The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to test for differences on the external and internal responses encountered by youth soccer players during four bouts of 5-a-side small-sided game (SSG) across age categories and, (2) to analyze the external and internal responses attending to players’ sprinting and jumping profile within each age-category (i.e. under 14 (U14), under 16 (U16) and under 18 (U18)). Forty-eight young soccer players participated in this study and were distributed by each age-category. Players were classified based on jumping-profile (stronger and weaker) and sprint-profile (faster and slower). Also, players played four bouts of 4 min of a 5-a-side SSG, including goalkeepers. Likewise, external responses (i.e. total distance, distance covered at walking, jogging and high-intensity speeds, number of accelerations and decelerations, body impacts and player load) and internal responses (peak heart rate, % of peak heart rate and training impulse) were collected. The main results revealed a significant age-category by bout interaction for total distance covered, distance at jogging, number of accelerations, body impacts and player load for players from the U16 and U18 age categories, showing lower values during the last bouts, compared to the first bouts (p ≤ 0.001–0.020, ${\eta }_p^2$ = 0.13–0.17). Moreover, while no significant (p = 0.09–0.95) sprint-profile by bout interaction was found for the registered variables across age categories, stronger U18 players showed a smaller decrease across bouts for distance covered at high-intensity, compared to weaker U18 players. These findings suggest there is a need for coaching staff to include training strategies that allow for reducing accumulated neuromuscular fatigue in U16 and U18 age categories.

这项研究的目的是双重的：（1）测试不同年龄段的四次5人制小边比赛（SSG）期间青少年足球运动员在外部和内部反应上遇到的差异，以及（2）分析每个年龄段（即14岁以下（U14），16岁以下（U16）和18岁以下（U18））球员短跑和跳跃行为的外部和内部反应。四十八名年轻足球运动员参加了这项研究，并按年龄分类。根据跳跃轮廓（更强和更弱）和冲刺轮廓（更快和更慢）对球员进行分类。另外，球员包括门将在内，每场5人制SSG进行4次4分钟的回合。同样，外部响应（例如，总距离，步行，慢跑和高强度速度下的行驶距离，加速和减速的次数，收集身体的影响和运动员的负担）和内部反应（峰值心率，峰值心率的百分比和训练冲动）。主要结果显示，从回合互动来看，U16和U18年龄段的球员的总覆盖距离，慢跑距离，跑步次数，加速度，身体撞击和球员负荷的交互作用具有显着的年龄类别，与上一回合相比，其在最后一次回合中的值较低第一回合（p  ≤0.001-0.020，${\eta }_p^{\mathrm{2个}}$ = 0.13–0.17）。此外，虽然在 各个年龄段的注册变量中均未发现通过回合互动产生显着（p = 0.09–0.95）的冲刺配置文件，但与较弱的U18选手相比，较强的U18选手在回合中对于高强度运动距离的减少较小。这些发现表明，教练组需要包括培训策略，以减少U16和U18年龄组的累积神经肌肉疲劳。