The importance of knowing when an athlete has reached load limit

February 6, 2020
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Performance Monitoring
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Athlete overtraining

Ensuring an athlete is in the best possible condition to compete at their best when it matters most is one of the greatest challenges faced by both an athlete and their coach. Getting the preparation right is the key to success and one of the most important factors is not to fall into the trap of over-training. This is an issue that has been at the forefront of sport as the demands to be that bit stronger, run that bit faster or jump that bit higher are increasing all the time. In these circumstances, it is essential for an athlete to push themselves to the limit in training – but the key is knowing when you have reached that limit. This can often be the most difficult part of the process. Going just that little bit too far can undo much of the good work and bring on factors that are detrimental to an athlete’s performance. Factors such as physical fatigue, mental fatigue, muscle soreness, irritability and loss of appetite are common symptoms of over-training that can significantly affect performance, while one of the biggest and perhaps most disruptive consequences is that it can lead to injury and illness.

How much is too much?

As a consequence, it is vital for athletes and coaches to know when load in sport becomes too much, and this topic has been covered in detail in an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

How much is too much? (Part 1) International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury is the result of the International Olympic Committee convening an expert group to examine the issues. The committee was tasked with reviewing

the scientific evidence for the relationship of load (defined broadly to include rapid changes in training and competition load, competition calendar congestion, psychological load and travel) and health outcomes in sport

and its findings are certainly of interest to those involved in sport. The authors agreed on a broad definition of ‘load’ as

the sport and non-sport burden (single or multiple physiological, psychological or mechanical stressors) as a stimulus that is applied to a human biological system (including subcellular elements, a single cell, tissues, one or multiple organ systems, or the individual. Load can be applied to the individual human biological system over varying time periods (seconds, minutes, hours to days, weeks, months and years) and with varying magnitude (ie, duration, frequency and intensity)

Load management is a risk factor

The report recognizes the evolution of sport from a leisurely or entertaining pursuit, to a professional industry where the demands on players are not just to succeed but to perform on a more regular basis in a more condensed calendar. The increased performance demands are coupled with the necessity to push hard in training and as a result, there is concern that this combination can result in poorly managed training loads. The report points out that

evidence has emerged that load management is a major risk factor for injury. Insufficient respect of the balance between loading and recovery can lead to prolonged fatigue and abnormal training responses (maladaptation), and an increased risk of injury and illness

The authors have come up with a number of recommendations to reduce the risk of injury through poor load management. They state that athletes respond significantly better to relatively small increases (and decreases), rather than larger fluctuations in loading, while pointing out that squad rotation will help manage load in cases where teams are asked to play with less than an week between games. They also point out that load should always be prescribed on an individual and flexible basis, while special attention should be given to load management in developing athletes, and also that variation in an athlete’s psychological stressors should also guide the prescription of training and/or competition loads. The report adds that coaches and support staff must schedule adequate recovery, particularly after intensive training periods, competitions and travel, including:-

  • nutrition and hydration
  • sleep and rest
  • active rest
  • relaxation strategies and
  • emotional support

Also, sports governing bodies must consider the health of the athletes, and hence, the competition load when planning their event calendars.

Signs of burnout

It is important that those involved in sport – athletes, coaches and parents – are aware of the symptoms of overtraining and burnout. If there are signs of overtraining or burnout being displayed by an athlete, it is important to be able to take action to address any issues before they become a more serious problem.

Overtraining

Monitoring is key

The report concludes that

Regular athlete monitoring is fundamental to ensure appropriate and therapeutic levels of external and internal loads and thus to maximize performance and minimize the risk of injury

and this is a point also highlighted by Tim J Gabbett in The training-injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder. Gabbett summarizes his findings by revealing that appropriate training loads will assist in improving levels of fitness, and as a consequence will provide protection against injury. The benefits of this are that increased physical condition will improve individual performance and in team sports, ensure a higher proportion of players available every week. He continues to point out that the benefits of monitoring in the future will allow practitioners to determine if athletes are in a state of ‘fitness’ or ‘fatigue’, and also allows them to develop individual training programmes to athletes. To sum up his views on this crucial area of athlete preparation, Gabbett states

Excessive and rapid increases in training loads are likely responsible for a large proportion of non-contact, soft-tissue injuries. However, physically hard (and appropriate) training develops physical qualities, which in turn protects against injuries. This paper highlights the importance of monitoring training load, including the load that athletes are prepared for (by calculating the acute:chronic workload ratio), as a best practice approach to the long-term reduction of training-related injuries

Monitoring with Metrifit

Keeping track of an athlete’s routine not only in terms of training, but also nutrition and sleep along with overall well-being is a facility offered by Metrifit and one that has been highly successful when implemented in High Schools and Colleges throughout the United States, and with sports teams right across the globe. It provides an immediate snap shot of athlete well-being across a number of metrics such as sleep, stress, readiness to perform, muscle soreness and training loads as well as communication and feedback portals to support the development of an optimal environment for success. To find out more visit our Metrifit Product Overview page or contact us at info@metrifit.com for a free demo.

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Why Monitor

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Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
"We have found metrifit to be a great tool to ensure we can monitor and adapt our athletes training loads regularly.  This programme  has ensured our coaches and staff can maximize all training and recovery to each individual needs on a day to day basis. It is user friendly and provides excellent visual data that can be viewed by both practitioners and athletes. With the help of Metrifit support team, we have personalized it to suit our specific sport and training needs. It's a excellent athlete monitoring tool and is essential for assisting the team to perform at their best"

Lee Stutely

Team Manager and Athlete Support Services Coordinator at Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby

Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
2021-06-25T11:19:31+01:00

Lee Stutely

Team Manager and Athlete Support Services Coordinator at Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby

"We have found metrifit to be a great tool to ensure we can monitor and adapt our athletes training loads regularly.  This programme  has ensured our coaches and staff can maximize all training and recovery to each individual needs on a day to day basis. It is user friendly and provides excellent visual data that can be viewed by both practitioners and athletes. With the help of Metrifit support team, we have personalized it to suit our specific sport and training needs. It's a excellent athlete monitoring tool and is essential for assisting the team to perform at their best"

References
How much is too much? (Part 1) International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury
New study highlights benefits of monitoring | Metrifit
Relationship between training load and injury in professional rugby league players | Gabbett TJ, Jenkins DG
Symtoms of Overtraining | Metrifit
The training-injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? Tim J Gabbett

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0
Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
"The success of young athletes using Metrifit was an interesting challenge in the Elite Soccer space… After six months of learning, creating habit with teenagers the project is a huge success…. 90% completion rate has allowed us deal with all the key KPI’s that are needed in their development. In our space with developing athletes…Metrifit is a godsend and is the most important tool in this space."

Niall O’Driscoll

Academy Directory, SJ.B (St. Joseph’s Bray ) Academy

Metrifit Athlete Monitoring System
2017-06-16T16:51:01+01:00

Niall O’Driscoll

Academy Directory, SJ.B (St. Joseph’s Bray ) Academy

"The success of young athletes using Metrifit was an interesting challenge in the Elite Soccer space… After six months of learning, creating habit with teenagers the project is a huge success…. 90% completion rate has allowed us deal with all the key KPI’s that are needed in their development. In our space with developing athletes…Metrifit is a godsend and is the most important tool in this space."

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