TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantifying training demands of a 2-week in-season squash microcycle
AU - James, Carl
AU - Dhawan, Aishwar
AU - Jones, Timothy
AU - Girard, Olivier
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Human Kinetics, Inc.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Purpose: To
quantify the demands of specific on- and off-court sessions, using internal and
external training load metrics, in elite squash.
Methods: A
total of 15 professional squash players (11 males and 4 females) wore a 100-Hz
triaxial accelerometer/global positioning system unit and heart rate monitor
during on-court “Group,” “Feeding,” “Ghosting,” “Matchplay,” and off-court “Conditioning”
sessions across a 2-week in-season microcycle. Comparisons of absolute training
load (total values) and relative intensity (per minute) were made between
sessions for internal (session rating of perceived exertion, differential
rating of perceived exertion, TRIMP) and external (Playerload, very
high–intensity movements [>3.5 m·s−2 ]) metrics.
Results: The
Group sessions were the longest (79 [12] min), followed by Feeding (55 [15]
min), Matchplay (46 [17] min), Conditioning (37 [9] min), and Ghosting (35 [6]
min). Time >90% maximum heart rate was the lowest during Feeding (vs all
others P < .05) but other sessions were not different (all P > .05).
Relative Playerload during Conditioning (14.3 [3.3] arbitrary unit [a.u.] per
min, all P < .05) was higher than Ghosting (7.5 [1.2] a.u./min) and
Matchplay (6.9 [1.5] a.u./min), with no difference between these 2 sessions (P
≥ .999). Conditioning produced the highest Playerloads (519 [153] a.u., all P
< .001), with the highest on-court Playerloads from Group (450 [94] a.u.,
all P < .001). The highest session rating of perceived exertion (all P <
.001), Edward’s TRIMP (all P < .001), and TEAM-TRIMP (all P < .019)
occurred during the Group sessions.
Conclusions:
Squash Matchplay does not systematically produce the highest training
intensities and loads. Group sessions provide the highest training loads for many
internal and external parameters and, therefore, play a central role within the
training process. These findings facilitate planning or adjustment of intensity,
volume, and frequency of sessions to achieve desirable physical outcomes.
AB - Purpose: To
quantify the demands of specific on- and off-court sessions, using internal and
external training load metrics, in elite squash.
Methods: A
total of 15 professional squash players (11 males and 4 females) wore a 100-Hz
triaxial accelerometer/global positioning system unit and heart rate monitor
during on-court “Group,” “Feeding,” “Ghosting,” “Matchplay,” and off-court “Conditioning”
sessions across a 2-week in-season microcycle. Comparisons of absolute training
load (total values) and relative intensity (per minute) were made between
sessions for internal (session rating of perceived exertion, differential
rating of perceived exertion, TRIMP) and external (Playerload, very
high–intensity movements [>3.5 m·s−2 ]) metrics.
Results: The
Group sessions were the longest (79 [12] min), followed by Feeding (55 [15]
min), Matchplay (46 [17] min), Conditioning (37 [9] min), and Ghosting (35 [6]
min). Time >90% maximum heart rate was the lowest during Feeding (vs all
others P < .05) but other sessions were not different (all P > .05).
Relative Playerload during Conditioning (14.3 [3.3] arbitrary unit [a.u.] per
min, all P < .05) was higher than Ghosting (7.5 [1.2] a.u./min) and
Matchplay (6.9 [1.5] a.u./min), with no difference between these 2 sessions (P
≥ .999). Conditioning produced the highest Playerloads (519 [153] a.u., all P
< .001), with the highest on-court Playerloads from Group (450 [94] a.u.,
all P < .001). The highest session rating of perceived exertion (all P <
.001), Edward’s TRIMP (all P < .001), and TEAM-TRIMP (all P < .019)
occurred during the Group sessions.
Conclusions:
Squash Matchplay does not systematically produce the highest training
intensities and loads. Group sessions provide the highest training loads for many
internal and external parameters and, therefore, play a central role within the
training process. These findings facilitate planning or adjustment of intensity,
volume, and frequency of sessions to achieve desirable physical outcomes.
KW - training load
KW - training intensity
KW - accelerometry
KW - RPE
KW - heart rate
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099927648&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1123/ijspp.2020-0306
DO - 10.1123/ijspp.2020-0306
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33547264
AN - SCOPUS:85099927648
SN - 1555-0265
VL - 16
SP - 779
EP - 786
JO - International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
JF - International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
IS - 6
ER -