Ecological validity of self-reported wellness measures to assess pre-training and pre-competition preparedness within elite Gaelic football

AbstractThe current investigation aimed to examine the ecological validity of self-reported wellness questionnaires, and specifically ‘Readiness to Train’ (RTT) as an indicator of pre-training and pre-competition preparedness within elite Gaelic football players. Thirty-seven (n = 37) elite male Gaelic football players (age 26 ± 4; height 181 ± 15 cm, weight 86 ± 4 kg) were recruited for the current study which took place during the 2017 competition season. Participants were monitored using global positioning system technology (GPS; 10-Hz; STATSports V iper Pod; STATSports; Newry, UK) and a self-reported questionnaire (Metrifit, Health, and Sport technologies, Ireland) to provide measures of internal load (RPE; sRPE) external load (GPS variables) and wellness questionnaire (Likert scale: 1–5 response) response to training loads. Results showed t hat irrespective of the model that the percentage RTT prior to training or match-play was not associated with and running performance measures. Activity type (p ≤ 0.0001), muscle soreness (p ≤ 0.0001), sleep quality (p ≤ 0.0001), and sleep duration (p ≤ 0.0001) all effected subsequent running performance during training and match-play. Furthermore, post hoc analysis showed that specific GPS variables and accumulated training load across specific time durations impacted RPE and total internal training load. Our results indicate that RTT is a poor measure of pre-training and competition...
Source: Sport Sciences for Health - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research