Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/28930
Title: | Performance indicators during international rugby union matches are influenced by a combination of physiological and contextual variables | Contributor(s): | Crewther, Blair T (author); Potts, Neill (author); Kilduff, Liam P (author); Drawer, Scott (author); Cook, Christian J (author)![]() |
Publication Date: | 2020-04 | Early Online Version: | 2019-10-19 | DOI: | 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.10.011 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/28930 | Abstract: | Objectives: Research has linked physiological (e.g., hormonal, affective, fatigue) outcomes to performance indicators in rugby competition, but no work has integrated and contextualised these factors within a test-match environment. We addressed this gap by monitoring 29 athletes from a training squad across eight international rugby matches. Design: Longitudinal observational study. Methods: Pre-match (8–9 am) measures of salivary testosterone and cortisol concentrations, sleep duration, pulse rate, muscle soreness, stress, mood, and motivation were taken. Contextual factors were playing time, internal training load (ITL), test-match experience, opponent ranking, and crowd size. Performance was indexed by coach and player ratings of performance (CRP, PRP) and quantitative metrics; offloads, turnovers, runs with ball in hand (RWB), tackles, passes, and defenders beaten (DFB). Results: Morning cortisol, sleep and mood were positively related to CRP and PRP (standardised coefficient estimates from 0.17 to 0.22). Cortisol, sleep, stress, mood and motivation were associated with one (or more) of turnovers, RWB, tackles, passes and DFB (incidence rate ratio [IRR] from 0.74 to 1.40). Playing time was positively related to all quantitative performance indicators (IRR from 1.01 to 1.04) with ITL, opponent ranking, and crowd size predicting selected outputs (IRR from 0.89 to 1.15). The explanatory models varied (conditional R² = 0.15–0.83) but were generally stronger with both physiological and contextual inputs. Conclusions: Multiple physiological and contextual factors appear to contribute to player performance in international rugby competition. Measurement of these factors may guide training and management practices, a potential practical consequence but also advancing understanding from marker to causal link. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 23(4), p. 396-402 | Publisher: | Elsevier Australia | Place of Publication: | Australia | ISSN: | 1878-1861 1440-2440 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 110999 Neurosciences not elsewhere classified 111199 Nutrition and Dietetics not elsewhere classified 110699 Human Movement and Sports Science not elsewhere classified |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 320803 Systems physiology | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 970111 Expanding Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 280112 Expanding knowledge in the health sciences 280103 Expanding knowledge in the biomedical and clinical science 280114 Expanding knowledge in Indigenous studies |
Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article School of Science and Technology |
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