More than a Metric: How Training Load is Used in Elite Sport for Athlete Management.

Training load monitoring is a core aspect of modern-day sport science practice. Collecting, cleaning, analysing, interpreting, and disseminating load data is usually undertaken with a view to improve player performance and/or manage injury risk. To target these outcomes, practitioners attempt to optimise load at different stages throughout the training process, like adjusting individual sessions, planning day-to-day, periodising the season, and managing athletes with a long-term view. With greater investment in training load monitoring comes greater expectations, as stakeholders count on practitioners to transform data into informed, meaningful decisions. In this editorial we highlight how training load monitoring has many potential applications and cannot be simply reduced to one metric and/or calculation. With experience across a variety of sporting backgrounds, this editorial details the challenges and contextual factors that must be considered when interpreting such data. It further demonstrates the need for those working with athletes to develop strong communication channels with all stakeholders in the decision-making process. Importantly, this editorial highlights the complexity associated with using training load for managing injury risk and explores the potential for framing training load with a performance and training progression mindset.

Assessing the locomotor demands of international men's and women's rugby sevens match-play according to passage of play.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of discrete passages of play on locomotor demands of international men's and women's rugby sevens matches and their relationship with winning or losing. Thirteen men's and thirteen women's international rugby sevens players wore 10 Hz Global Positioning Systems during twelve Tokyo Olympic games matches (966 observations; 507 for men, 459 for women). Discrete ball-in-play periods were categorised as: 'Single-phase defence', 'single-phase attack', 'multi-phase defence', 'multi-phase attack', 'multi-phase defence to attack', or 'multi-phase attack to defence'. Relative total distance, alongside high-speed (>5.0 m∙s-1), acceleration (>3 m∙s-2), and deceleration (>3 m∙s-2) distances were recorded for each passage. Separately for men and women, linear mixed models examined the effect of passage type and match outcome (win or loss) on locomotor demands, whilst controlling for opposition ranking. In men, relative total distance ranged from 137 m∙min-1 to 174 m∙min-1 for 'multi-phase defence to attack' and 'multi-phase attack', respectively. In women, 'multi-phase attack' elicited the lowest relative total distance (118 m∙min-1), whereas the greatest values (186 m∙min-1) were recorded for 'single-phase defence'. For men, there were significant interactions between match outcome and passage type for relative total (p<0.001) and high-speed (p = 0.006) distance. During 'multi-phase attack', relative total distance was greater for wins versus losses (174 vs 138 m.min-1, p = 0.024). However, for 'single-phase defence', relative total distance was lower for wins (128 vs 164 m.min-1, p<0.001). For women, there were significant interactions between match outcome and passage type for relative total (p = 0.036), high-speed (p = 0.003), and deceleration (p = 0.015) distances. Locomotor responses were influenced by passage type and match result for men and women. Knowing the demands of each passage type may inform training drills targeted at developing match-play-specific physical, technical, and tactical adaptations. Understanding how passages differ between matches won and lost could also inform team technical/tactical preparation including selection.

Effects of Long-Haul Travel and the Olympic Games on Heart-Rate Variability in Rugby Sevens Medalists.

PURPOSE: To report the impact of long-haul travel and the Olympic tournament on heart-rate variability and subjective well-being in a rugby sevens team. METHODS: Players (N = 12 men) recorded daily root mean square of successive differences (LnRMSSD) and brief subjective well-being assessments before and throughout the Olympic tournament. Following a 7-day baseline involving a tournament simulation, 2 flights were taken to Brazil (20-h travel and 4-h time gain) on day 1. Matches occurred on days 13 to 15. Undefeated, the team advanced to the gold-medal final. Team staff used a combination of proactive and reactive strategies to support training adaptations, mitigate negative effects of travel, and facilitate recovery from competition. RESULTS: Peak LnRMSSD values from the preceding preparatory period were observed at baseline. Perceived recovery was impaired on day 1 following tournament simulation (P < .05). Lower and less stable LnRMSSD trends were observed in players within the first week following long-haul travel (P < .05), evident primarily in nonstarters (effect size = unclear to very large) versus starters (effect size = unclear). Status markers were subsequently maintained at baseline or improved prior to the tournament and were minimally affected by competition (P > .05). Changes in LnRMSSD were associated (P < .05) with changes in perceived recovery (day 14, ρ = .64) and sleep quality (day 15, ρ = .69) during the tournament. CONCLUSIONS: Attentiveness to player health and well-being throughout preparation, travel, and the Olympic tournament potentially mitigated decrements in status markers, thereby reducing potential for fatigue or stress-related performance impairment.

Effects of varying training load on heart rate variability and running performance among an Olympic rugby sevens team.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate weekly heart rate variability (HRV) responses to varying training load among an Olympic rugby sevens team and to assess whether HRV responses informed on training adaptation. DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: Natural logarithm of the root mean square of successive differences (LnRMSSD), psychometrics and training load from a rugby sevens team (n=12 males) over a 3-week period were retrospectively analyzed. Week 1 served as baseline while weeks 2 and 3 consisted of peak training loads from the 2016 Olympic preparatory period. Maximum aerobic speed (MAS) was evaluated at the beginning of weeks 1 and 3. RESULTS: LnRMSSD (p=0.68), its coefficient of variation (LnRMSSDcv) (p=0.07) and psychometrics (all p>0.05) did not significantly change across time. Effect sizes (ES) showed a small increase in LnRMSSDcv after the first week of intensified training (ES=0.38) followed by a moderate reduction in week 3 (ES=-0.91). Individuals with a smaller LnRMSSDcv during the first week of intensified training showed more favorable changes in MAS (r=-0.74, p=0.01), though individual changes only ranged from -1.5 to 2.9%. CONCLUSIONS: In week 3, players accomplished greater external training loads with minimal impact on internal load while wellness was preserved. Concurrently, players demonstrated less fluctuations in LnRMSSD, interpreted as an improved ability to maintain cardiac-autonomic homeostasis despite increments in training load. Monitoring the magnitude of daily fluctuations in LnRMSSD in response to varying training loads may aid in the evaluation of training adaptations among elite rugby players.

Effects of consecutive domestic and international tournaments on heart rate variability in an elite rugby sevens team.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate heart rate variability and athlete self-report measures of recovery status (ASRM) in response to consecutive domestic and international tournaments among an elite rugby sevens team. DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: Olympic-level rugby sevens players (n=10) recorded post-waking natural logarithm of the root mean square of successive differences (LnRMSSD) and ASRM (sleep quality, energy, soreness, recovery and mood) throughout a 1-week baseline period and daily thereafter throughout a domestic and subsequent international tournament, separated by five days. Linear mixed models and Hedge's effect sizes ±95% confidence interval (ES±95% CI) were used to evaluate variation in LnRMSSD and ASRM relative to baseline. RESULTS: Decrements in various ASRM were observed in response to both tournaments (ES=-0.80±0.91 to -1.73±1.03, p<0.05) and international travel (ES=-1.03±0.93 to -1.70±1.02, p<0.05) whereas decrements in LnRMSSD were only observed in response to the international tournament (ES=-0.89±0.92 to -1.21±0.96, p=0.02-0.07). No clear differences in internal or external match-load parameters were observed between tournaments (ES=-0.35±0.88 to 0.13±0.88, p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Greater decrements in cardiac-autonomic activity were observed in response to an international tournament relative to a domestic tournament, despite no difference in match-physical demands. Thus, factors separate from competition alone may impact players' cardiac-autonomic response to an international tournament.