Monitoring Recovery in Collegiate Strength and Conditioning

Abstract: Read, Alice, M.S., Spring 2016 Health and Human Performance Monitoring Recovery in Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Chairperson: Steven Gaskill Introduction: Student-athletes at the NCAA Division I level experience high levels of both physical and mental stress associated with training and competing at the highest level of collegiate athletics. In order for strength and conditioning coaches at the NCAA Division I level to maximize training sessions many utilize techniques to monitor athlete recovery status between training sessions. Unfortunately, little data exists on what monitoring methods are in current use and the validity of those methods. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess what recovery monitoring tools are currently being utilized by strength and conditioning coaches around the United States. Methods: Twenty NCAA Division I conferences were randomly selected to receive a survey asking about their monitoring of recovery in their strength and conditioning program. All colleges and universities within each conference were included and every full time strength and conditioning coach was included. Results: 240 strength coaches completed the survey. 75% reported current monitoring of recovery between training sessions. The most commonly reported methods included: lifestyle tracking (82%), rate of perceived exertion (54%), vertical jump (41%), and perceived recovery questionnaire (39%). Results indicated that 87% of respondents change their training plans based on their monitoring. The most common reason for not currently monitoring was due to a lack of budget or resources. Conclusion: The majority of strength and conditioning coaches currently monitor recovery and the most common monitoring method is tracking lifestyle traits