Student athletes' well-being and readiness to train are crucial factors in optimising performance and preventing overtraining. Research suggests self-reported wellness measures play a key role in monitoring athletes' mental and physical states. As it's clear that i love the data side of sports performance, this post explores the significance of self-reported questionnaires, their implementation, advantages over other physiological assessments, and the benefits of a centralised system to aid coaches in managing their athletes effectively.
Several research papers have highlighted the importance of self-reported wellness measures in tracking student athletes' mental health and readiness to train. The study "Psychological Monitoring of Overtraining and Staleness," (1) found that mood disturbances from overtraining can lead to performance decrements in athletes. This suggests, positive mental health is crucial for maintaining high-performance. The French Society of Sports Medicine Overtraining questionnaire, Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes, and the Profile of Mood States are all useful tools to evaluate stress, fatigue, and recovery. I believe the use of this type of questionnaire should be a regular practice, particularly when using a periodised training model (2).
Advantages of Self-Reported Wellness Measures over Other Assessments
Compared to commonly used objective measures, subjective self-reported questionnaires have shown greater responsiveness to both acute increases and decreases in training load. In addition, these measures consistently identify impaired well-being with increased training load and improved well-being with reduced training load, indicating their sensitivity to changes in training stress (3).
A centralised system that automates the data collection and analysis process will significantly aid you as a coach in managing your athletes efficiently. As reported in "Monitoring athletes through self-report: factors influencing implementation" a move to technology aligns with the preferences of modern day athletes and coaching staff (4). Essentially, automation saves time and allows staff to access real-time data without cumbersome manual processes. I have talked about this previously in a previous post -Monitoring Wellness & Performance in School Sport - A Reflection
Addressing Challenges in Monitoring Student Athletes
While self-reported wellness questionnaires offer valuable insights, their implementation may face challenges. Athletes may prefer quick response scales over entering text, but concerns arise regarding subjective interpretations. Additionally, clunky interfaces and excessive steps may discourage athletes from fully engaging with the system. Addressing these challenges and presenting data meaningfully to athletes and coaches are critical for successful adoption.
In conclusion, I believe self-reported wellness measures are a hugely valuable tools for monitoring student athletes' fatigue levels, mental well-being, and readiness to train. These questionnaires provide valuable insights into the athletes' states, enabling you as a coach to make informed decisions. When implemented using a centralised system that simplifies data collection and analysis, self-reported wellness measures become more accessible and effective in managing athletes' well-being and achieving peak performance levels.
If you are interested in the dashboards shown in the post, visit PlayerGauge
References:
Morgan, W. P., Brown, D. R., Raglin, J. S., O'connor, P. J., & Ellickson, K. A. (1987). Psychological monitoring of overtraining and staleness. British journal of sports medicine, 21(3), 107-114.
Corcoran, G., & Bird, S. P. (2012). Monitoring overtraining in athletes: A brief review and practical applications for strength and conditioning coaches. J Aust Strength Cond, 20, 45-57.
Saw, A. E., Main, L. C., & Gastin, P. B. (2016). Monitoring the athlete training response: subjective self-reported measures trump commonly used objective measures: a systematic review. British journal of sports medicine, 50(5), 281-291.
Saw, A. E., Main, L. C., & Gastin, P. B. (2015). Monitoring athletes through self-report: factors influencing implementation. Journal of sports science & medicine, 14(1), 137.
Comments