, J., Durán-Rodríguez, H., Jiménez-Reyes, P. & Jiménez, S.L. (2025). Correlation among repeated sprint ability, vertical force-velocity profile, and 30-15 IFT performance in elite youth basketball players. E-Balonmano Com Journal Sports Science, 21(1), 13-26. https://doi.org/10.17398/1885-7019.21.13
Aschendorf, P. F., Zinner, C., Delextrat, A., Engelmeyer, E., & Mester, J. (2018). Effects of basketball-specific high-intensity interval training on aerobic performance and physical capacities in youth female basketball players. The Physician and Sports Medicine, 47(1), 65-70. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2018.1520054
Ato, M., López-García, J. J., & Benavente, A. (2013). Un sistema de clasificación de los diseños de investigación en psicología. Anales de Psicología, 29(3), 1038-1059. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.29.3.178511
Baker, J., Horton, S., Robertson-Wilson, J., & Wall, M. (2003). Nurturing sport expertise: factors influencing the development of elite athlete. Journal of Sport Science and Medicine, 2(1), 1-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24616603/
Balaguer, I., González, L., Fabra, P., Castillo, I., Mercé, J., & Duda, J. L. (2012). Coaches’ interpersonal style, basic psychological needs and the well-being of young soccer players: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30(15), 1619-1629. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.731517
Barreira, P., Robinson, M. A., Drust, B., Nedergaard, N., Raja Azidin, R. M. F., & Vanrenterghem, J. (2017). Mechanical Player Load™ using trunk-mounted accelerometry in football: Is it a reliable, task-and player-specific observation? Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(17), 1674-1681. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1229015
Bastida-Castillo, A., Gómez-Carmona, C. D., Hernández-Belmonte, A., & Pino-Ortega, J. (2018). Validez y fiabilidad de un dis-positivo inercial (WIMU PROTM) para el análisis del posicionamiento en balonmano. E-balonmano Com, 14(1), 9-16. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6408741
Boyd, L. J., Ball, K., & Aughey, R.J. (2011). The reliability of MinimaxX accelerometers for measuring physical activity in Australian football. International Journal of Sports Physiology, 6(3), 311-321. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.6.3.311
Brietzke, C., Vinicius, Í., Franco-Alvarenga, P.E., Canestri, R., Fagundes, M., Rodrigues, L.E., Viana, B., Meireles, T. & Oliveira, F. (2021). Proof-of-Concept and test-retest reliability study of psychological and physiological variables of the mental fatigue paradigm. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(18), 9532. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189532
Calderón-Pellegrino, G.; Gallardo, L.; Garcia-Unanue, J.; Felipe, J.L.; Hernandez-Martin, A.; Paredes-Hernández, V.; Sánchez-Sánchez, J. (2022). Physical demands during the game and compensatory training session (md + 1) in elite football players using global positioning system device. Sensors, 22(10), 3872. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22103872
Camacho, A. & Almagro-Torres, B.J. (2024). Motivational factors, self-esteem and intention to be physically active in sports vocational training students. (2024). E-Balonmano Com Journal Sports Science, 20(3), 331-342. https://doi.org/10.17398/1885-7019.20.331.
Camacho-Cardeñosa, M., Camacho-Cardeñosa, A., Martínez-Guardado, I.; Olcina, G., Brazo-Sayavera, J. (2017). Analyses of internal load during an adolescent female handball season. E-balonmano Com, 13(1), 69-76.
Chambers, R., Gabbett, T. J., Cole, M. H., & Beard, A. (2015). The use of wearable microsensors to quantify sport specific movements. Sports Medicine, 45(7), 1065-1081. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0332-9
Clarke, N., Farthing, J. P., Norris, S. R., Arnold, B. E., Lanovaz, J. L. (2013). Quantification of training load in Canadian football: application of session-RPE in collision-based team sports. The Journal of Strength y Conditioning Research, 27(8), 2198-2205. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827e1334
Claver, F., Jiménez, R., Conejero, M., García-González., L., y Moreno, M. P. (2015). Cognitive and motivational predictors of performance in game actions in young volleyball players. European Journal of Human Movement, 35, 68-84. https://www.eurjhm.com/index.php/eurjhm/article/view/361
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The «what» and «why» of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behaviour. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Drew, M. K., & Finch, C. F. (2016). The relationship between training load and injury, illness and soreness: a systematic and literature review. Sports Medicine, 46(6), 861-883. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0459-8
Duque, V. H., Mancha-Triguero, D., Ibáñez-Godoy, S. J., & Sáenz-López, P. (2022). Motivación, inteligencia emocional y carga de entrenamiento en función del sexo y categoría en baloncesto en edades escolares. Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte, 22(2), 15-32. https://doi.org/10.6018/cpd.450341
Duque, V., Reina Román, M., Mancha, D., Ibáñez, S., & Saenz-Lopez, P. (2020). Relación de la carga de entrenamiento con las emociones y el rendimiento en baloncesto formativo (Relation of training load with emotions and performance in formative basketball). Retos. Nuevas Tendencias en Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación, (40), 164-173. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v1i40.82441
Endo, T.; Sekiya, H.; & Raima, C. (2023). Psychological pressure on athletes during matches and practices. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(3), 161-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2023.07.002.
Felipe, J.L.; Garcia-Unanue, J.; Gallardo, L.; Sanchez-Sanchez, J. (2021). Tracking Systems Used to Monitor the Performance and Activity Profile in Elite Team Sports. Sensors, 21(24), 8251. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21248251
Fox, J., Scanlan, A., & Stanton, R. (2017). A review of player monitoring approaches in basketball: Current trends and future directions. The Journal of Strength Conditioning & Research, 31(7), 2021-2029. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001964
García-Ceberino, J. M., Bravo, A., de la Cruz-Sánchez, E., & Feu, S. (2022). Analysis of Intensities Using Inertial Motion Devices in Female Soccer: Do You Train like You Compete? Sensors, 22(8), 2870. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22082870
Gómez-Carmona, C. D., Pino-Ortega, J., & Ibáñez-Godoy, S. J. (2020). Design and validity of a field test battery for assessing multi-location external load profile in invasion team sports. E-balonmano Com, 16(1), 23-48. http://ojs.e-balonmano.com/index.php/revista/article/view/509
Gómez-Ruano, M. A., Ibáñez, S. J., & Leicht, A. S. (2020). Editorial: performance analysis in sport. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 611634. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.611634
Guay, F., Vallerand, R.J., & Blanchard, C. (2000). On the assessment of situational intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The Situ-ational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Motivation and Emotion, 24(3), 175-213. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005614228250
Hernandez-Martin, A.; Sanchez-Sanchez, J.; Felipe, J.L.; Manzano-Carrasco, S.; Majano, C.; Gallardo, L.; Garcia-Unanue, J. (2020). Physical demands of u10 players in a 7-a-side soccer tournament depending on the playing position and level of opponents in consecutive matches using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Sensors, 20(23), 6968. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20236968
Hu, L.T., & Bentler, P.M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
Larumbe-Zabala, E., Esteve-Lanao, J., Cardona, C. A., Alcocer, A. & Quartiroli, A. (2020). Longitudinal analysis of marathon runners’ psychological state and its relationship with running speed at ventilatory thresholds. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 545. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00545
Lonsdale, C., Hodge, K., Rose, E. A. (2008). The Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ): Instrument development and initial validity evidence. Journal of Sport y Exercise Psychology, 30(3), 323-355. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.30.3.323
Macías-León, K., Camacho-Carranza, Ángel, Paramio-Pérez, G., & Almagro, B. J. (2023). Apoyo a la autonomía, necesidades psicológicas y consecuencias motivacionales en jóvenes deportistas. e-Motion: Revista de Educación, Motricidad e Investigación, 21, 45-65. https://doi.org/10.33776/remo.vi21.8076
Manninen, M., Dishman, R., Hwang,Y., Magrum, E., Deng, Y., & Yli-Pipperi, S. (2022). Self-determination theory based instruc-tional interventions and motivational regulations in organized physical activity: A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 62(2), 102248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102248
McLaren, S.J., Macpherson, T.W., Coutts, A.J., Hurst, C., Spears, I.R., Weston, M. (2018). The relationships between internal and external measures of training load and intensity in team sports: a meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 48(3), 641-658. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0830-z
Michalsik, L.B., Madsen, K., Aagaard, P. (2014). Match performance and physiological capacity of female elite team handball players. International Journal of Sports Medicine Int J Sports Med, 35(7), 595-607. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1358713
Montgomery, P. G., Pyne, D. B., & Minahan, C. L. (2010). The physical and physiological demands of basketball training and competition. International Journal of Sports Physiology Performance, 5(1), 75-86. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.5.1.75
Moreno, J. A., Cervelló, E., González-Cutre, D. (2007). Young athletes’ motivational profiles. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 6(2), 172- 179. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3786237/
Núñez, J.L. & León, J. (2019). Testing the relationships between global, contextual, and situational motivation: A longitudinal study of the horizontal, top-down, and bottom-up effects. Revista Psicodidáctica, 23(1), 9-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psicod.2017.07.003
O’Grady, C. J., Fox, J. L., Dalbo, V. J., & Scanlan, A. T. (2020). A systematic review of the external and internal workloads experienced during games-based drills in basketball players. International Journal of Sports Physiology Performance, 15(5), 603-616. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2019-0785
Organic Law 3/2018, of 5 December, on the protection of personal data and the guarantee of digital rights (2018). Boletín Oficial del Estado, 294, 119788-119857.
Ortega, F.B.; Ruiz, J.R.; España-Romero, V.; Vicente-Rodriguez, G.; Martínez-Gómez, D.; Manios, Y., Béghin, L.; Molnar, D., Widhalm, K.; Moreno, L.A.; Sjöström, M.; & Castillo, M.J. (2011). HELENA study group. The International Fitness Scale (IFIS): usefulness of self-reported fitness in youth. International Journal of Epidemiology, 40(3), 701-11. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyr039
Povoas, S. C., Seabra, A. F., Ascensao, A. A., Magalhaes, J., Soares, J. M., & Rebelo, A. N. (2012). Physical and physiological demands of elite team handball. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(12), 3365-3375. https://doi.org/doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e318248aeee
Rampinini, E., Impellizzeri, F. M., Castagna, C., Abt, G., Chamari, K., Sassi, S. & Marcora, S. M. (2007). Factors influencing physiological responses to small-sided soccer games. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(6), 659-666. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02640410600811858
Reina, M., García-Rubio, J., & Ibáñez-Godoy, S. J. (2020). Training and Competition Load in Female Basketball: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research Public Health, 17(8), 2639. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082639
Reina, M., Mancha-Triguero, D., García-Santos, D., García-Rubio, J., & Ibáñez-Godoy, S. J. (2019). Comparación de tres métodos de cuantificación de la carga de entrenamiento en baloncesto. Revista Internacional de Ciencias del Deporte, 15(58), 368-382. https://doi.org/10.5232/ricyde2019.05805
Ryan, R., M. & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-Determination Theory: basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publications.
Sáenz-López, P., Ibáñez, S., Giménez, J., Sierra, A., & Sánchez, M. (2005). Multifactor characteristics in the process of development of the male expert basketball player in Spain. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 36(2), 151-171.
Sáenz-López, P., Moncada, J., & Cordero, R. (2022). Relación de la intensidad en los entrenamientos con el rendimiento deportivo, la condición física y variables emocionales (Relationship of intensity in sport training with sports performance, physical fitness and emotional variables). Retos. Nuevas Tendencias en Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación, 47, 156–163. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v47.94259
Sánchez-Sánchez, J., Luis, J. M., Guillén, J., Martín, D., Romo, D., Rodríguez, A. & Villa, J. G. (2014). Efecto de la motivación del entrenador sobre la carga interna y el rendimiento físico de un juego de fútbol reducido. Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte, 14(3), 169-176. https://doi.org/10.4321/S1578-84232014000300018
Schelling, X. & Torres-Ronda, L. (2016a). An integrative approach to strength and neuromuscular power training for basketball. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 38(3), 72-80. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000219
Schelling, X., & Torres-Ronda, L. (2016b). Accelerometer load profiles for basketball-specific drills in elite players. Journal of Sports Science Medicine, 15(4), 5855–591. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5131211/
Scott, B. R.; Lockie, R. G.; Knight, T. J.; Clark, A. C., Janse de Jonge, X. A. K. (2013). A comparison of methods to quantify the in-season training load of professional soccer players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 8(2), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.8.2.195
The Jamovi Project Jamovi (2022) (Version 2.3) [Computer Software]. https://www.jamovi.org
Twist, C., & Highton, J. (2013). Monitoring fatigue and recovery in rugby league players. International Journal of Sports Physiology Performance, 8(5), 467-474. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.8.5.467
Vásquez-Bonilla, A. A., Urrutia, S., Bustamante, A., & Romero, J. F. (2023). Control del entrenamiento con datos GPS y medidas subjetivas de fatiga y recuperación en futbolistas hondureños durante un periodo preparatorio para los Juegos Olímpicos de Tokio 2020/2021. MHSalud, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.15359/mhs.20-2.3. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/2370/237074466003/html/
World Medical Association (2022). WMA Declaration of Helsinki – ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 E-balonmano com, Journal of Sports Science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
