Understanding load in netball - An analysis of multiple seasons, phases, and teams

Studies of training and competition load in sport are usually based on data that represents a sample of a league and or annual training program. These studies sometimes explore important factors that are affected by load, such as training adaptations and injury risk. The generalisability of the conclusions of these studies, can depend on how much load varies between seasons, training phases and teams. The interpretation of previous load studies and the design of future load studies should be influenced by an understanding of how load can vary across seasons, training phases and between teams. The current study compared training loads (session rating of perceived exertion x session duration) between all (8) teams in an elite Netball competition for multiple (2) season phases and (2) seasons. A total of 29,545 records of athlete session training loads were included in the analysis. Linear mixed models identified differences between seasons and training phases (p < .05). There were also differences between teams and a complex set of interactions between these three factors (season, phase, and team) (p < .05). While the absolute value of the training loads reported here are only relevant to elite netball, these results illustrate that when data is sampled from a broader context, the range and variation in load may increase. This highlights the importance of cautiously interpreting and generalisation of findings from load studies that use limited data sets.