Recovery Rules:post-match recovery and load management during match congestion in elite team sport players

Based on the findings in this thesis, trainers and coaches should be vigilant on hidden recovery processes. This can be the case if performance is already at baseline values while biochemical markers remain impaired by previous load. Adequate communication between coach and player adds to more insight in match exertion and the process of post-match recovery of the player. For optimal performance, discrepancy between coaches’ and players’ perceptions should be reduced to a minimum. Within intensified competition coaches tend to overcompensate training load. Match load indicators such as HIR and PC influence fatigue and general muscle soreness, respectively and might, therefore, be used as feedback parameters. Moreover, well-being, fatigue and TQR are most useful for their responsiveness to acute increased load

Zephyr bioharness in de praktijk

Een te hoge fysieke belasting bij (top)sporters en brandweerpersoneel kan op de lange termijn leiden tot overbelasting. In het revalidatie proces kan het de terugkeer naar het veld vertragen. Daarom is het nauwkeurig monitoren van de fysieke belasting erg belangrijk. Het Zephyr BioHarness lijkt hiervoor een geschikt instrument omdat het in staat is om verschillende fysiologische variabelen tegelijkertijd te meten. In dit rapport worden vier projecten besproken waarin de fysieke belasting gemeten is met het Zephyr BioHarness: (I) effect van veldgrootte op de belasting bij jonge talentvolle voetballers van FC Groningen, (II) overeenkomsten in belasting tussen oefeningen/sporten en uitrukken bij de professionele brandweer, (III) overeenkomsten tussen geplande belasting van fysiotherapeuten met daadwerkelijk belasting bij veldrevalidatie na een blessure (IV) validatie van Zensorium Tinké

Managing Load to Optimize Well-Being and Recovery During Short-Term Match Congestion in Elite Basketball

In elite basketball, players are exposed to intensified competition periods when participating in both national and international competitions. How coaches manage training between matches and in reference to match scheduling for a full season is not yet known. PURPOSE: First, to compare load during short-term match congestion (ie, ≥2-match weeks) with regular competition (ie, 1-match weeks) in elite male professional basketball players. Second, to determine changes in well-being, recovery, neuromuscular performance, and injuries and illnesses between short-term match congestion and regular competition. METHODS: Sixteen basketball players (age 24.8 [2.0] y, height 195.8 [7.5] cm, weight 94.8 [14.0] kg, body fat 11.9% [5.0%], VO2max 51.9 [5.3] mL·kg-1·min-1) were monitored during a full season. Session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) was obtained, and load was calculated (s-RPE × duration) for each training session or match. Perceived well-being (fatigue, sleep quality, general muscle soreness, stress levels, and mood) and total quality of recovery were assessed each training day. Countermovement jump height was measured, and a list of injuries and illnesses was collected weekly using the adapted Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems. RESULTS: Total load (training sessions and matches; P < .001) and training load (P < .001) were significantly lower for ≥2-match weeks. Significantly higher well-being (P = .01) and less fatigue (P = .001) were found during ≥2-match weeks compared with 1-match weeks. CONCLUSION: Total load and training load were lower during short-term match congestion compared with regular competition. Furthermore, better well-being and less fatigue were demonstrated within short-term match congestion. This might indicate that coaches tend to overcompensate training load in intensified competition

High match load's relations decreased well-being during elite women's Rugby Sevens Tournament.

PURPOSE:: To determine changes in wellbeing, recovery and neuromuscular performance during and after an elite women's rugby sevens tournament and assess the influence of match load indicators. METHODS:: Twelve elite women rugby sevens players (age 25.3±4.1 y, height 169.0±4.0 cm, weight 63.9±4.9 kg, body fat 18.6±2.7 %) performed 5 matches during a two-day tournament of the Women's Rugby Sevens World Series. Perceived wellbeing (fatigue, sleep quality, general muscle soreness, stress levels, mood), total quality of recovery (TQR), and countermovement-jump flight time (CMJ) were measured on match day 1 (MD1), match day 2 (MD2), 1 day post-tournament (D+1) and 2 days post-tournament (D+2). Total distance, low-, moderate- and high-intensity-running (HIR) and physical contacts (PC) during matches were derived of GPS based time-motion analysis and video-based notational analysis, respectively. Internal match load was calculated by session-rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and playing time (RPE x duration). RESULTS:: Wellbeing (p<.001), fatigue (p<.001), general muscle soreness (p<.001), stress levels (p<.001), mood (p=.005) and TQR (p<.001) were significantly impaired after match day 1 and did not return to baseline values until D+2. More HIR was related to more fatigue (r=-.60; p=.049) and a larger number of PC with more general muscle soreness (r=-.69; p=.013). CONCLUSION:: Perceived wellbeing and TQR were already impaired after match day 1 while performance was maintained. HIR and PC were predominantly related to fatigue and general muscle soreness, respectively

Postmatch recovery of physical performance and biochemical markers in team ball sports:a systematic review

Background: Insufficient postmatch recovery in elite players may cause an increased risk of injuries, illnesses and non-functional over-reaching. Objective: To evaluate postmatch recovery time courses of physical performance and biochemical markers in team ball sport players. Study design: Systematic review. Data sources: PubMed and Web of Science. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: This systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies was used to evaluate quality. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) original research evaluated players' physical recovery postmatch; (2) team/intermittent sports; and (3) at least two postmeasurements were compared with baseline values. Results: Twenty-eight studies were eligible. Mean methodological quality was 11.2±1.11. Most used performance tests and biochemical markers were the countermovement jump test, sprint tests and creatine kinase (CK), cortisol (C) and testosterone (T), respectively. Summary/conclusions: The current evidence demonstrates that underlying mechanisms of muscle recovery are still in progress while performance recovery is already reached. CK recovery time courses are up to ≥72 hours. Soccer and rugby players need more time to recover for sprint performance, CK and C in comparison to other team ball sports. There are more high-quality studies needed regarding recovery in various team sports and recovery strategies on an individual level should be evaluated. Clinical relevance: Ongoing insufficient recovery can be prevented by the use of the presented recovery time courses as specific practical recovery guidelines

Impaired Player-Coach Perceptions of Exertion and Recovery During Match Congestion

During intensified phases of competition, attunement of exertion and recovery is crucial to maintain performance. Although a mismatch between coach' and players' perceptions of training load is demonstrated, it is unknown if these discrepancies also exist for match exertion and recovery. PURPOSE: The aims of this study are to determine match exertion, subsequent recovery and to investigate to what extent the coach is able to estimate players' match exertion and recovery. METHODS: Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and Total quality of recovery (TQR) of 14 professional basketball players (age 26.7±3.8 y, height 197.2±9.1 cm, weight 100.3±15.2 kg, body fat 10.3±3.6 %) were compared with observations of the coach. During an in-season phase of 15 matches within 6 weeks, players gave RPE after each match. TQR scores were filled out before the first training session after the match. The coach rated observed exertion (ROE) and recovery (TQ-OR) of the players. RESULTS: RPE was lower than ROE (15.6±2.3 and 16.1±1.4; p=0.029). Furthermore, TQR was lower than TQ-OR (12.7±3.0 and 15.3±1.3; p<0.001). Correlations between coach' and players' exertion and recovery were r=.25 and r=.21, respectively. For recovery within 1 day the correlation was r=.68 but for recovery after 1-2 days no association existed. CONCLUSION: Players perceive match exertion hard to very hard and subsequent recovery reasonable. The coach overestimates match exertion and underestimates degree of recovery. Correspondence between coach and players is thus not optimal. This mismatch potentially leads to inadequate planning of training sessions and performance decrease during fixture congestion in basketball

Supporting elite basketbal players by monitoring

Expert meeting 1&amp;2 with coaches and athletes on how to make use of different monitoring tools in elite team sports

Recovery rules

Een trainer/coach streeft in het trainingsproces met een atleet of een team naar een optimaal evenwicht tussen belasting en belastbaarheid op zowel fysiek als psychosociaal gebied. Wanneer belasting en belastbaarheid tijdens het trainingsproces in de juiste verhouding staan, zal dit leiden tot adaptatie met een prestatieverbetering tot gevolg. Als daarentegen de belasting (langdurig) hoger is dan de belastbaarheid kan dit leiden tot maladaptatie (blessures, ziektes en overtraindheid). Herstel speelt in dit evenwicht een cruciale rol. Meer kennis over het belang en de werking van herstel geeft mogelijkheden om prestaties te verbeteren en gezondheidsproblemen te voorkome