Abstract
This case series, team-based study aimed to compare the demands imposed during conditioning training and match-play in netball players. Female netball players competing at semi-professional (n = 9, age: 22.2 ± 3.8 years) and development (n = 9, age: 22.3 ± 2.9 years) levels had their internal (rating of perceived exertion (RPE)) and external (relative PlayerLoad (PL) in total and in the forwards, sideways, and vertical vectors) loads measured during conditioning-based training sessions and matches in a season. Demand variables were compared between conditioning and match-play across all players and according to position in each playing level. Conditioning training imposed higher relative PL in total and in each vector compared to match-play in semi-professional and development players (small to large effects). In contrast, RPE was significantly (p = 0.006) higher during match-play than conditioning training in semi-professional and development players (medium effects). Furthermore, according to playing position, significantly higher relative PL variables were evident during conditioning training than match-play in wing attack and goalkeeper semi-professional players and in goal attack, goal shooter, goal keeper, and goal defence development players. These results suggest conditioning training practices elicit adequate external intensities but inadequate internal intensities relative to match-play across positions in semi-professional and development netball players.
Highlights
Sporting performance is multi-factorial and requires a combination of fitness attributes that are unique to each sport [1]
Female netball players competing at higher levels (i.e., Australian state competition) undergo greater external match demands than players competing at lower levels (i.e., Australian recreational competition) (relative PlayerLoad (PL): 10.0 ± 2.5 AU·min−1 vs. 7.0 ± 1.8 AU·min−1 ) [15], suggesting the match demands experienced in netball are specific to playing level in addition to playing position
The present findings revealed that relative PL in total and each vector were higher during conditioning compared to match-play in semi-professional (p > 0.05) and development (p < 0.05) players
Summary
Sporting performance is multi-factorial and requires a combination of fitness attributes that are unique to each sport [1]. External demands encompass the physical stimuli encountered during training and match-play, while internal demands represent players’ perceptual and physiological reactions to the imposed physical stimuli [3] In this regard, netball is a high-intensity, intermittent sport that stresses a range of different fitness attributes in players [4,5,6]. Furthering the concept of training specificity in netball, the match-specific demands experienced by each playing position and playing level must be considered in developing netball-specific conditioning programs In this way, the varied court restrictions and roles specific to each playing position in netball impose unique internal [7,9,10] and external [7,9,10,11,12,13,14] match demands across positions. Female netball players competing at higher levels (i.e., Australian state competition) undergo greater external match demands than players competing at lower levels (i.e., Australian recreational competition) (relative PlayerLoad (PL): 10.0 ± 2.5 AU·min−1 vs. 7.0 ± 1.8 AU·min−1 ) [15], suggesting the match demands experienced in netball are specific to playing level in addition to playing position
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