Training and match volume and injury in adolescents playing multiple contact team sports: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Training and competition loads have emerged as valuable injury risk factors but very few studies have explored injury outcomes in adolescent athletes. The aims of this study were to describe injuries and to explore the relationship between training and match load volumes and injury in adolescent athletes participating in multiple contact team sports. One hundred and three male youth rugby athletes aged 14-16 years from 8 rugby union teams were prospectively monitored during a season for weekly training and match volumes and injuries. The relationship between volume and injury was explored by comparing the weekly volume in the week prior to an injury vs weeks without injury. There were 83 time-loss injuries in 58 athletes (62%). Overall injury incidence was 18.5 per 1000 player-hours. Mean weekly injury prevalence was 27% (95% CI 25-30). Average weekly volume was 5.4 (2.2) hours comprising 1.4 (1) match hours and 4 (2.6) training hours. Compared with weeks without injury, weeks prior to an injury had higher match volumes (110 [57] min vs 83 [59] min, P < 0.001). Poisson regression demonstrated that match volume was a predictor of injury with an odds ratio of 1.41 (P = 0.001). The contribution of match volumes to injury risk and the relatively high injury burden in these athletes may be profound.Very high match volumes are unlikely to be in the best interests of young athletes and could be avoided with a systematic approach to load management and athlete development.

Anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills of schoolboy players of different age categories and playing standards

“…Worldwide, burgeoning talent identification (TID) and long-term player development programmes have seen an increased number of male adolescents playing rugby union (rugby, RU) [1,2]. Regardless of playing standard and age category, adolescent RU is a highly demanding physical and skill-based sport characterised by intermittent execution of high-intensity activities such as sprinting and tackling [3][4][5][6][7]. As such, adolescents playing competitive rugby require well-developed physical or physiological qualities and game skills for effective participation.…”

Developmental Training Model for the Sport Specialized Youth Athlete: A Dynamic Strategy for Individualizing Load-Response During Maturation

“…13,59 Competition, but not training workloads, increases injury risk in youth team sport athletes. 37 A recent study showed a 32% higher match volume in youth rugby players who sustained an injury than those who did not, whereas there were no differences in training volumes between injured and noninjured players. 37 Also, in this study each 1-hour increase in weekly match volume increased injury risk by 41% (odds ratio = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.14-1.74; P = 0.001).…”

“…37 A recent study showed a 32% higher match volume in youth rugby players who sustained an injury than those who did not, whereas there were no differences in training volumes between injured and noninjured players. 37 Also, in this study each 1-hour increase in weekly match volume increased injury risk by 41% (odds ratio = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.14-1.74; P = 0.001). One interpretation of these findings is that spending a high proportion of time in competition results in athletes' spending insufficient time preparing physical capacities during training.…”

“…In a small number of studies that have reported training and competition loads, and also highlighted individual athlete loads, there are some examples of youth experiencing very high competition loads. 37,38,84 In studies of youth rugby players, Hartwig et al 37,38 and Phibbs et al 84 showed that in some weeks during a season some individual athletes played between 3 and 6 competitive matches. Competition-to-training ratios were not reported in these studies.…”

“…The impact of high competition-to-training ratios on youth athlete health and performance is not known, but negative outcomes are possible. 13,37,59 Across a wide range of sports, youth competition injury incidence is consistently higher than injuries sustained during training. 13,59 Competition, but not training workloads, increases injury risk in youth team sport athletes.…”