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Physical Demands and Muscle-Induced Damage in Women's Rugby Union World Cup Matches
Sebastien Imbert1,2,3, Julien Piscione4, Helene Joncheray3,5
1Multidisciplinary Sport, Health, and Society Research Unit (URePSSS-ULR 7369), University of Lille, University of Artois, University of Littoral Côte d'Opale, Lille, France.
Women rugby players experience intense physical demands during World Cup matches, with varying distances and speeds by position. While blood creatine kinase (CK) levels indicate muscle damage post-match, Global Positioning System (GPS) data primarily tracks fatigue, not direct muscle injury.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Physiology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Women's rugby union is increasingly professionalized, leading to higher physical performance demands.
- Understanding the specific physical loads and physiological responses in elite women's rugby is crucial for player management and performance optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the physical demands of Women's Rugby Union World Cup matches.
- To assess match-induced muscle damage using blood creatine kinase (CK) levels.
- To explore the relationship between Global Positioning System (GPS) data, subjective well-being, and physiological markers of fatigue and damage.
Main Methods:
- Monitoring 26 elite women's rugby players using GPS during 6 World Cup matches.
- Analyzing 11 GPS parameters including distance, speed, accelerations, and decelerations.
- Measuring blood creatine kinase (CK) levels and administering well-being questionnaires 36 hours post-match.
Main Results:
- Outside backs exhibited higher speeds and greater distances covered at high intensity (> 24 km/h).
- Half backs covered the greatest total distance and demonstrated more accelerations.
- Blood CK activity increased fourfold 36 hours post-match, indicating muscle damage.
Conclusions:
- Physical demands in women's rugby vary significantly by player position.
- GPS data and subjective reports are valuable for assessing player fatigue but not direct muscle damage.
- Worst-case scenario (WCS) analysis provides useful insights for player preparation and training strategies.
