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CHARACTERIZATION OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LOAD RELATIONSHIPS IN NCAA DIVISION-I AMERICAN FOOTBALL DURING TRAINING CAMP

Abstract

Fall training camp elicits high demands on American football players, which often causes soreness and even soft-tissue injury. Monitoring subjective measures related to soreness during this time can give sports practitioners key insights into how athletes are responding to the external loads imposed on the body. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to establish potential relationships between internal and relative external loads that occur during fall training camp. METHODS: External load metrics were collected via global positioning system (GPS) units on a total of 96 American Division-I football players during two training camp cohorts (2023 and 2024) that each spanned a total of 5 cycles. Data was sampled at a rate of 10 Hz. Internal load metrics were collected via a daily subjective questionnaire through the hand-held device application during morning check-ins prior to practice. The independent variables of interest included the total average PlayerLoad (PL), average total distance (yds) and practice duration (minutes), all of which were converted into a ratio relative to the maximum value for each cycle. The dependent variable of interest for this study was soreness as defined by the relative subjective soreness scale scores (Low;1=0.20 to High;5=1.00) collected from the daily questionnaires. To analyze the relationship between the external and internal loads, a Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated. RESULTS: Negative moderate correlations were observed between soreness for cycle 1 (0.66 ± 0.02) and cycle 4 (0.67 ± 0.06), and relative total PL for cycle 1 (0.89 ± 0.08, r = -0.53, p = 0.17) and cycle 4 (0.88 ± 0.08, r = -0.54, p = 0.16), relative total duration for cycle 1 (0.90 ± 0.08, R = -0.47, p = 0.23) and relative total distance for cycle 4 (0.87 ± 0.09, R = -0.42, p = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the strength of relationship between soreness and external loads was higher at the beginning and end of fall training camp. Sports practitioners may want to increase athlete monitoring during these periods of time to remain proactive throughout camp and into the competitive season. Further research on the relationship between external and internal loads during camp should be explored as measures which track more intense movements rather than their volume may show a positive relationship with soreness.

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