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Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title The ‘real’ birthday effect: post-birthday running performance of Football Bundesliga players
Organization Unit
Authors
  • Pamela Wicker
  • Daniel Weimar
  • Johannes Orlowski
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published in final form
Language
  • English
Journal Title Applied Economics Letters
Publisher Taylor & Francis
Geographical Reach international
ISSN 1350-4851
Volume 29
Number 12
Page Range 1129 - 1133
Date 2022
Abstract Text While the birthday effect has been widely studied in the economics and sport literature, this study introduces the concept of the ‘real’ birthday effect. It holds that birthday celebrations yield fatigue, which negatively affect running performance. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of players’ birthdays on post-birthday running performance using data from the German Football Bundesliga (2011–2018). The dataset includes 1,040 different field players who played in 2,142 matches (n= 49,233). Running performance was measured by the total distance covered during the game (in m per minute) and the number of intensive runs (>20 and <24 km/h; per minute). On average, players ran 123.68 m and performed 0.70 intensive runs per minute, which are equivalent to 11.1 km and 63 intensive runs during a 90-minute match. The results of fixed effects panel regression analyses, which also control for various player, game, and team characteristics, show that players perform significantly fewer intensive runs on the day following their birthday. This finding supports the concept of the ‘real’ birthday effect. Football coaches should reconsider fielding players on match days succeeding their birthday as these players perform significantly fewer intensive runs.
Related URLs
Digital Object Identifier 10.1080/13504851.2021.1910132
Other Identification Number merlin-id:22149
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