A Comparison of External Loads in Division III Men's Lacrosse Between High Competition Matches and Low Competition Matches

Lacrosse is an open field sport with limited knowledge on the demands of gameplay at the Division III level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the external loads on Division III men’s lacrosse players during NCAA season games. Comparisons were made between the external loads placed on the athletes in top competition versus external loads placed on the athletes in low competition matches. Top competition matches were defined as matches against teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament whereas low competition matches included teams that did not meet top competition requirements. The dependent variables measured included total distance, work rate, intensity, 2D load, and 3D load. Defensive players were found to have significantly higher external load values for total distance (m; p=0.003), work rate (m/min; p=0.006 ), intensity (AU; p=0.071), 2D load (AU; p= 0.039 ) and 3D load (AU; p=0.022), while there were no significant differences (p>0.05) for other positions between competition level. Competition level exerts a higher external load for defensive players, but not attack, midfield, or specialists (goalie, face-off, etc), which may indicate the need for specialized conditioning or active load management to deal with potential fatigue.