Fatigue and Recovery in Academy Rugby League Players

The studies undertaken in this thesis aimed to better understand, and improve practices relating to monitoring of players’ post-exercise responses, and the use of recovery strategies in academy rugby league (RL). Survey findings (chapter three) highlighted that practitioners routinely monitored player readiness and when doing so, favoured a combination of objective and subjective tools that are easily implemented. Practitioners overwhelmingly agreed that recovery strategies could be used to improve readiness to train or play, but just over half of practitioners (i.e., 55%) agreed or strongly agreed that the recovery process was prioritised and executed well within their organisation. Nevertheless, recovery strategies were used often or all of the time by 79% of practitioners, with the more ‘accessible’ strategies (i.e., stretching, foam rolling and gym-based recovery) being implemented most frequently. Following match-play, variables from the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), countermovement jump (CMJ), and wellness questionnaire that displayed acceptable levels of between-day reliability were profiled (chapter four). Match-play induced reductions of 4.75% and 9.23% at +24 h in CMJ velocity at take-off and jump-height, respectively, whilst, despite large effect sizes being evident in the post-match period, no significant changes were found across IMTP or wellness variables (chapter four). Chapter five highlighted that when adequate post-exercise nutrition that adhered to authoritative nutritional guidelines was implemented following high-intensity training, any additional recovery strategies were not clearly beneficial. Like match-play, high-intensity training elicited reductions in performance tasks that were indicative of fatigue. Like their senior counterparts, it is evident that academy RL players also experience post-exercise perturbations. Current practice in academy RL highlights that these responses are frequently monitored, whilst recovery strategies are often implemented in attempts to enhance the restorative processes. However, due to the limited time available and the equivocal evidence underpinning most recovery strategies implemented, practitioners should consider prioritising education and priming of professional habits in relation to recognised recovery-modulating practices such as nutrition, hydration, and sleep rather than pursuing possible benefits from recovery modalities