Abstract
External training load (ETL), which characterizes the mechanical stress sustained during physical activity, is a key determinant of athletic performance. Understanding seasonal variations in ETL provides valuable insight for optimizing performance and reducing overuse injury risk in volleyball, a sport heavily reliant on vertical jumping actions. PURPOSE: To examine seasonal variations in ETL and performance metrics in high school volleyball athletes, with a specific focus on jump-related mechanical variables. METHODS: This study involved secondary analysis of data collected during a prospective observational study of a 6A high school volleyball team competing in the 2021 Texas University Interscholastic League. Data from 12 female varsity athletes were collected using the VERT Team System to measure kinetic energy (KE), stress percentage (SP), average jump height, average high jump height (≥50.8 cm), average jump count, and average high jump count during matches across three season phases: early, mid, and late. RESULTS: Average jump count was different by phase (p = 0.025), with the mid-season phase (69.6 ± 45.4 jumps) requiring more jumps than the early (48.4 ± 27.0 jumps, p = 0.027) and late-season (54.7 ± 36.0 jumps, p = 0.002) phases. There was also a difference in the number of high jumps performed across season phases, (p = 0.006), where the mid-season (10.9 ± 10.4 high jumps) required more high jumps than the early (5.7 ± 7.2 high jumps, p = 0.008) and late-season (7.9 ± 7.9 high jumps, p = 0.004) phases. Analyses showed no differences by phase for KE, SP, average height of the highest jump per session, average jump height, or average high jump height, though large effect sizes were observed. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that mid-season play demands a higher jump volume, likely reflecting increased competition intensity during this phase and perhaps an onset of fatigue towards the late-season phase. This study emphasizes the dynamic nature of athletic performance across a season, supporting the need for accurate quantification of workload, which may be accomplished through the monitoring of key metrics, including jump counts. Understanding this information can allow coaches to build tailored programs to optimize recovery and minimize the risk of overtraining.
Recommended Citation
Mooring, Sydnei; Buddhadev, Harsh; Hernandez, Mayrena I.; and Bunn, Jennifer
(2025)
"Accumulated Seasonal Effects of External Training Load on Performance,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
17, Article 26.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss17/26
Included in
Health and Physical Education Commons, Medical Education Commons, Sports Sciences Commons
