The Impact of Tournament Load on Neuromuscular Function, Perceived Wellness and Coach Ratings of Performance During Intensified Youth Netball Competition

• Published in: Journal of science in sport and exercise (Online) 2023-02, Vol.5 (1), p.16-24
• Main Authors: Lee, Marcus, Wee, Jericho, Dobbin, Nick, Roman, Quintin, Choong, Gabriel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Fatigue; Females; Human Physiology; Original Article; Physiology; Questionnaires; Ratings & rankings; Rugby; Sleep; Tournaments & championships
• ISSN: 2096-6709; 2662-1371
• DOI: 10.1007/s42978-021-00155-9

Purpose This study examined the effects of tournament load on neuromuscular function, perceived wellness and coach ratings of performance across two 6-day netball tournaments. Methods Thirty-nine female youth netballers (age = 14.6 ± 0.5 years, stature = 165.9 ± 4.7 cm, body mass = 56.5 ± 7.2 kg) were categorised as HIGH (10–11 matches, n  = 20) or LOW (6 matches, n  = 19) tournament load. Match load, jump height, perceived wellness and coach ratings of performance were monitored daily. Results HIGH tournament load resulted in greater reductions in jump height on match-day 4 (–8.3%, ± 5.6%) when compared to LOW. HIGH tournament load resulted in greater reductions in perceived soreness (–0.9, ± 1.1 AU) and overall wellness (–2.6, ± 2.3 AU) on match-day 3, and a greater reduction in perceived sleep (–0.9, ± 1.1 AU) on match-day 4. HIGH tournament load was negatively associated with sleep quality and coach ratings of performance (effect size correlation = -0.34 to -0.47) when compared to LOW. Conclusion Our results indicate that a higher tournament load resulted in greater increases in neuromuscular fatigue, reduced perceived wellness, and lower ratings of performance. Practitioners should consider pre-tournament preparation and monitoring strategies to minimise the physiological disturbances during an intensified tournament.