In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole sits down with Catarina Bajanca, Lead Sports Scientist for Benfica Women's Football, to break down how she individualizes weekly training loads inside a team sport environment.
Catarina shares her philosophy on using match demands as the anchor point for planning, how she integrates GPS and heart rate data, and how she balances volume and intensity across clean and congested weeks. She explains how Benfica uses Catapult GPS and Firstbeat heart rate monitors, how they apply TRIMP and RPE, and how they adjust when players do not hit target metrics.
This conversation is a masterclass in contextualizing data rather than chasing numbers.
Topics include:
• Using match demands to build weekly training targets • Two to three times match distance and high speed targets across the week • Why sprint exposure above 90 to 95 percent max speed matters • Managing congested microcycles and Champions League weeks • Balancing volume versus intensity across the season • Most demanding periods and worst case scenario windows • When not to force a player to hit 90 percent max velocity • Position based reference values and individualized targets • Internal load monitoring using TRIMP and RPE • Building actionable post match reports for coaching staff
If you work in sport science, performance, rehab, or coaching, this episode will challenge you to think beyond raw numbers and plan with context.
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