Citation

Weiss KJ, Allen SV, McGuigan MR, Whatman CS. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2017; 12(9): 1238-1242.

Affiliation

1 Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Human Kinetics Publishers)

DOI

10.1123/ijspp.2016-0726

PMID

28253031

Abstract

PURPOSE: To establish the relationship between the acute:chronic workload ratio and lower extremity overuse injuries in professional basketball players over the course of a competitive season.

METHODS: The acute:chronic workload ratio was determined by calculating the sum of the current week's session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) training load (acute load) and dividing it by the average weekly training load over the previous four weeks (chronic load). All injuries were recorded weekly using a self-reported injury questionnaire (Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Injury Questionnaire(20)) Workload ratios were modelled against injury data using a logistic regression model with unique intercepts for each player.

RESULTS: Substantially fewer team members were injured following workload ratios between 1-1.49 (36%) compared to very low (≤0.5; 54%), low (0.5-0.99; 51%) or high (≥1.5; 59%) workload ratios. The regression model provided unique workload-injury trends for each player, but all mean differences in likelihood of being injured between workload ratios were unclear.

CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining workload ratios between 1-1.5 may be optimal for athlete preparation in professional basketball. An individualized approach to modelling and monitoring the training load-injury relationship, along with a symptom-based injury-surveillance method, should help coaches and performance staff with individualized training load planning and prescription, and with developing athlete-specific recovery and rehabilitation strategies.

Language: en

Keywords

functional performance; injury management; sport; training; workload