Internal and External Training Workload Quantification in 4 Experienced Paracanoeing Athletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Adapted Sports
• Physiology

Background:

• Paracanoeing is an adapted sport for athletes with motor impairments.
• The acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) is a key training metric, but its application in paracanoeing is unexplored.
• Understanding training load and recovery is crucial for optimizing performance in elite athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify internal and external training workloads in experienced paracanoe athletes.
• To investigate the relationship between training load metrics and recovery markers.
• To explore the utility of ACWR in paracanoeing.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 4 experienced paracanoe athletes over 36 weeks and 5 events.
• Training workloads were measured using session rating of perceived exertion (internal) and distance/time (external).
• Recovery was assessed using the Perceived Recovery Status scale (PRS) and medicine ball throw (MBT).

Main Results:

• Average ACWR ranged from 0.96 to 1.10, with 38% of weeks outside the recommended safety zone.
• Correlations between MBT and PRS were weak and non-significant.
• ACWR showed significant correlations with PRS in 2 athletes, indicating a potential link to recovery status.

Conclusions:

• Training workloads in paracanoeing can be quantified and compared to other sports' periodization models.
• Pre-training recovery assessments (MBT, PRS) showed limited correlation with training load.
• ACWR may be a valuable tool for daily training adjustments in paracanoeing, particularly when correlated with recovery markers like PRS.