Monitoring Fatigue Status in Elite Soccer Players
type: CreativeWork
description: The physical demands of soccer players competing in the English Premier League have significantly increased in recent years (Barnes et al. 2014; Bush et al. 2015). Elite soccer players are required to compete on a weekly and often bi-weekly basis during a 9-month competitive season. During periods of fixture congestion, players may participate in three matches within a 7-day period. Previous researchers have reported that some components of performance and physiological measures may still be below a pre-match baseline 72 hours following match-play (Mohr et al., 2003; Andersson et al., 2008; Ispirlidis et al., 2008; Fatouros et al., 2010). Nevertheless, data are sparse for the quantification of player fatigue status during competitive periods. Therefore, the primary aim of this thesis is to evaluate potential indicators of fatigue which may be easily measured and utilised in elite soccer. The aim of the first study (Chapter 4) was to quantify the test-retest reliability of a range of potential fatigue variables in elite soccer players. During the pre-season period, resting perceived ratings of wellness (fatigue, muscle soreness, sleep quality and stress), counter-movement jump height (CMJ), sub-maximal heart rate (HRex), post-exercise heart rate recovery (HRRbpm and HRR%), heart rate variability (rMSSD and LnrMSSD) and salivary immunoglobulin-A (S-IgA) were measured during the morning on two consecutive non-training days in thirty-five English Premiership players. Mean values of perceived ratings of wellness (7-13 %CV), CMJ (4 %CV) HRex (3 %CV) and HRR% (10 %CV) were not substantially or statistically significantly different between days. HRV measures’ rMSSD (28 %CV) and Ln rMSSD (10 %CV), perceived ratings of sleep (CV 13%CV) and S-IgA (63 %CV) were statistically significantly different between days. All morning-measured fatigue variables with the exception of S-IgA were reliable enough to allow feasible sample sizes in future pre/post studies. These data indicate t…
abstract: The physical demands of soccer players competing in the English Premier League have significantly increased in recent years (Barnes et al. 2014; Bush et al. 2015). Elite soccer players are required to compete on a weekly and often bi-weekly basis during a 9-month competitive season. During periods of fixture congestion, players may participate in three matches within a 7-day period. Previous researchers have reported that some components of performance and physiological measures may still be below a pre-match baseline 72 hours following match-play (Mohr et al., 2003; Andersson et al., 2008; Ispirlidis et al., 2008; Fatouros et al., 2010). Nevertheless, data are sparse for the quantification of player fatigue status during competitive periods. Therefore, the primary aim of this thesis is to evaluate potential indicators of fatigue which may be easily measured and utilised in elite soccer. The aim of the first study (Chapter 4) was to quantify the test-retest reliability of a range of potential fatigue variables in elite soccer players. During the pre-season period, resting perceived ratings of wellness (fatigue, muscle soreness, sleep quality and stress), counter-movement jump height (CMJ), sub-maximal heart rate (HRex), post-exercise heart rate recovery (HRRbpm and HRR%), heart rate variability (rMSSD and LnrMSSD) and salivary immunoglobulin-A (S-IgA) were measured during the morning on two consecutive non-training days in thirty-five English Premiership players. Mean values of perceived ratings of wellness (7-13 %CV), CMJ (4 %CV) HRex (3 %CV) and HRR% (10 %CV) were not substantially or statistically significantly different between days. HRV measures’ rMSSD (28 %CV) and Ln rMSSD (10 %CV), perceived ratings of sleep (CV 13%CV) and S-IgA (63 %CV) were statistically significantly different between days. All morning-measured fatigue variables with the exception of S-IgA were reliable enough to allow feasible sample sizes in future pre/post studies. These data indicate t…
author: Thorpe, RT
keywords: RC1200 Sports Medicine
date published: 2016
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:30:00Z
provider: Liverpool Jon Moores University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Liverpool John Moores University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.24377/LJMU.t.00004517