Applied physiology and match analysis of professional rugby league

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Business.There is a limited amount of research on the match and training demands of rugby league players, particularly at the professional level. As a consequence, many of the testing procedures and training practices for professional players may not be specific to their competition demands. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to gain a greater understanding of the current match demands and physical training regimes of professional rugby league. An additional aim was to develop a match-specific running test and to examine the efficacy of current training programs in professional rugby league. To achieve this, three separate studies were undertaken. Study 1 determined the reliability of a method for measuring time-motion analysis and examined the match demands of professional rugby league competition with regard to playing level and positional roles. In Study 2, a new team-sport running test was developed and the reliability of the physiological responses and physical performance to this test was determined. Study 3 examined the effects of five weeks of general preparation pre-season training on aerobic fitness and match-related sprint performance in elite rugby league forwards. The results show that differences do exist in relation to the physical and game-specific skill match demands, both between levels of competition and positional roles and that pre-season training is effective in increasing aerobic fitness and match-related sprint performance in professional rugby league forwards. Therefore, the differences identified between playing levels and positional roles within this thesis should be used when designing training programs for professional rugby league players. Additionally, it also appears that the specific rugby league testing protocol developed in this thesis can be reliably used to determine the effects of intervention on the match-related performance of professional rugby league players. Overall, this thesis entails valuable information and practical implications for sports scientists, coaches, conditioning specialists, talent scouts and other practitioners involved in the process of optimising performance in professional rugby league players

Positional match demands of professional rugby league competition

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in physical performance and game-specific skill demands between 5 positional groups in a professional rugby league team. Positional groups consisted of the backs (n = 8), forwards (n = 8), fullback (n = 7), hooker (n = 8), and service players (n = 8). Time-motion analysis was used to determine physical performance measures (exercise intensity, distance travelled, time, frequency, and speed measures) and game-specific skill measures (ball carries, supports, ball touches, play the balls, and tackling indices) per minute of playing time. The main finding was that the fullback completed more very high-intensity running (VHIR) because of more support runs when compared to all other positional groups (p = 0.017). THe VHIR (p = 0.004) and sprinting indices (p < 0.002) were also greater in the second half of a match for the fullback than in any other positional group. The hooker spent more time jogging than the backs and forwards (p < 0.001) and touched the ball on more occasions than any other positional group (p < 0.001). The backs spent more time walking than the forwards, hooker, and service players (p < 0.001). The forwards, hooker, and service players completed more tackles per minute during a match than the backs and fullback (p < 0.001). The fullback and forwards also ran the ball on more occasions than the backs, hooker, and service players did (p < 0.001). These results show that positional roles play an important part in determining the amount of physical and game-specific skill involvement during match play. © 2011 National Strength and Conditioning Association

Movement demands of elite rugby league players during Australian National Rugby League and European Super League matches

This is the authors' PDF version as accepted for publication of an article published in International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance© 2014. The definitive version is available at http://journals.humankinetics.com/ijsppThis study compared the movement demands of players competing in matches from the elite Australian and European rugby league competitions

Physiological and performance test correlates of prolonged, high-intensity, intermittent running performance in moderately trained women team sport athletes

A large number of team sports require athletes to repeatedly produce maximal or near maximal sprint efforts of short duration interspersed with longer recovery periods of submaximal intensity. This type of team sport activity can be characterized as prolonged, high-intensity, intermittent running (PHIIR). The primary purpose of the present study was to determine the physiological factors that best relate to a generic PHIIR simulation that reflects team sport running activity. The second purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between common performance tests and the generic PHIIR simulation. Following a familiarization session, 16 moderately trained (V̇O2max = 40.0 ± 4.3 ml·kg -1·inin-1) women team sport athletes performed various physiological, anthropometrical, and performance tests and a 30-minute PHIIR sport simulation on a nonmotorized treadmill. The mean heart rate and blood lactate concentration during the PHIIR sport simulation were 164 ± 6 b·mk-1 and 8.2 ± 3.3 mmol·L-1, respectively. Linear regression demonstrated significant relationships between the PHIIR sport simulation distance and running velocity attained at a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol·L-1 (LT) (r = 0.77, p < 0.05), 5 x 6-second repeated cycle sprint work (r = 0.56, p < 0.05), 30-second Wingate test (r = 0.61, p < 0.05), peak aerobic running velocity (Vmax) (r = 0.69, p < 0.05), and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (Yo-Yo IR1) distance (r = 0.50, p < 0.05), respectively. These results indicate that an increased LT is associated with improved PHIIR performance and that PHIIR performance may be monitored by determining Yo-Yo IR1 performance, 5 x 6-second repeated sprint cycle test work, 30-second Wingate test performance, Vmax, or LT. We suggest that training programs should focus on improving both LT and Vmax for increasing PHIIR performance in moderately trained women. Future studies should examine optimal training methods for improving these capacities in team sport athletes. © 2007 National Strength & Conditioning Association

The reliability of a repeated sprint test during simulated team-sport running on a non-motorised treadmill

The physical demands of the various football codes have been reponed to be broadly similar (Reilly and Gilboume, 2003). Specifically, most football codes require players to generate brief maximal sprints (1-65), repeatedly interspersed with short recovery periods (<21 5). The capacity to repeat these brief maximal sprints in a short period of time has been termed repeated sprint ability (RSA) and is considered an imJX)rtanr performance characteristic (Spencer el al., 2006). For these reasons, researchers have examined the reliability of RSA measures using a 5 x 65 sprint test in a 'non-fatigued' state (Hughes et at, 2006; McCawley and Bishop, 2006). However, in a typical football match (i.e of various football codes), rcpeated sprint efforts arc often completed in a fatigued state. Therefore, while existing RSA tests may be a reliable way of assessing RSA in team sport participants, they may not reflect the physiological state of a participant when repeating sprint efforts during a match. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the ecological reliability of a 5 x 6s RSA test when completed under fatigue on a non-motori.sed treadmill (NMT)

The reliability of physiological and performance measures during simulated team-sport running on a non-motorised treadmill

The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of a non-motorised treadmill team-sport simulation for measuring physiological responses and performance demands of team sports. Following familiarisation, 11 team-sport athletes completed a peak sprinting speed assessment followed by a 30-min team-sport simulation on the non-motorised treadmill, on three occasions, 5 days apart. Several performance (total distance, distance covered during each speed category, total work, high-intensity activity, mean maximal sprinting speed and power) and physiological variables (over(V, ̇)O2, heart rate and blood measures) were measured. A one-way analysis of variance and ratio limits of agreement were used to compare the results from each trial. Significant differences were established in total sprint distance and high-intensity activity between trials 1-2 and trials 1-3 and 3-s mean maximal sprinting speed for trials 1-3 (p 0.8) were identified in 11 of the 18 physiological and performance variables measured. Ratio limits of agreement for total distance covered and total work performed during the team-sport simulation were 0.99 (*/÷1.05) and 0.97 (*/÷1.09), respectively. Largest measurement error was shown in post-exercise blood lactate concentration with a coefficient of variation of 17.6%. All other measures showed low coefficients of variation of ≤10%. These results show that the non-motorised treadmill team-sport simulation provides a reliable tool for assessing and monitoring physiological and performance demands of team-sport activity. We recommend the inclusion of two familiarisation sessions prior to testing. © 2007 Sports Medicine Australia

Between match variation in professional rugby league competition

Objectives: To assess between match variability of physical performance measures over both the total and sub sections of the match in professional rugby league competition. Design: Longitudinal observational study. Methods: Global positioning system (GPS) data were collected from 24 players from the same team competing in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition over 23 matches during 2011 season. The GPS data were categorised into total distance, high-speed running (>15kmh-1) and very high-speed running (>21kmh-1) distance for discrete reference periods (10min, 20min, 40min and 80min). The data was then log transformed to provide the coefficient of variation (CV) and the between subject standard deviation (both expressed as percentages). Results: The data show that the between match variability is greater for high-speed (CV 14.6%) and very-high speed (CV 37.0%) running compared to total distance (CV 3.6%). Within each speed category, the variability of performance tended to increase as the duration of the reference period decreased. Conclusions: The results show that while global measures of physical performance such as total distance are relatively stable, higher-speed activities exhibit a large degree of between match variability. In addition, when segmenting the match into short periods of time for analysis, all physical performance measures increased in variability. These findings have implications for determining sample size, identifying reliable performance measures and selecting appropriate time periods for future applied studies that involve observational match analysis. © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia

An integrated analysis of match-related fatigue in professional rugby league

© 2014 Taylor & Francis. This study examined the changes in external outputs, including metabolic power variables, and internal response whilst considering contextual factors on physical performance variables during rugby league match play. Physical performance (total distance, high-speed running and high-power distances, average metabolic power), heart-rate (percentage heart-rate peak and training impulse), collisions (attacking and defensive) and contextual (time in attack, time in defence, time out of play) data were collected from 18 rugby league players during 38 games throughout two National Rugby League seasons. Physical variables were highest in the first 10-min period of each half (P < 0.001). Heart-rate indices peaked in the second 10-min period and were lower during second half periods (P < 0.001). Few differences existed in collisions and contextual factors across 10-min periods. Physical variables were highest during the first 5-min period compared to the final (P < 0.001). There was no difference in heart-rate response, attacking collisions or contextual factors between these periods. Following the peak 5-min period in the match, there were reductions in physical, heart-rate, defensive collisions and contextual factors (P < 0.001). The data show temporal changes in physical performance, heart-rate response and collisions during rugby league match play, although these are affected by contextual factors

A comparison of physical and technical performance profiles between successful and less-successful professional rugby league teams

© 2017 Human Kinetics, Inc. Purpose: To examine differences in physical and technical performance profiles using a large sample of match observations drawn from successful and less-successful professional rugby league teams. Methods: Match activity profiles were collected using global positioning satellite (GPS) technology from 29 players from a successful rugby league team during 24 games and 25 players from a less-successful team during 18 games throughout 2 separate competition seasons. Technical performance data were obtained from a commercial statistics provider. A progressive magnitude-based statistical approach was used to compare differences in physical and technical performance variables between the reference teams. Results: There were no clcardifferences in playing time, absolute and relative total distances, or low-speed running distances between successful and less-successful teams. The successful team possibly to very likely had lower higher-speed running demands and likely had fewer physical collisions than the less-successful team, although they likely to most likely demonstrated more accelerations and decelerations and likely had higher average metabolic power. The successful team very likely gained more territory in attack, very likely had more possessions, and likely committed fewer errors. In contrast, the less-successful team was likely required to attempt more tackles, most likely missed more tackles, and very likely had a lower effective tackle percentage. Conclusions: In the current study, successful match performance was not contingent on higher match running outputs or more physical collisions; rather, proficiency in technical performance components better differentiated successful and less-successful teams

A comparison of match demands between elite and semi-elite rugby league competition

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in physical performance and game-specific skills between elite and semi-elite rugby league players during match-play. Time-motion analysis was used to determine physical and game-specific skill match demands in 17 elite and 22 semi-elite rugby league players. Physical performance (time, intensity of exercise, frequency, repeated-sprint ability, and speed measures) and game-specific skill measures (ball carries, supports, ball touches, play-the-balls, and tackles) were recorded per minute of playing time. The main findings were that total intensity (elite: 108.9 ± 10.6 m · min-1; semi-elite: 102.3 ± 9.7 m · min-1), high-intensity exercise (elite: 36.7 ± 9.8 m · min-1; semi-elite: 29.6 ± 7.8 m min-1), mean playing speed (elite: 6.6 ± 0.6 km · h-1; semi-elite: 6.2 ± 0.6 km · h-1), and support play (elite: 0.29 ± 0.16 · min-1; semi-elite: 0.15 ± 0.09 · min-1) were all higher during first-half match-play in the elite than semi-elite players (P > 0.01). The elite players experienced decrements in most physical performance measures during the second-half of match-play (P > 0.01), which was not evident in the semi-elite players (P > 0.01). There were no differences in most physical performance and game-specific skill measures for the match between the two playing standards. These results show that while the two standards of competition have similar game-specific skills and physical demands during a match, there is variation within a match according to standard. Specifically, the higher physical demands placed on elite players during the first half could result in the earlier onset of physical fatigue towards the end of a match