title: Training and game loads and injury risk in elite Australian footballers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between combined training and game loads and injury risk in elite Australian footballers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six elite Australian footballers (mean±SD age of 22.2±2.9 y) from one club were involved in a one-season study. Training and game loads (session-RPE multiplied by duration in min) and injuries were recorded each time an athlete exerted an exercise load. Rolling weekly sums and week-to-week changes in load were then modelled against injury data using a logistic regression model. Odds ratios (OR) were reported against a reference group of the lowest training load range.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Larger 1 weekly (>1750 AU, OR=2.44-3.38), 2 weekly (>4000 AU, OR=4.74) and previous to current week changes in load (>1250 AU, OR=2.58) significantly related (p<0.05) to a larger injury risk throughout the in-season phase. Players with 2-3 and 4-6 years of experience had a significantly lower injury risk compared to 7+ years players (OR=0.22, OR=0.28) when the previous to current week change in load was more than 1000 AU. No significant relationships were found between all derived load values and injury risk during the pre-season phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In-season, as the amount of 1-2 weekly load or previous to current week increment in load increases, so does the risk of injury in elite Australian footballers. To reduce the risk of injury, derived training and game load values of weekly loads and previous week-to-week load changes should be individually monitored in elite Australian footballers.
authors: School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; West Coast Eagles Football Club, Perth, Australia. Electronic address: brent.rogalski@live.com.
authors: Brent
authors: B
authors: Rogalski
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Dawson
authors: Jarryd
authors: J
authors: Heasman
authors: Tim J
authors: TJ
authors: Gabbett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016526:Workload; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Injury prevention; Load monitoring; Odds ratios; Team sport