Correlations Between Injury, Training Intensity, and Physical and Mental Exhaustion Among College Athletes

Abstract

The primary purpose of this research was to obtain information concerning injury incidence and perceptions of training intensities and fatigue levels among college athletes via a survey study. A second purpose was to illuminate correlations between the collected data. This study employed an investigator-designed survey instrument administered to 411 NCAA Division II male and female athletes, with 149 completed responses. The survey included 3 themes: injury incidence, training intensity, and physical and mental exhaustion. Men and women spent 4.5 days per week training using moderate- and high-intensity levels. Fifty percent of the total number of athletes reported chronic injury. During the competition season, physical exhaustion occurred "frequently" 30.86 and 23.53% of the time with men and women, respectively. In the noncompetition season, physical exhaustion was "frequently" experienced 19.75 and 17.65% of the time among men and women, respectively. Statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found with acute injury for men and chronic injury for women. Also, training intensity levels and physical and mental exhaustion for men and women were statistically significant. The current investigators found the training involved 2-3 hours of moderate to high intensity 4.5 days per week both during competition and noncompetition; women and men spent 2-3 hours of light intensity 1.31 and 1.45 days per week, respectively. Women and men in addition to training, engaged in 3.78 and 4.43 hours of leisure physical activity per week. The investigators recommend tapering, periodization, and rest to help avoid overuse syndrome, overreaching, and overtraining that leads to excessive physical and mental exhaustion and injury.

The training process: Planning for strength–power training in track and field. Part 2: Practical and applied aspects

“…At the advanced level, generally, relatively heavy and intense training loads are essential for superior athletic achievement; however, constant or very frequent heavy loading can markedly increase "training strain" which can augment the potential for poor or even negative training outcomes, including increased injury. [13][14][15] Data from both human 13,16,17 and animal 18,19 athletes indicate that multiple "light" days within a microcycle can allow a given training load to be accomplished with a greater potential for positive adaptations and fewer negative outcomes. 13,19,20 Some of the negative effects associated with accumulative fatigue include alterations in maximum strength, particularly one's Trmax (training 1 RM).…”

Improving Athlete Mental Training Engagement Using Smartphone Phone Technology

“…The loss in retention by the athletes demonstrated what circumstances athletes will best interact and utilise psychological skills training to improve wellbeing and performance. Elite athletes require significant structure [2], [3], to complete their required daily tasks that encompass being a professional athlete. It may be that smartphone apps do indeed have an effect, however, coaching staff will need to schedule specific time into their training programs to ensure mental skills training is habit forming in their athletes, just like athletes make it a habit to complete physical training programs for strength, stamina, flexibility, and recovery [18].…”

“…Therefore, an extreme level of psychological resilience is required by elite athletes to reach the top of their respective field. The ability to consistently perform regardless of circumstance is not only required for performance during pressure moments within the match, but also to handle the daily repetitiveness of training through continually driving for improvement [3].…”

Relation of teachers’ behaviour and motivation to learning outcomes

“…Tyrimas, kuriame buvo tirti II diviziono elito atletai studentai, parodė, kad moterys ir vyrai, be treniravimosi laiko, fiziniam aktyvumui laisvalaikiu skiria po 3,78 ir 4,43 valandų per savaitę. Tyrėjai rekomenduoja studentams nepersitreniruoti skiriant papildomai laiko aktyviam laisvalaikiui (Vetter, Symonds, 2010).…”