External and Internal Load Measures During Preseason Training in Men Collegiate Soccer Athletes

Abstract

Collegiate athletes are exposed to high volume loads during preseason training. Monitoring training load can inform training and recovery periods. Therefore, the purpose was to examine changes in and bidirectional relationship between external and internal load metrics in men collegiate soccer athletes (n 5 20; age, 20 6 1 year). Internal load measures of heart rate variability (HRV), salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C), and self-assessment wellness and ratings of perceived exertion scales were collected daily. External load measures of total distance, player load, highspeed distance, high inertial movement analysis, and repeated high-intensity efforts were collected in each training session using global positioning system/global navigation satellite system technology. A 1-way analysis of variance determined weekly changes in external load, physiological, hormonal, and subjective self-assessment measures of internal load. Bidirectional prediction of external load markers and self-assessment measures on physiological and hormonal markers of internal load were assessed by hierarchical linear regression models (p , 0.05). External load measures, C, energy, sleep, and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) decreased (p , 0.01), whereas T, T:C ratio, anger, depression, and vigor increased (p , 0.01) from week 1 to week 2. Morning C positively predicted afternoon external load and post-training RPE (p , 0.05); T:C ratio negatively predicted afternoon external load and post-training RPE (p , 0.05); and morning HRV negatively predicted post-training RPE (p 5 0.031). Despite reduced hormonal stress and external load across weeks, negative perceptions of fatigue increased, suggesting fatigue patterns may have a delayed response. Load may have a more belated, chronic effect on perceptions of fatigue, whereas hormonal changes may be more immediate and sensitive to change. Practitioners may wish to use a variety of external and internal load measures to understand athletes' stress responses to training.

Analysis of Sleep, Nocturnal Physiology, and Physical Demands of NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Across a Championship Season

“…Others have reported that physical fitness statuses, and sleep, play an important role in the recovery of parasympathetic states (36,38). It is important to note, however, that the relationships among these metrics may also be falsely inflated by violating the assumption of independent samples by summing scores across weeks (19). Furthermore, Sleep Duration and manufacturer algorithmbased metrics of Sleep and Readiness Scores were negatively associated with all physical workload metrics.…”

“…First, longitudinal hierarchical linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between daily physical demands (TRIMP, Duration, Total Distance, Time > 80% HRmax, Time < 80% HRmax, and Average HR) and that nocturnal physiology and sleep metrics. Days were nested within individuals, similar to previous models examining relations of external and internal load monitoring, to allow flexibility of time in modeling nonlinear and discontinuous changes across time and accommodate unequal numbers of observations across individuals (19). To determine trends in sleep and nocturnal physiology across the season, values were summarized by week and expressed as weekly changes over the course of the competitive season.…”

“…The cumulative effects of these demands have shown that athletes struggle with recovery across competitive seasons, showing reduced parasympathetic states (21), increased perceived feelings of fatigue (44), and reduced neuromuscular performance capabilities (44). Because HR may also be directly affected by the amount of effort given during an activity, trends in resting HR and heart rate variability (HRV) are used to understand daily physiological states (18,19,21). Collectively, these metrics may demonstrate cardiac parasympathetic or sympathetic nervous system activity (30) in response to various stressors (1), which require appropriate balance to maintain health and performance.…”

“…Because sleep has been routinely identified as an important factor contributing to optimal athletic performance and can be negatively influenced by psychophysiological stressors, it may be useful to simultaneously monitor sleep hygiene and nocturnal physiology (7). For example, some collegiate athletes have noted decreased sleep durations across preseason training preparations (19). This is problematic because of the negative consequences of sleep deprivation on mental and physical wellbeing and performances (6), warranting an understanding of the impact of training workload and weekly alterations of sleep hygiene across a competitive season.…”

Physical demands of lacrosse: gaps in knowledge

“…The majority of papers describing physical demands of lacrosse have focused on Division I college women [12][13][14][15][16] . Total distance seems to range between 4.5-7.0 km 12,17 with the potential for exceeding 8 km.…”