Fatigue and Recovery in Elite and Sub-Elite Rugby Union Players
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Global Markers of Fatigue and Recovery in Elite and Sub-Elite Rugby Union Players
IRAS ID
308072
Contact name
Karen Hind
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Durham University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The overall aim of this research is to characterise global player loads in relation to fatigue and recovery responses, in high performance rugby players. Rugby players are exposed to multiple forms of collision which increases the risk of injury and heightened fatigue. Understanding human responses to loading in rugby is integral to the avoidance of burnout in rugby players and to support overall player welfare. Fatigue is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has a variety of possible mechanisms and associated recovery responses, not only in matches but also from training. Despite much research on the performance of rugby players, there is a lack of evidence on fatigue. Those studies which have investigated fatigue, are limited in that they have only used measures in isolation, over a short time period and/or with few participants. In addition, no study has included head impact data which give an additional and crucial insight into the global loads sustained by the elite / sub-elite rugby player.
Participants will be rugby players performing at elite or sub-elite level in North East England. Testing will take place at Newcastle Rugby Club, Kingston Park Stadium or Durham University Sports and Wellbeing Park. Players will wear Global Positioning Units and Instrumented Mouthguards during contact training and matches to give a quantification of locomotive activity and impact data. Performance tests, subjective wellness scores, DXA and cognitive tests will provide information about the relationship between load, fatigue and recovery.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NE/0036
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion