The Relationship Between Training Load and Injury in Competitive Swimming: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study

Barry, Lorna, Lyons, Mark, McCreesh, Karen, Myers, Tony D., Powell, Cormac and Comyns, Tom (2024) The Relationship Between Training Load and Injury in Competitive Swimming: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study. Applied Sciences, 14 (10411). pp. 1-13. ISSN 2076-3417

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Abstract

Training load monitoring is employed to quantify training demands, to determine individual physiological adaptions and to examine the dose–response relationship, ultimately reducing the likelihood of injury and making a meaningful impact on performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between training load and injury in competitive swimmers, using the session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) method. Data were collected using a prospective, longitudinal study design across 104 weeks. Data were collected from 34 athletes centralised in two of Swim Ireland’s National Centres. Bayesian mixed effects logistic regression models were used to analyse the relationship between sRPE-TL and medical attention injuries. The average weekly swim volume was 33.5 ± 12.9 km. The weekly total training load (AU) averaged 3838 ± 1616.1. A total of 58 medical attention injury events were recorded. The probability of an association between training load and injury ranged from 70% to 98%; however, evidence for these relationships was deemed weak or highly uncertain. The findings suggest that using a single training load metric in isolation cannot decisively inform when an injury will occur. Instead, coaches should utilise monitoring tools to ensure that the athletes are exposed to an appropriate training load to optimise physiological adaptation. Future research should strive to investigate the relationship between additional risk factors (e.g., wellbeing, lifestyle factors or previous injury history), in combination with training load and injury, in competitive swimmers.

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of of Arts, Society and Professional Studies > Department of Health and Behavioural Sciences
Depositing User: Ms Hazel Barham
Date Deposited: 21 Nov 2024 14:32
Last Modified: 21 Nov 2024 14:32
URI: https://newman.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/17378

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