High Match Load's Relation to Decreased Well-Being During an Elite Women's Rugby Sevens Tournament.

UNLABELLED

During rugby sevens tournaments, it is crucial to balance match load and recovery to strive for optimal performance.

PURPOSE

To determine changes in well-being, recovery, and neuromuscular performance during and after an elite women's rugby sevens tournament and assess the influence of match-load indicators.

METHODS

Twelve elite women rugby sevens players (age = 25.3 [4.1]y, height = 169.0 [4.0] cm, weight = 63.9 [4.9] kg, and body fat = 18.6% [2.7%]) performed 5 matches during a 2-d tournament of the Women's Rugby Sevens World Series. Perceived well-being (fatigue, sleep quality, general muscle soreness, stress levels, and mood), total quality of recovery, and countermovement-jump flight time were measured on match days 1 and 2, 1 d posttournament, and 2 d posttournament. Total distance; low-, moderate-, and high-intensity running; and physical contacts during matches were derived from global positioning system-based time-motion analysis and video-based notational analysis, respectively. Internal match load was calculated by session rating of perceived exertion and playing time (rating of perceived exertion × duration).

RESULTS

Well-being (P < .001), fatigue (P < .001), general muscle soreness (P < .001), stress levels (P < .001), mood (P = .005), and total quality of recovery (P < .001) were significantly impaired after match day 1 and did not return to baseline values until 2 d posttournament. More high-intensity running was related to more fatigue (r = -.60, P = .049) and a larger number of physical contacts with more general muscle soreness (r = -.69, P = .013).

CONCLUSION

Perceived well-being and total quality of recovery were already impaired after match day 1, although performance was maintained. High-intensity running and physical contacts were predominantly related to fatigue and general muscle soreness, respectively.