MONITORING WORKLOAD IN FAST BOWLERS

By CJ Clark Team Physiotherapist Wet Indies Cricket Team

WHY MEASURE WORKOAD?

It measures the ACTUAL impact of training and match performance on each individual Only with ACCURATE & RELIABLE measurement can you hope to make GOOD analysis and change, like COACHING biomechanics Only with a thorough knowledge of what the athlete is FEELING, as well as a detailed understanding of what he is DOING can you make appropriate adjustments

WHY MEASURE WORKOAD?

The RULE OF INDIVIDUAL VARIATION NO individual will responded identically to a given training program / load / exercise

Depends on individual genetic profile, health, age, injury status, experience etc
MAIN AIM Is to gain an understanding of athletes tolerance to training

Fast Bowling & Injuries

Bowling Workload

Technique

Physical Preparation

THE INJURY TRIAD

FAST BOWLING & INJURIES

INJURIES
generally occur EARLY SEASON or LATE SEASON

EARLY SEASON
Too much workload too quickly (COACH) Poor Preseason Preparation (S&C) Poor/Insufficient Rehab from Past Injury (PHYSIO)

LATE SEASON
Fatigue, Over Training, Loss of Condition Poor Recovery Practices

COMMON INJURIES
MUSCLE STRAINS Hamstring, Gluteal, Groin, Abdominal / Side, Back LOWER LIMB JOINT PROBLEMS Ankle Sprains, Posterior Ankle Impingement Patellar femoral Tendinopathy, Knee Cartilage/Lgts INTERVERTEBRAL DISC & LUMBAR Jt PROBLEMS Reduced height, degeneration, bulging, herniation PARS INTERARTICULARIS STRESS FRACTURES

STRESS / RECOVERY CYCLE

BASIS OF ALL TRAINING - ADAPTATION
Push to limit then allow recovery time

Stress / Recovery Cycle

STRESS / RECOVERY CYCLE

Concept of Tissue Tolerance
Critical Workload limit (MAXIMAL)

Concept of Repetitive Microtrauma

One stress may not damage tissue Cumulative low load stress lowers threshold Injuries MORE LIKELY (MAX level drops)

PROBLEMS ARISE WHEN RECOVERY PERIOD IS INADEQUATE OR TOO EXCESSIVE !

Risk of Injury Vs Workload

R. Dennis, P Farhart

Number of Deliveries Per Week

Weekly load & Injury Risk

HOW TO MONITOR WORKLOAD

Several approaches possible, range from SIMPLE to COMPLEX Time and commitment from Coaching Staff / Sports Med Staff / Player Simplest:
HOW DO YOU FEEL ? HOW MANY BALLS DID YOU BOWL ?

HOW TO MONITOR WORKLOAD

IS THIS ENOUGH ?

MUST BE OBJECTIVE
Reliability & Validity

Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale

RATING Descriptor Rest Very, Very Easy Easy Moderate Somewhat hard Translation Rest Really Easy Easy Moderate Sort of Hard

0 1 2 3 4

5
6 7 8 9 10

Hard
Very Hard Maximal

Hard
HARD VERY HARD Coach tried to kill me I feel like death Oh shit!

SESSION RPE
RPE can be used to rate any physical session
Cricket Fielding Session - CRICKET LOAD Gym Weights Session - RESISTANCE LOAD Run / Bike / Swim - CARDIO LOAD

Can use to provide measure when there is multiple sessions in a day OR multiple types of session (eg net bowling, followed by gym) Can use the sessional RPE to determine TRAINING LOAD (Discussed later)

HOW TO MONITOR WORKLOAD

1. PRIOR TO EVERY SESSION
Ask player how they feel Any INJURY or DISCOMFORT? Where ? Scored out of 10 (0 = No Pain, 10 = Worst Pain Imaginable)

2. COUNT ALL DELIVERIES BOWLED FOR DAY

Coach / Observer counts & records Record as NET or MATCH Workload

HOW TO MONITOR WORKLOAD

Match Workload: found using score sheet
Eg 10.4 overs, 6 nb, 3 wides = 73 balls

NET Load: Can count (best) OR Use an estimate 1 min in NET = 4 balls bowled (>2 bowlers)
3 bowlers in net for 20 min
= (20 x 4) / 3 = 80 / 3 = 27 balls each bowler

4 bowlers in net for 20 min

= (20 x 4) / 4 = 80 / 4 = 20 balls each bowler

HOW TO MONITOR WORKLOAD

3. RECORD DELIVERIES IN WORKSHEET
Record Number of balls AND Duration

4. RECORD PLAYERS SESSIONAL RPE

Best done 30 mins AFTER session finished Good to have a printed RPE scale handy

5. COMPLETE DAILY FOR A WEEK

Calculate weekly load Record weekly load & graph

Weekly Recording
Date Symptoms Pain Score Balls Bowled Mch April 1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 REST DAY Stiff back Stiff Back Stiff back 0/10 2/10 4/10 1/10 Net 34 28 6 30 Duration (min) Mch 20 10 20 Net 25 SESSIONS Mch Net 1 1 0.5 1

April 6 April 7

REST DAY 16 overs

0/10 0/10

96

16x4 =64

TOTAL

96 194

98

64 139

75

1 4.5

3.5

Season Recording
Month Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Delivery 194 180 207 NET LOAD 98 74 120 MATCH LOAD 96 106 87 Time (min) 139 130 150 SESSIONS NET Mtc 3.5 2 3 1 2 1 Tot 4.5 4 4

Week 4
Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 TOTAL

240
160 Inj Inj REST 134 183 1298

107
80 45 80 0 134 76 814

133
80 0 0 0 0 107 484

165
105 24 35 0 96 120

2
2 2 3 0 3 2 22.5

3
1 0 0 0 0 2 10

5
3 2 3 0 3 4 32.5

Monitoring Workload

Match Delivery Workload & Injury

OPTIONS TO INCREASE DETAIL

SUBJECTIVE Recovery Questionnaires Multi-Component Training Distress Qnaire OBJECTIVE Load / Monotony / Strain Calculation (session RPE) Heart Rate Monitoring (TE, EPOC) Hormonal Assay Test (Saliva Test) Weekly Musculoskeletal Screening / Function Testing

WHAT THE OPPOSITION DOES ?

MATCH HARDNESS Opposition Country Match Format Climate WORKLOAD MONITORING OBJECTIVE
Number of Deliveries Heart Rate (TE/EPOC) Training Duration

PHYSICAL MONITORING OBJECTIVE Knee to Wall Test Internal Rotation Test Jump Testing

Hours of Travel
Recovery b/w match

Reactivity Test
SUBJECTIVE Session RPE SUBJECTIVE Energy Levels Illness / Injury

Training Duration Training Intensity Training Modality

Team Selection

Muscle Soreness
(Passive & Active)

TRAINING LOAD
Session RPE score can be multiplied by duration to find the session LOAD Load = Session RPE X Duration in min
Eg RPE 5/10, 24 min net duration Session Load is 5 x 24 = 120 Units

Can add to the weekly bowling record to get further information

DAY
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI

SESSION
Net Session Rest Net Session Net Session Rest MATCH

Duration (min)
30 0 40 40 0 80

SESSION RPE
6 0 8 5 0 9

LOAD
180 0 320 200 0 720

SAT

Rest

0
TOTAL
(total / 7) (standard deviation) (daily mean/S.Dev) (daily mean load x 7)

0
1420 203 260 0.78 1421

DAILY MEAN LOAD DAILY SD OF LOAD MONOTONY WEEKLY LOAD

(weekly load x monotony)

STRAIN

1109.5

PHYSICAL MONITORING
USE OF WEEKLY PHYSICAL MEASURES TO ASSESS EFFECT OF TRAINING ON PHYSICAL STRUCTURE

LUNGE TEST (BOWLERS)

Keep heel on ground, try to touch wall to knee
Less than 14cm on NON BOWLING SIDE has great risk of Injury

RECOVERY QUESTIONAIRE

AFL FOOTBALL APPROACH

APPLICATIONS
Coaches may reduce workload for continuously injured players, with certainty. May also consider higher workloads when there is a low previous injury rate

Consider recent training history to guide progress of player and to suggest need for further conditioning / training
Allows for appropriate PLANNING for future competition and preparation periods