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Quantifying the Training Loads and Corresponding Changes in Physical Qualities among Adolescent, Schoolboy Rugby
Michael A Carron1,2, Aaron T Scanlan1, Thomas M Doering1
1School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton 4701, Australia.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 27, 2024
Summary
Rugby league players aged 16 experience high training loads, improving physical qualities in pre-season but declining in-season. Monitoring adolescent athlete training loads is crucial for performance and injury prevention.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Adolescent Physiology
- Rugby League Performance
Background:
- Adolescent development is critical for rugby league athletes, involving physical growth, neuromuscular adaptation, and skill acquisition.
- School programs and external academies contribute to the overall training load of young rugby league players, with current loads and their effects being unknown.
- Understanding training loads is essential for optimizing development and preventing detriments in adolescent athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the training loads experienced by schoolboy and adolescent rugby league players.
- To assess the concurrent changes in physical qualities during pre-season and in-season mesocycles.
- To investigate the implications of training loads on physical development in young rugby league players.
Main Methods:
- A prospective experimental study involving 21 schoolboy rugby league players (16.2 ± 1.3 years).
- Monitoring of session frequency, duration, and session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) load over 4-week mesocycles during pre-season and in-season phases.
- Assessment of various physical qualities before and after each mesocycle, including sprint tests, fitness tests, and strength assessments.
Main Results:
- Higher accumulated sRPE load was observed during the pre-season (8260 ± 2021 AU) compared to the in-season (6148 ± 980 AU).
- Significant improvements in 10m sprint, Multistage Fitness Test, medicine ball throw, and 1RM back squat/bench press were noted post-pre-season mesocycle.
- Declines in 505-Agility Test, L-run Test, and 1RM back squat performance were observed post-in-season mesocycle.
Conclusions:
- Schoolboy rugby league players encounter substantial training demands.
- These demands appear beneficial for enhancing physical qualities during the pre-season.
- The training loads during the in-season phase may be detrimental to maintaining these acquired physical qualities.
