Physiological and perceptual responses to training and competition in elite female netball players

Few studies have reported the physical demands of, and physiological responses to, training and competition in international netball players. This thesis set out to investigate this in female players via a series of studies. Study one characterised the playing demands of international match-play, and the physiological and perceptual responses to an international netball tournament. Mid-court performed at a higher Player LoadTM (mean difference ± standard deviation: 85.7% ± 49.6%), and internal intensity (mean heart rate: 3.7% ± 3.8%) than goal-based positions. Neuromuscular performance decreased after a single match (jump height: 4.0% ± 2.5%) whilst markers of muscle damage, soreness and perceived fatigue accumulated across the tournament. Study two characterised the physiological and perceptual responses to a regularly performed netball-training session. Neuromuscular performance was enhanced immediately post-exercise (Cohen’s d effect size, percent change: peak power output: 0.47, 5%), returned to baseline two hours post, and was reduced 24 h post-training (peak power output: 0.27, 3%; jump height: 0.39, 6%). Study three investigated the effect of training-session order. Performing netball prior to strength training resulted in enhanced neuromuscular performance two hours post-training (peak power output: 1.2, 5%; jump height: 1.2, 9%; peak velocity: 1.0, 3%), whilst strength followed by netball reduced neuromuscular performance at 20 h post (peak power output: 1.1, 4%; jump height: 1.4, 10%; peak velocity: 1.4, 4%). This thesis provides a detailed investigation in to the responses to netball training and competition, as well as the impact of training-session order on neuromuscular, perceptual and endocrine responses over 20 h. Training should be individualised to condition players for the positional-specific external and internal demands of international match-play. To optimise training performance, two hours post-training could be a more favourable time to perform explosive training than the following day, whilst technical netball training should precede strength training when both sessions are performed within the same training day.