Fatigue score as a promising complementing training monitoring tool: a pilot study in elite rugby sevens players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare physical and hormonal responses of seventeen elite rugby sevens players over a 6-week intense training block (IT) and a consecutive 2-week tapering period (TAP), using a fatigue cut-off score of 20 as a potential moderating variable. Training was monitored by daily training load (TL) and strain (TS) (using the session rating of perceived exertion [sRPE]) and also the weekly total score of fatigue (TSF; 8-item questionnaire tool). Testing and 24 h urinary cortisol (CL), cortisone (CN), adrenaline (AD) and noradrenalin (NAD) concentrations were also analysed before (T0) and after IT (T1) and after the TAP (T2). Players were assigned to group 1 with a TSF above 20 (G1 > 20, n = 9) and group 2 with a TSF below 20 (G2 20 than in G2 20 than in G2 < 20. After the TAP, TSF, TL and TS returned to baseline values for both groups, with an increase in performance standards and normalization in hormone levels. We suggest that a TSF greater than or equal to 20 could be considered as a fatigue threshold generating hormone disturbance and performance decrement, making it a potentially useful preventive and complementary training monitoring tool.

Keywords

• threshold of fatigue
• training load
• catecholamine
• glucocorticoid
• rugby sevens
• performances