Perceived Daily Wellness Responses Following Games During A Professional American Football Season

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptual wellness responses and time course of recovery following an American football game and if those responses vary across a professional American football season. METHODS: Twenty-four male, American football players (25.9 ± 2.7 y) were recruited to complete a standardized daily wellness survey the day before each game (GD-1), game day (GD) and each day following game day (GD+1, GD+2, GD+3, GD+4, and GD+5) during the seven week season. The surveys were obtained each morning via automated text messages to assess perceptions of energy, motivation, stress, and soreness utilizing 10-point Likert scales. A composite daily wellness score (DWS) was created where a higher score indicated better overall wellness. Eight players met the minimum survey response rate set at 70% and were therefore included in the study. All variables were used to determine the time course of perceptual recovery following a game, as well as cumulative recovery across the season. A mixed-effects model was used to measure changes in all markers including the DWS. RESULTS: There were no significant interactions for day x week (p > 0.05) across the season for the DWS or individual wellness markers. DWS was significantly higher on GD-1 (28.4 ± 6.1; p < 0.01) than GD+1, +2, +4, +5 (23.0 ± 6.0; 25.5 ± 6.3; 26.3 ± 6.2; 27.0 ± 6.1, respectively), but lower than GD (31.5 ± 4.1) and similar to GD+3 (26.8 ± 5.5; p > 0.05). Perceived energy was significantly lower on GD+1, +3, +4 (5.6 ± 1.9; 5.9 ± 1.9; 5.9 ± 2.1, respectively) compared to GD-1 (6.9 ± 2.1; p < 0.05). Perceived motivation was significantly higher on GD (8.5 ± 1.6) compared to GD-1 (7.2 ± 1.9; p < 0.05), but then declined on GD+1 (5.3 ± 2.4) and GD+2 (5.7 ± 2.3). Perceived muscle soreness was the lowest on GD (1.9 ± SD) and significantly higher the days following (GD+1: 5.4 ± 2.1; GD +2: 4.1 ± 2.2; GD+4 3.8 ± 1.8; and GD +5: 3.8 ± 1.9) compared to GD-1 (3.0 ± 1.6; p < 0.05). There was no daily effect on perceived stress (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Perceptual wellness markers are negatively impacted immediately after and days following a professional football game, and those affects remained consistent across the season. The DWS and individual markers of perceptual wellness may take up to 5 days to return to pregame levels and should be considered when planning player training.