Identifying Contextual Influences on Training Load: An Example in Professional Rugby Union

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Rugby Union Performance Analysis

Background:

• Understanding training load (TL) is crucial for optimizing performance and preventing injury in elite athletes.
• Session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE-TL) is a common method for quantifying training load.
• Contextual factors can significantly modulate the training load experienced by athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contextual factors influencing training load (TL) in professional rugby union players.
• To analyze how different training load modalities (field, gym, total) are affected by contextual variables.
• To provide insights for more effective training microcycle planning in rugby union.

Main Methods:

• Collected daily sRPE-TL data from 35 professional rugby union players over an in-season period.
• Categorized sRPE-TL into field-based (sRPEField-TL), gym-based (sRPEGym-TL), and total (sRPETotal-TL).
• Utilized 2-level linear mixed models and magnitude-based inferences to analyze data by positional groups (backs and forwards).

Main Results:

• Longer recovery periods (≥7 days) generally increased sRPE-TL across modalities and positions.
• Backs showed a decrease in sRPEField-TL as the season progressed.
• Losing the previous match was associated with decreased sRPETotal-TL and sRPEGym-TL in backs, and decreased sRPEGym-TL in forwards.

Conclusions:

• Contextual factors, including recovery duration and match outcomes, significantly influence training load in professional rugby.
• The strength of upcoming opposition did not demonstrably affect sRPE-TL.
• These findings underscore the importance of considering multifactorial influences when designing and evaluating training microcycles.