Freeman Brock W, Talpey Scott W, James Lachlan P, Rayner Russell J, Young Warren B
Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia.
School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia.
Sports Health. 2025 Jan-Feb;17(1):27-38. doi: 10.1177/19417381241265114. Epub 2024 Aug 22.
Australian Rules Football athletes complete long preseasons, yet injuries occur frequently at early stages of the competitive season. Little is known about the high-speed running (HSR) prescription during a preseason or whether players are adequately prepared for competition. This study described absolute and relative preseason and in-season HSR demands of 2 professional Australian football teams.
HSR and sprinting volumes are significantly lower in elite Australian Rules football athletes during in-season compared with preseason.
Cohort study.
Level 3.
During the 2019 season, HSR volume was collected for 2 professional Australian football teams (n = 55). Individual maximum speeds (V) were captured to calculate relative running speed thresholds, as reported in 5% increments from 70%V to 100%V.
Weekly volume of running above 70%V ( = 0.01; = 0.56) and 80%V ( = 0.01; = 0.58) was significantly greater in the preseason than the in-season. The weekly volume completed above 90%V was not significantly greater in the preseason than the in-season ( = 0.10; = 0.22). Individual variation in the distance completed at specific percentages of V expressed as a coefficient of variation was reported as 51% at 71% to 80%V, 39% at 81% to 90%V, and 41% at 91% to 100%V.
The volume of HSR completed by athletes is far greater in the initial 4 weeks of the preseason than in any other point in preseason or competitive phases. At the individual level, there is substantial variation in the distance covered. This supports the concept of a heavily individualized approach to high-speed prescription and monitoring.
Practitioners should carefully consider individual variation regarding sprinting volume during both preseason and in-season when prescribing and monitoring training to improve on-field performance and reduce the risk of injury.
澳大利亚式橄榄球运动员要经历漫长的季前赛，但伤病却频繁出现在赛季初期。对于季前赛期间的高速跑（HSR）训练安排，或者球员是否为比赛做好了充分准备，我们了解得很少。本研究描述了两支职业澳大利亚橄榄球队季前赛和赛季期间的绝对和相对HSR需求。
与季前赛相比，精英澳大利亚式橄榄球运动员在赛季期间的HSR和冲刺跑量显著更低。
队列研究。
3级。
在2019赛季，收集了两支职业澳大利亚橄榄球队（n = 55）的HSR量。记录个体的最大速度（V），以计算相对跑步速度阈值，按从70%V到100%V以5%的增量报告。
季前赛中每周高于70%V（P = 0.01；Cohen's d = 0.56）和80%V（P = 0.01；Cohen's d = 0.58）的跑量显著高于赛季期间。季前赛中每周高于90%V完成的跑量在赛季期间没有显著更高（P = 0.10；Cohen's d = 0.22）。以变异系数表示的在特定百分比V下完成距离的个体差异在71%至80%V时为51%，81%至90%V时为39%，91%至100%V时为41%。
运动员在季前赛的前4周完成的HSR量远高于季前赛或比赛阶段的任何其他时间点。在个体层面，所覆盖的距离存在很大差异。这支持了对高速训练安排和监测采用高度个性化方法的理念。
从业者在制定和监测训练以提高场上表现并降低受伤风险时，在季前赛和赛季期间都应仔细考虑冲刺跑量方面的个体差异。
