High Match Load's Relation to Decreased Well-Being During an Elite Women's Rugby Sevens Tournament.

Abstract

To determine changes in well-being, recovery, and neuromuscular performance during and after an elite women's rugby sevens tournament and assess the influence of match-load indicators. Twelve elite women rugby sevens players (age = 25.3 [4.1]y, height = 169.0 [4.0]cm, weight = 63.9 [4.9]kg, and body fat = 18.6% [2.7%]) performed 5 matches during a 2-d tournament of the Women's Rugby Sevens World Series. Perceived well-being (fatigue, sleep quality, general muscle soreness, stress levels, and mood), total quality of recovery, and countermovement-jump flight time were measured on match days 1 and 2, 1 d posttournament, and 2 d posttournament. Total distance; low-, moderate-, and high-intensity running; and physical contacts during matches were derived from global positioning system-based time-motion analysis and video-based notational analysis, respectively. Internal match load was calculated by session rating of perceived exertion and playing time (rating of perceived exertion × duration). Well-being (P < .001), fatigue (P < .001), general muscle soreness (P < .001), stress levels (P < .001), mood (P = .005), and total quality of recovery (P < .001) were significantly impaired after match day 1 and did not return to baseline values until 2 d posttournament. More high-intensity running was related to more fatigue (r = -.60, P = .049) and a larger number of physical contacts with more general muscle soreness (r = -.69, P = .013). Perceived well-being and total quality of recovery were already impaired after match day 1, although performance was maintained. High-intensity running and physical contacts were predominantly related to fatigue and general muscle soreness, respectively.