The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data on pulse rate (PR) during soccer mini-games
and total moving distance (TMD) traveled during practice in a soccer class for children with mental
disabilities. The subjects were three children with mental disabilities. The measurements were taken
three times. All practice times were from 16:00 to 18:00. The measurement items were TMD and
PR. Preliminary experiments were conducted with healthy subjects to confirm whether the POLAR
M430 device could accurately measure PR and TMD moving distance during soccer mini-games.
The TMD during soccer practice was approximately 1.7 km to 2.4 km for the three subjects over the
three measurement days. In the three subjects, the relative values to the maximum PR (% Pulse Rate
Maximum, %PRMax) and relative to the resting PR (% Pulse Rate Reserve, %PRR) were recorded. The
minimum value was observed mainly during the first half of the game; between 0 and 1 minute, while
the maximum value was observed during the second half of the game; between 3 and 6 minutes. This
study provided basic data on pulse rate during soccer mini-games and total distance traveled during
practice. However, it remains a challenge to clarify the physiological factors that could explain the
changes in PR.