EFFECT OF DIFFERENT BETWEEN-MATCH RECOVERY
TIMES ON THE ACTIVITY PROFILES AND INJURY RATES
OF NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS
NICK B. MURRAY,1 TIM J. GABBETT,1,2
AND
KARIM CHAMARI3
1
School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia; 2School of Human Movement Studies, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; and 3Athlete Health and Performance Research Center, ASPETAR-Qatar
Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Qatar
ABSTRACT
Murray, NB, Gabbett, TJ, and Chamari, K. Effect of different
between-match recovery times on the activity profiles and injury
rates of National Rugby League players. J Strength Cond Res
28(12): 3476–3483, 2014—Professional rugby league competition does not coincide with a standardized amount of recovery
between matches; matches can be separated by as many as
10 days and as few as 5 days. These variations in recovery time
could influence the match activity profiles and injury rates of
players. This study investigated the effect of different betweenmatch recovery times on the activity profiles and injury rates of
National Rugby League (NRL) players. Forty-three elite male
rugby league players participated in this study. Betweenmatch recovery cycles were defined as short (separated by 5
or 6 days), medium (separated by 7 or 8 days), and long (separated by 9 or 10 days) recovery. Movement was recorded
using a commercially available microtechnology unit, which
provided information on speed, distance, and repeated highintensity effort activity. Injuries sustained in either training or
match play, which resulted in a missed match, were recorded.
Significantly greater (p # 0.05) relative total distance was covered after matches involving short recovery than those involving
medium (effect size [ES] = 1.13) or long (ES = 1.08) recovery
periods. This difference was because of greater low-speed
activity. Injury rates for the adjustables positional group were
the highest after short between-match recovery cycles,
whereas the injury rates of hit-up forwards and outside backs
positional groups were the highest after long between-match
recovery cycles. These findings suggest that the activity profiles of NRL match play and the injury rates of specific playing
positions are influenced by the amount of recovery between
matches. The differences in the activity profiles and injury rates
Address correspondence to Dr. Tim J. Gabbett, tim_gabbett@yahoo.com.au.
28(12)/3476–3483
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
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3476
the
between short, medium, and long between-match recovery
cycles should be considered when developing recovery strategies for professional rugby league players.
KEY WORDS physical demands, collision sport, training,
injury risk
INTRODUCTION
A
congested competition schedule, often involving
multiple matches in a short period, is common in
elite sporting competitions (e.g., the English Premier League). The limited recovery time between
matches has the potential to have an impact on both the
incidence of injury and activity profiles of match play.
Recently, researchers have investigated the effect of congested competition schedules on both injury rates and activity profiles of elite level soccer players (5,7,8). Dupont et al.
(8) examined the effect of 2 competitive matches in a week
on injury and physical match performance. Physical activity
profiles, including high-intensity distance, total distance covered, sprint distance, and number of sprints, were shown to
be similar between matches, suggesting that 72–96 hours of
recovery was sufficient to maintain physical performance (8).
Further, Dellal et al. (7) found no differences in physical and
technical activities in elite soccer players competing in congested periods of matches, and periods of no congestion.
Although it appears that a congested schedule does not
alter physical performance (7,8), the effect of a congested
schedule on injury rates is equivocal, with some (8), but
not all (5,7), studies reporting higher injury rates with shorter
between-match recovery times in elite soccer players. Dupont et al. (8) reported that the injury rates of professional
soccer players were significantly higher when players played
2 matches per week, as opposed to when they played 1
match. However, these findings are in contrast to those of
Carling et al. (5) who reported no association between the
time interval separating matches and injury rates. Further,
these authors reported no differences in injury rates after
a short turnaround, compared with that reported after a long
turnaround. Dellal et al. (7) also reported no differences in
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injury rates between matches in a congested period and
matches played in a noncongested period.
Rugby league is a collision sport, played over two 40minute halves (separated by a 10-minute half-time break).
Played by 13 players (with 4 replacements) on each team, the
game is intermittent in nature, and requires players to
undertake bouts of high-intensity activity (e.g., running,
sprinting, and tackling), interspersed with low-intensity activity (e.g., standing and walking) (18,30). Physical collisions and
tackles are performed frequently throughout the game (21),
resulting in a high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries (10).
Rugby league players are generally divided into positional
groups (hit-up forwards, adjustables, and outside backs),
reflecting positional commonality (12), with the match activity profiles shown to differ among playing positions (1,18).
Recent studies have examined the repeated high-intensity
effort (RHIE) demands of professional rugby league players
during competitive match play (2,18). Hit-up forwards completed significantly more RHIE bouts than both adjustables
and outside backs. Moreover, they experienced shorter average recovery times between bouts.
In elite rugby league match play, competition does not
coincide with a standardized amount of recovery between
matches; matches can be separated by as many as 10 days
and as few as 5 days. Because of the intense physical
demands of rugby league, players experience residual fatigue
in the days after a match (27). Players have been shown to
experience considerable neuromuscular and perceptual
fatigue in the 24–48 hours after competition, with significant
muscle damage lasting up to several days (25–27). Although
individual creatine kinase responses to rugby league match
play are highly variable, average concentrations of 400–500
U$L21 have been reported in the 24 hours postmatch (29),
which is comparable with values obtained after American
football match play (22). In addition, positive associations
have been reported between the number of collisions in
which players engage and the increase in muscle soreness,
perceptual and neuromuscular fatigue, and creatine kinase in
response to rugby league match play, suggesting that muscle
damage and fatigue can be attributed, at least in part, to
repetitive blunt force trauma (29).
To date, there is limited research on the influence of
different between-match recovery times on injury rates in
professional rugby league (17). A second, but equally important
parameter potentially affected by short between-match recovery times is the activity profiles of players. The intensity of
matches, as reflected in the relative distance covered, and frequency of RHIE bouts have been shown to be significantly
reduced during periods of intensified competition in junior (25)
and amateur (26) players. Despite the importance of maintaining a high intensity on competitive success (13), no study has
investigated the influence of different between-match recovery
times on the activity profiles of elite senior rugby league players. In addition, the effect of short, medium, and long recovery
between matches on the incidence of injury is unknown. Given
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the degree of fatigue and muscle damage that occurs in
response to match play, and the extended time it takes for
players to recover from the physical demands of competition,
it is possible that short recovery between matches could
increase the risk of injury. With this in mind, the purpose of
this study was to investigate the effect of short, medium, and
long between-match recovery cycles on the injury rates and
activity profiles of senior elite rugby league players.
METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem
To address our question, a prospective cohort design was
used. Activity profiles were determined using commercially
available microtechnology devices, and injuries resulting in
a missed match were recorded. Between-match recovery
cycles were defined as short (5–6 days), medium (7–8 days),
and long (9–10 days) recoveries. Differences in the match
activity profiles and injury rates between the 3 recovery
cycles were compared using traditional null hypothesis testing and by using a practical approach based on the realworld relevance of the results (4). It was hypothesized that
short recovery cycles would be associated with lower playing intensity and higher injury rates when compared with
both medium and long recovery cycles.
Subjects
Forty-three elite male rugby league players from a National
Rugby League (NRL) squad (mean 6 SE age, 24 6 1 years,
range, 18–33 years) participated in this study. The NRL is the
highest level of rugby league competition in Australia. Before
data collection, the players had completed a 3 month preseason training program consisting of skills (4 sessions per
week), strength and power (4 sessions per week), conditioning
(2 sessions per week), and speed and agility (1 session per
week) sessions. The training program focused largely on preparing players for the contact demands of competition. Consequently, selected skills and conditioning sessions were
designed as “contact conditioning” sessions, to adequately
prepare players for the collision and wrestling demands of
match play. The players were free from injury and in peak
physical condition at the commencement of the season. All
participants received a clear explanation of the study, including information on the risks and benefits, and written consent
was obtained. All experimental procedures were approved by
the Institutional Review Board for Human Investigation.
Global Positioning System Analysis
During the season, the team played 30 matches: 3 trial
matches, 24 regular season matches, and 3 finals matches.
The team played 7 matches with a short turnaround
(separated by 5 or 6 days), 16 matches with a medium
turnaround (separated by 7 or 8 days), and 7 matches with
a long turnaround (separated by 9 or 10 days). Global
positioning system (GPS) analysis was completed on 31
players. Players were selected from 1 of 3 positional groups
representing the adjustables (i.e., hookers, halfbacks,
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Between-match recovery time
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Time (min)
Distance
Total distance (m)
Relative distance (m$min21)
Low-speed activity
Low-speed distance (m)
Relative low-speed distance (m$min21)
Moderate-speed running
Moderate speed distance (m)
Relative moderate speed distance (m$min21)
High-speed running
High-speed distance (m)
Relative high-speed distance (m$min21)
Collisions
Total collisions (no.)
Relative total collisions (no$min21)
Repeated high-intensity effort activity
Bouts (no.)
Bout frequency
ST
MT
59 6 6
60 6 3
6,796 6 827
114 6 6z§
Effect size
LT
ST vs. MT
ST vs. LT
MT vs. LT
64 6 4
0.07
0.26
0.17
5,618 6 280
94 6 2
6,041 6 391
95 6 2
0.53
1.13
0.32
1.08
0.22
0.02
4,908 6 665z
81 6 6z§
3,808 6 213
63 6 1
4,059 6 273
63 6 1
0.63
1.27
0.47
1.13
0.17
0.05
1,420 6 137
25 6 2
1,376 6 59
24 6 1
1,526 6 105
24 6 1
0.10
0.11
0.21
0.13
0.33
0.01
467 6 54
8 6 0.4
434 6 29
7 6 0.3
456 6 37
7 6 0.3
0.17
0.32
0.06
0.41
0.11
0.00
43 6 4§
0.7 6 0.1
35 6 2§
0.6 6 0.1
38 6 4
0.8 6 0.1
0.47
0.39
0.90
0.69
0.60
0.18
0.38
0.13
0.44
0.65
0.83
0.49
10 6 2
1 Every 11 6 3 min
8 6 1§
1 Every 13 6 2 min
13 6 1
1 Every 6 6 1 min
*RHIE = repeated high-intensity effort bout; ST = short turnaround; MT = medium turnaround; LT = long turnaround.
†Data are mean 6 SE. Between-match recovery times were described as short (5–6 days), medium (7–8 days), and long (9–10 days) turnarounds.
zSignificantly different (p # 0.05) from medium turnaround.
§Significantly different (p # 0.05) from long turnaround.
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Activity Profiles and Injuries in Rugby League
3478
TABLE 1. Activity profiles of elite National Rugby League match play with different between-match recovery times.*†
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Injury
An injury was defined as any
injury that resulted in a player
missing a match (i.e., match loss
injury) (20). The site and type of
the injury were also recorded.
Statistical Analyses
Activity Profiles. Data were
checked for normality using
a Shapiro–Wilk test. The distribution of the residuals was normal, each of the observations
was independent, and homoscedasticity was established
before analysis. Differences in
the activity profiles of the 3
between-match recovery cycles
and 3 positional groups were
determined using a 2-way (position 3 recovery cycle) analysis
of variance (ANOVA). Differences in the activity profiles
between matches won and lost
were also compared using a 2Figure 1. Relative distance covered (A), and distances covered in low (B), moderate (C), and high (D) speeds
way (match result 3 recovery
during elite National Rugby League match play with different between-match recovery times. Data are mean 6 SE.
Between-match recovery times were defined as short (5–6 days), medium (7–8 days), and long (9–10 days)
cycle) ANOVA. A Tukey’s post
turnarounds.
hoc test was used to determine
the source of any significant differences. The level of signififive-eighths, and fullbacks), hit-up forwards (i.e., props,
cance was set at p # 0.05, and all data were reported as
second rowers, and locks), and outside backs (i.e., centers
mean 6 SE. Given the practical nature of the study,
and wingers). The players wore the same microtechnology
magnitude-based inferential statistics were also used to
unit for each match, and all matches were completed during
determine any practically significant differences in activity
profiles between positional groups, match result, and
the one playing season. Matches were played in a range of
between-match recovery cycles (4). Differences between
environmental conditions and a range of venues.
Movement was recorded by a minimaxX GPS unit (Team
groups were analyzed using Cohen’s effect size statistic
2.5; Catapult Innovations, Melbourne, Australia) sampling at 5
(6). Effect sizes (ESs) of ,0.2, 0.2–0.6, 0.61–1.2, 1.21–2.0,
Hz. The GPS signal provided information on speed, distance,
and .2.0 were considered trivial, small, moderate, large,
and very large, respectively (23).
position, and acceleration. The GPS unit also included triaxial
accelerometers and gyroscope sampling at 100 Hz, to provide
greater accuracy on speed and acceleration, and information
Incidence of Injury. Injury data were separated into the 3
on physical collisions and RHIEs. The unit was worn in
between-match recovery times (i.e., short, medium, and long
a small vest, on the upper back of the players.
turnaround). Injury rates were also calculated for each
Data were categorized into (a) movement speed bands,
positional group (i.e., adjustables, hit-up forwards, and outcorresponding to low (0–3 m$s21), moderate (3–5 m$s21),
side backs) throughout the 3 between-match recovery times.
and high (.5 m$s21) speeds; (b) collisions; and (c) RHIE
Injury incidence was calculated by dividing the total number
bouts (18). An RHIE bout was defined as $3 high acceleraof injuries by the overall exposure hours for each positional
tion (.2.79 m$s22) (3), high speed, or contact efforts with
group for each of the 3 between-match recovery times and
,21-second recovery between efforts (12,18). The minimaxX
expressed as rates per 1,000 hours of exposure and 95%
units have been shown to have acceptable validity and reliconfidence intervals (CIs). Expected injury rates were
ability for estimating longer distances at walking through to
calculated as described by Phillips et al. (28). The chistriding speeds (24). Further, the minimaxX units have been
squared (x2) test was used to determine whether the
shown to offer a valid measurement of tackles and repeated
observed injury frequency was significantly different from
efforts commonly observed in collision sports (14,17).
the expected injury frequency.
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Activity Profiles and Injuries in Rugby League
recovery cycles than for both
medium (15.9 6 2.4%, 99%
likely, ES = 1.13, p # 0.05) and
long (15.5 6 3.0%, 99% likely,
ES = 1.08, p # 0.05) betweenmatch recovery cycles. The relative distance covered at low
speeds was significantly greater
(p # 0.05) for short betweenmatch recovery cycles than for
both medium (20.5 6 3.1%,
99% likely, ES = 1.27, p #
0.05) and long (19.6 6 3.9%,
99% likely, ES = 1.13, p #
0.05) between-match recovery
cycles. The players also completed significantly more (p #
0.05) RHIE bouts during long
between-match recovery cycles
than during medium betweenmatch recovery cycles (79.5 6
6.4%, 99% likely, ES = 0.83,
p # 0.05).
Differences in Activity Profiles
Between Positional Groups
No significant differences (p .
0.05) were observed between
Figure 2. Relative distance covered (A) and injury rates (B) when matches were won or lost during elite National
Rugby League match play with different between-match recovery times. A) Data are mean 6 SE. B) Data are
playing positions for relative
means and 95% confidence intervals. Between-match recovery times were defined as short (5–6 days), medium
distance covered, relative dis(7–8 days), and long (9–10 days) turnarounds. *Significantly different (p # 0.05) from all other conditions.
tance covered at high-speed,
and RHIE frequency. Adjustables (23.3 6 4.8%, 99% likely,
RESULTS
ES = 0.71, p # 0.05) and outside backs (53.4 6 3.0%, 100%
Activity Profiles
likely, ES = 1.16, p # 0.05) covered significantly more absoNo significant differences (p . 0.05) were observed among
lute distance than hit-up forwards. Adjustables covered signifdifferent between-match recovery times for minutes played,
icantly greater relative distance at low speeds than hit-up
total absolute distance covered, or the absolute distances covforwards (10.9 6 1.7%, 97% likely, ES = 0.61, p # 0.05),
ered at moderate and high speeds (Table 1). The mean relative
whereas hit-up forwards (23.9 6 1.6%, 100% likely, ES =
distances (meters per minute) covered during match play were
1.26, p # 0.05) and adjustables (19.5 6 3.3%, 99% likely,
significantly greater (p # 0.05) for short between-match
ES = 0.84, p # 0.05) covered significantly more relative
distance at moderate speeds
than outside backs. Hit-up forwards were involved in
TABLE 2. Injury rates of elite rugby league players among different positional
a greater number of collisions
groups with different between-match recovery times.*
than adjustables (40.4 6 6.0%,
98% likely, ES = 0.58, p # 0.05)
Short turnaround
Medium turnaround
Long turnaround
and outside backs (41.0 6 4.4,
Adjustables
107.2 (2.1–212.3) 93.8 (28.8–158.8)
62.5 (24.1–149.1)
100% likely, ES = 1.03, p #
Hit-up forwards
64.4 (8.5–137.2) 84.4 (29.3–139.6) 100.0 (2.0–198.0)
0.05) (Figure 1).
Outside backs
80.4 (2.5–247.5) 82.1 (21.3–142.9) 125.0 (10.6–171.4)
*Injury rates are expressed as injury rates per 1,000 h of exposure (and 95% confidence
intervals). Between-match recovery times were defined as short (5–6 days), medium (7–8
days), and long (9–10 days) turnarounds.
Activity Profiles in Matches
Won and Lost
The relative distance covered
was significantly greater (36.3 6
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19.8%, 99% very likely, ES $ 1.47, p # 0.05) after short recovery
cycles, when matches were won. No other differences were
found among matches won and lost for any of the other recovery cycles (Figure 2).
Incidence of Injury
Across the season, 44 injuries were recorded. No significant
differences (x2 = 0.08, df = 2, p . 0.05) were found between
short (82.4 [95% CI, 31.3–133.5] per 1,000 hours), medium
(86.5 [95% CI, 51.9–121.2] per 1,000 hours), and long (96.2
[95% CI, 36.6–155.8] per 1,000 hours) between-match recovery cycles for the incidence of injury.
Joint injuries were the most common type of injury
sustained (27.2%), followed by hematomas (25.8%) and
muscular strains (12.4%). The spinal region (14.8%) was
the most commonly injured site, followed by the ankle/foot
(12.9%), posterior thigh/buttock (12.0%), and shoulder
(12.0%). There were significantly fewer posterior thigh and
buttock injuries (x2 = 8.43, df = 2, p # 0.05) and muscular
strains (x2 = 6.16, df = 2, p # 0.05) after matches with a short
between-match recovery cycle.
Differences in the Incidence of Injury Between
Positional Groups
The overall injury incidence varied significantly (x2 = 6.83,
df = 2, p # 0.05) between positional groups (Table 2). The
incidence of injury was the greatest after long betweenmatch recovery times for outside backs and hit-up forwards.
In contrast, adjustables reported greater injury rates after
matches with short between-match recovery times.
Incidence of Injury in Matches Won and Lost
Although there was a trend toward greater injury rates
during short recovery cycles when matches were lost, the
differences were not significant (x2 = 0.13, df = 5, p . 0.05)
(Figure 2).
DISCUSSION
This study is the first to investigate the effect of short,
medium, and long between-match recovery cycles on
activity profiles and injury rates in elite rugby league
players. The results of this study demonstrate that matches
after short between-match recovery cycles were associated
with greater relative total distance covered than matches
with longer recovery. However, this can be attributed to
increases in low-speed activity, with no differences in
moderate- and high-speed activity. In addition, injury
incidence for different between-match recovery cycles
was found to be position dependent. These findings suggest
that the activity profiles of NRL match play and the injury
rates of specific playing positions are influenced by the
amount of recovery between matches. The differences in
activity profiles and injury rates between short, medium,
and long between-match recovery cycles should be considered when developing recovery strategies for professional rugby league players.
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An interesting finding of this study was the significantly
greater relative total distance covered during matches with
short between-match recovery. The higher intensity was
because of greater distances covered at low speeds. There
were no notable differences in distances covered at moderate
and high speeds between the different recovery cycles.
Although ball-in-play time was not recorded in this study,
1 possible explanation for the greater relative distance and
low-speed activity with short between-match recovery
cycles is that these matches were also associated with
a shorter ball-in-play time. Under these conditions, it has
been shown that players increase low-speed activity and
relative distance (15). Because of the limited recovery
between matches, it is possible that players attempted to
manage fatigue by kicking the ball out of play more often,
thereby reducing ball-in-play time and maintaining lowspeed activity and relative distance.
Despite the greater relative intensity exhibited in matches
after a short between-match recovery cycle, RHIE frequency
was lower in these matches and after matches with a medium
between-match recovery cycle. The greater RHIE frequency
after a long between-match recovery cycle suggests that the
residual neuromuscular, endocrine, and perceptual fatigue
associated with professional rugby league match play (29)
may also influence RHIE frequency (25), especially for short
to medium between-match recovery times. Given the suggested importance of RHIE activity to match outcome
(2,13), these findings also demonstrate the performance benefits of a long between-match recovery cycle.
Although no significant differences were found between
short, medium, and long between-match recovery cycles for
the overall incidence of injury, when considering positional
differences, an interesting trend was observed. Adjustables
experienced the highest injury rate after short betweenmatch recovery cycles, whereas the highest incidence of
injury for hit-up forwards and outside backs occurred after
long between-match recovery cycles. One possible explanation for the greater injury rate exhibited by adjustables
during short between-match recovery cycles is that this
positional group is commonly involved in greater amounts of
high-speed running and collisions than other positional
groups (i.e., hit-up forwards perform more collisions and
less high-speed running, whereas outside backs perform
greater amounts of high-speed running and are involved in
fewer collisions) (18). Further, the high injury rates exhibited
by outside backs after long between-match recovery cycles
may be because of an increased preparedness to exert themselves to a greater extent after a greater recovery period, thus
increasing the risk of soft-tissue injury. The differences in
activity profiles and physical qualities (19) between positional groups coupled with the contrasting injury rates
between short, medium, and long between-match recovery
cycles should be considered when developing positionspecific recovery strategies for professional rugby league
players.
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Activity Profiles and Injuries in Rugby League
We found that the relative intensity of matches was
greater after short between-match recovery cycles, and
when matches were won. These results are consistent with
previous findings that have shown greater relative intensity
in winning teams (13). Collectively, these findings suggest
that successful rugby league teams can overcome the physical and mental challenge of short between-match recovery
cycles and that the competitive advantage of these teams is
closely linked to their ability to maintain a higher playing
intensity than their less successful counterparts (13).
Although no significant associations were found between
injury rates and matches won and lost, the incidence of
injury during short between-match recovery cycles when
matches were lost (201.9 per 1,000 hours) was approximately sixfold higher than that during short betweenmatch recovery cycles when matches were won (34.6 per
1,000 hours). Although we cannot assume cause and effect,
consistent with other high-intensity intermittent team sports
(9), these results suggest that injuries may contribute to
match outcome in elite rugby league match play.
There are some limitations of this study that warrant
discussion. First, this study would have benefited from a larger
sample of teams. Unfortunately, because of the competitive
nature of professional sport, very few teams are willing to
share data. This is particularly relevant for data on the activity
profiles of players (obtained via GPS). To account for this
limitation, we have tracked the activity profiles and injury
rates of all players throughout an entire playing season,
although clearly, a larger study involving all teams in the
competition would have strengthened the statistical power of
the results. Second, our findings should be balanced against
the commercial aspects of the NRL competition. Although
our findings demonstrate that injuries are more likely after
short recovery turnaround periods, because of the multiple
stakeholders with interests in the competition (e.g., broadcasters, corporate sponsors), it is unlikely that administrators
will make changes to the recovery between matches. In this
respect, these findings have important practical applications
for medical personnel and strength and conditioning staff
involved in the day-to-day management of players. Although
these professionals have no control over the day-to-day
administration of the competition, they do play an important
role in player conditioning, injury prevention, and recovery.
Finally, no attempt was made to quantify the training loads
performed during short, medium, and long between-match
recovery periods. It has previously been shown that excessive
training loads are associated with an increased risk of injury
(11,16). In this study, if the applied training loads were greater
than tolerable, it is possible that this may have contributed to
the high injury rates observed during both short and long
recovery periods. Future studies examining the influence of
training loads on the injury rates and match activity profiles
after short, medium, and long recovery periods are warranted.
In conclusion, we documented the activity profiles and
incidence of injury in professional rugby league match play
3482
the
and investigated the effect of short, medium, and long
between-match recovery cycles on activity profiles and injury
rates. The results of this study demonstrate that matches after
a short recovery cycle result in a greater relative distance
covered. However, this can be attributed to increases in lowspeed activity, with no significant differences in moderate- and
high-speed activities. In addition, the adjustables positional
group had higher injury rates after short between-match
recovery cycles, whereas hit-up forwards and outside backs
exhibited higher injury rates after long between-match recovery cycles. The differences in activity profiles and injury rates
between short, medium, and long between-match recovery
cycles should be considered when developing recovery
strategies for professional rugby league players.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
There are several practical applications from this study that
are relevant to the applied sport scientist and strength and
conditioning coach. First, this study demonstrates the need
for position-specific (i.e., adjustables, hit-up forwards, and
outside backs) recovery strategies after matches. Coaches
should consider the differences in match activity profiles
between positions, and adjust training loads and recovery
strategies accordingly.
Second, activity profiles also varied with differing
between-match recovery times. Coaches should be aware
of these differences between positional groups. The continued use of GPS technology and the recording of individual
injury data would allow coaches to monitor activity profiles
between positions, different between-match recovery times,
and differences in injury rates between specific positions.
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