La Liga feature: Does the team that runs the furthest win?

Important point

However, let us not get carried away and urge players to simply tear around the pitch like headless chickens.

The first important point to make is that the relationship between distance covered and being in the upper echelons of the table applies only when running at a pace of over 24 km/hr. When the intensity drops below this speed, the aforementioned correlation is not produced.

Barcelona set benchmark

One example that highlights this relationship perfectly is current La Liga leaders Barcelona.

The Catalan giants are amongst the sides that complete the lowest average distance per game. However, if we look solely at the ground covered at high intensity (> 24 km/hr), the Azulgranas rank comfortably above the league average.

Secure glory

The technical-tactical explanation behind this phenomenon is strikingly obvious to Ricardo Resta, director of La Liga's sporting department & Mediacoach: "The most decisive moments in games are completed at maximum intensity."

Indeed, when a player's heartbeat races, they receive a burst of adrenaline that helps them to complete the move and potentially secure glory for their team.

Findings of study

The group of investigators from the University of Extremadura, headed up by Tomas Garcia, will present the results of this research at the 5th International Congress of Training Optimization and Sport and Physical Readaptation, to be held on May 29, 30.

The researchers involved in the study are -- Jose Carlos Ponce, Jesus Diaz, Miguel Angel Lopez, Ivan Ramirez and Juan Jose Pulido.