Gender, Trait Anxiety, And Perceptual Responses Of College Swimmers During Overtraining And Taper

Abstract

PURPOSE The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of gender and trait anxiety on ratings of perceived exertion and overall muscle soreness of college swimmers during overtraining and taper. METHODS College swimmers (n=31 women; n=39 men) reported training volume (yards/day), perceived exertion, and overall muscle soreness under baseline, overtraining, and tapering conditions. Trait Anxiety (STAI) was assessed at baseline. RESULTS The results were analyzed using a 2 (gender) × 3 (conditions) repeated measures ANOVA with trait anxiety included as a covariate. There was a significant (p<.001) conditions main effect for training volume. Training volume was higher (p<.001) during overtraining compared to baseline and taper, and training volume during taper was higher compared to baseline. The main effect for gender was not significant (p>.05), but there was a significant gender by conditions interaction effect (p<.001) for training volume. Women reported greater training volume at baseline and men reported greater training volume during overtraining. No significant main or interaction effects were found between trait anxiety and training volume. There was a significant (p<.05) conditions main effect for ratings of perceived exertion and overall muscle soreness, and both variables increased during overtraining and decreased during taper. Overall muscle soreness during taper was higher (p<.05) compared to baseline. No significant (p>.05) main or interaction effects for gender and trait anxiety were found for ratings of perceived exertion and overall muscle soreness. CONCLUSION It is concluded that gender and trait anxiety do not play a role in the perceptual responses of college swimmers during overtraining and taper. Based on archival data collected in part under grants from the Sports Medicine Council of the United States Olympic Committee.