Damaging nature of decelerations: do we adequately prepare players?

Frequent and intense accelerations and decelerations are crucial elements of match play.1–4 Both accelerations and decelerations expose players to high levels of mechanical stress, are recognised as key contributors to overall biomechanical load,5 and may exert a significant impact on performance potential (eg, ability to sustain high force output and attenuation). Consequently, accelerations and decelerations are recognised as important variables to monitor.