School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia.
Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia.
PLoS One. 2023 Mar 10;18(3):e0282390. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282390. eCollection 2023.
The rugby codes (i.e., rugby union, rugby league, rugby sevens [termed 'rugby']) are team-sports that impose multiple complex physical, perceptual, and technical demands on players which leads to substantial player fatigue post-match. In the post-match period, fatigue manifests through multiple domains and negatively influences recovery. There is, however, currently no definition of fatigue contextualised to the unique characteristics of rugby (e.g., locomotor and collision loads). Similarly, the methods and metrics which practitioners consider when quantifying the components of post-match fatigue and subsequent recovery are not known. The aims of this study were to develop a definition of fatigue in rugby, to determine agreement with this common definition of fatigue, and to outline which methods and metrics are considered important and feasible to implement to quantify post-match fatigue. Subject matter experts (SME) undertook a two-round online Delphi questionnaire (round one; n = 42, round two; n = 23). SME responses in round one were analysed to derive a definition of fatigue, which after discussion and agreement by the investigators, obtained 96% agreement in round two. The SME agreed that fatigue in rugby refers to a reduction in performance-related task ability which is underpinned by time-dependent negative changes within and between cognitive, neuromuscular, perceptual, physiological, emotional, and technical/tactical domains. Further, there were 33 items in the neuromuscular performance, cardio-autonomic, or self-report domains achieved consensus for importance and/or feasibility to implement. Highly rated methods and metrics included countermovement jump force/power (neuromuscular performance), heart rate variability (cardio-autonomic measures), and soreness, mood, stress, and sleep quality (self-reported assessments). A monitoring system including highly-rated fatigue monitoring objective and subjective methods and metrics in rugby is presented. Practical recommendations of objective and subjective measures, and broader considerations for testing and analysing the resulting data in relation to monitoring fatigue are provided.
橄榄球运动（即橄榄球联盟、橄榄球联赛和七人制橄榄球[称为“橄榄球”]）是团队运动，它对运动员施加了多种复杂的身体、感知和技术要求，导致比赛后运动员出现大量疲劳。在比赛后阶段，疲劳通过多个领域表现出来，并对恢复产生负面影响。然而，目前还没有一个针对橄榄球独特特征（如运动和碰撞负荷）的疲劳定义。同样，从业者在量化比赛后疲劳和随后恢复的各个组成部分时所考虑的方法和指标也不为人知。本研究的目的是为橄榄球运动制定一个疲劳定义，确定与这个疲劳通用定义的一致性，并概述哪些方法和指标被认为是重要的和可行的，以量化比赛后的疲劳。主题专家（SME）进行了两轮在线 Delphi 问卷调查（第一轮；n = 42，第二轮；n = 23）。对第一轮 SME 的回复进行了分析，得出了一个疲劳定义，经过研究人员的讨论和一致同意，在第二轮中获得了 96%的一致同意。SME 同意橄榄球运动中的疲劳是指与表现相关的任务能力下降，其基础是认知、神经肌肉、感知、生理、情绪和技术/战术等领域内和之间的时间依赖性负面变化。此外，在神经肌肉表现、心血管自主或自我报告领域中，有 33 项指标达成了重要性和/或实施可行性的共识。评价较高的方法和指标包括反向跳跃力/功率（神经肌肉表现）、心率变异性（心血管自主测量）以及酸痛、情绪、压力和睡眠质量（自我报告评估）。提出了一种包括橄榄球中高评价疲劳监测客观和主观方法和指标的监测系统。提供了针对客观和主观测量的实用建议，以及更广泛的考虑因素，以用于测试和分析与监测疲劳相关的数据。
