Training load and athlete well-being in university female hockey players during a congested tournament

Abstract

The monitoring of athlete workload is common practice within field-based team sports. Athlete monitoring is performed using both objective and subjective monitoring tools. Results from previous research investigating the relationships between measures of well-being and external workload in the form of match running performance, have been described as uncertain. A lack of research exists in quantifying the workload and well-being of student-athletes during congested periods of competition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate and quantify the match running performance and well-being demands experienced, and understand the relationships between subjective and objective workload measures, in female student field hockey players during a congested period of competition. The cohort investigated comprised 16 female student field hockey players (age: 20 ± 2 y) in a South African university team. The reporting of player well-being (fatigue, soreness, stress, energy levels, motivation, sleep quality, total well-being), and session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) was performed using a smartphone application before and after match-play on each of the five days of the tournament, and on Day 6. External workload variables during match play were recorded using global positioning system (GPS) wearable technology (Polar Electro Oy, Kempele City, Finland). Descriptive statistics, expressed as median and interquartile range (IQR), were calculated for all outcome variables for each day, and overall. To determine the strength and significance of the relationships between the three categories of variables (well-being, internal workload and external workload), Pearson correlation coefficients and Spearman rank order correlation coefficients were calculated.

Overall match running performance scores for the competition included total distance (TD): 4,545 (3,834 - 5,305) m; average work rate: 116.8 (104.0 - 123.1) m·min-1; high intensity (>16 km·h-1) running distance (HID): 383 (257 - 538) m; and average high-intensity work rate: 11.1 (5.8 - 14.9) m·min-1. Overall player total well-being, internal workload (sRPE x player match time) and match time for the competition were 15.0 (13.0 - 18.0) AU, 287 (214 – 355) AU and 39.1 (32.9 - 47.6) min, respectively. External workload demands were lower than those reported in previous literature on elite female field hockey players. Even though scores in well-being in the current study demonstrated trends of increasing (worsening) over the duration of the competition, changes observed were trivial to small and non-significant. Analysis showed inconsistent and non-significant relationships between pre-game well-being and same-day match external workload. Furthermore, several significant (p < 0.05) relationships were demonstrated between external workload on the preceding day to well-being subscales on the subsequent day.

Findings suggest that subscales (stress, fatigue, soreness) rather than total well-being score may be a more sensitive reflection of the workload experienced during congested tournaments. Furthermore, the current study supports the use of the sRPE-method of internal workload monitoring during field hockey match-play as a non-invasive and cost-effective means of reflecting player external workload. Prior to returning to sports training or academic commitments, due to the physical and psychosocial demands of such competitions, recovery should be prioritised within a student-athlete population.

Key words: Congested competition, external workload, field hockey, GPS, internal workload, team sport, well-being.