TRAINING LOAD, PERFORMANCE AND INJURY RISK IN RUGBY PLAYERS
A rugby player’s ability to perform high-intensity intermittent exercises is associated with a higher training load (TL) which takes place during matches.
Improvement and development of non-invasive monitoring systems for mechanical exercise (external load) and the physiological response (internal load).
Analysis and assessment of new relationships between external and internal load markers.
Development of new solutions, tests, and plans to optimize performance and prevent muscle and tendon injuries.
Automatic and non-invasive athlete monitoring in the gym using computer vision systems.
Development and monitoring of new indicators of fatigue.
Exploration, development and implementation of new ways of training, from blood flow restriction to hypoxic training
A distinctive way of understanding the game naturally brings with it a distinctive way of approaching and managing training loads.
Based on structured training methodology, developed under the wing of FC Barcelona over years, the performance area has the fundamental goal of improving our athletes’ physical preparation through a systemic and integrative approach.
Theories of complex dynamic systems have arisen as a new way of seeing the game and sport, fostering an understanding of the hierarchical organization of living systems and the dynamic interaction which leads them to self-regulate.
Mental abilities, although not yet fully appreciated, are already considered a relevant part of performance. But their importance could go beyond that: Do they also influence the injury risk, including recurrence, once the player returns to play?
Although several studies have tried to evaluate the characteristics of the risk of injury in handball players, they have been unable to reach sufficiently reliable conclusions. A new study of all the FC Barcelona handball categories has attempted to shed more light on the subject.
Although there are several studies on this topic, many of them have analyzed these demands by looking at just a few variables or using very broad timeframes. A new study completed by physical trainers from F.C. Barcelona has analyzed several of these details more closely.
An article published in The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine —in which members of the club’s medical services participated— now suggests to consider the detailed structure of the area affected, and treating the extracellular matrix as an essential player in the prognosis of the injury.
In this article, Tim Gabbett and his team provide a user-friendly guide for practitioners when describing the general purpose of load management to coaches.
For the first time, it has been demonstrated that it does not take months of training to significantly improve both muscle volume and strength; instead, two weeks of an appropriate exercise are enough.
Training using eccentric exercises is important to prevent possible damage. However, intensive training can also cause muscle damage, so it is critical to be vigilant in order to keep injury risk to an absolute minimum.
Cardiovascular endurance manifests as a moderator of the load result to which the athlete is exposed.
Through the use of computer vision we can identify some shortcomings in the body orientation of players in different game situations.