Effect of Level of Competition and Drill Typology on Internal and External Load in Male Volleyball Players During the Preseason Period

PURPOSE

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of level of competition and drill typology on loads during the preseason period in male volleyball players.

METHODS

Internal (percentage of peak heart rate [HR] and summated HR zone) and external (PlayerLoad per minute, total and high accelerations per minute [tACCmin and hACCmin], decelerations per minute [tDECmin and hDECmin], and jumps per minute [tJUMPmin and hJUMPmin]) loads were monitored across a 5-week preseason period in 12 Division 1 (age: 22.5 [3.9] y; stature: 188 [6.2] cm; body mass: 85 [11.6] kg; training experience: 9.4 [4.2] y) and 12 Division 2 (age: 20.7 [2.9] y; stature: 186 [6.2] cm; body mass: 77.8 [9.6] kg; training experience: 5.6 [2.3] y) male volleyball players. Furthermore, differences in load were assessed for each drill typology (warm-up, conditioning, technical, tactical, and integral).

RESULTS

No effects (P > .05) of level of competition on the internal (except for summated HR zone, P = .05) and external loads (except for tJUMPmin, P = .002) were found. Differently, drill typologies showed an effect (P < .001) on all the investigated internal- and external-load measures. The main post hoc results revealed higher (P < .05) percentage of peak HR, summated HR zone, PlayerLoad per minute, and tACCmin in warm-up and conditioning drills, while higher (P < .05) hDECmin and hJUMPmin were found in tactical and integral drills.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that volleyball coaches use warm-up and conditioning drills when aiming at increasing the internal loads, PlayerLoad per minute, and tACCmin, while tactical and integral drills should be preferred to enhance the number of hDECmin and hJUMPmin.

Using inertial measurement units for quantifying the most intense jumping movements occurring in professional male volleyball players

The purpose of this study was to use an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to analyze variations in the jump outcomes concerning weekly training days, and the dependencies between the number of jumps per minute and the jump height. An experimental research design was adopted across three weeks of the final play-off of a volleyball championship. Through an IMU, the external load of seven male elite volleyball athletes of a top rating team from Portuguese 1st Division (age: 30.5 ± 3.5 years; height: 200.2 ± 6.3 cm; body mass: 93.0 ± 8.1 kg; BMI: 23.1 ± 2.3 kg/m²) was monitored. Repeated measures ANOVA was executed to compare the outcomes between training days. It was observed a similar density of jumps during the week. However, when comparing MD-1 to MD-2, a more significant average number of jumps per minute was observed in MD-1 (1.3 ± 0.2 vs. 1.0 ± 0.2). Additionally, a positive, large and significant correlation was registered between the number of jumps and the height of the jump. Those results highlight the benefits of the specific training, leading to greater stimulation and improvement, in a game-like context, of the stretching-shortening cycle, observed in every jump action in volleyball.

PHYSICAL FITNESS TRAINING OF VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS BASED ON SCIENTIFIC THEORY

ABSTRACT Introduction: Athletes’ physical fitness is the basis for improving their volleyball skills, and physical training can play an essential role in the whole process of training volleyball players resulting in improving the level of physical function of volleyball players and changing the structure of body conformation. Objective: Analyze the effects of physical training on the overall quality of volleyball players. Methods: Several volleyball players were randomly selected and submitted to two months of physical training based on scientific theory literature. We used mathematical statistics to analyze the fitness and performance indicators of volleyball players before and after physical training. Results: The physical fitness of volleyball players was significantly improved after two months of physical training (P<0.05). The performance of volleyball players improved after physical training (P<0.05). Conclusion: Physical agility of volleyball players is improved when submitted to systematic physical training. After physical training, the velocity quality of volleyball players can be significantly improved. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

Within-Week Variations and Relationships between Internal and External Intensities Occurring in Male Professional Volleyball Training Sessions

The purpose of the study was to test the within-week variations of the internal and external training intensity outcomes organized by days of the week. An 8-month observational period was conducted during the 2020–2021 season. The training sessions and matches of an elite volleyball team were monitored daily. The data comes from 14 players (two setters, five middle blockers, five outside hitters, and two opposites) of an elite team from the Portuguese 1st League (age: 21.7 ± 4.19 years of age; experience: 6.2 ± 3.8 years; body mass: 85.7 ± 8.69 kg; height: 192.4 ± 6.25 cm; BMI: 23.1 ± 1.40 kg/m²). The CR10 Borg scale was applied daily to measure the training intensity. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and the session-RPE were extracted as the internal outcomes. The external intensity was measured using an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The number of jumps, height average of jumps (JHA), minimum jump (MJ), maximal jump (MXJ), range jump (RJ), number of jumps (NJ), and training session density (D) were extracted as external intensity outcomes. The results showed that there was a difference between RPE and S-RPE (F (1.98) = 6.31, p = 0.01, η² = 0.36, and F (1.73) = 28.30, p = 0.001, η² = 0.72), as well as JHA and NJ (F (2.14) = 4.76, p = 0.02, η² = 0.30, and F (1.77) = 4.77, p = 0.02, η² = 0.30) within the microcycle. When analyzing the correlations between internal and external intensity, it was observed that there was a negative correlation between the Maximum Jump (4, 3, and 1 days before the Match day) (r² = 0.34, r² = 0.40, r² = 0.41, respectively) and the Range Jump (3 and 1 days before the Match day (r² = 0.33, r² = 0.38, respectively) with the RPE (4 days before the Match day) and Maximum Jump (5, 4, 3, and 1 days before the Match day (r² = 0.35, r² = 0.39, r² = 0.44, r² = 0.34, respectively) and Range Jump (5, 4, 3, and 1 days before the Match day) (r² = 0.34, r² = 0.35, r² = 0.40 and r² = 0.36, respectively) with S_RPE (4 days before the Match day). Such findings show that higher internal intensities are correlated with lower external intensities in sessions further away from the game day. Such results could be an important tool for coaches to reflect, plan, monitor, and execute the training unit according to the temporal distance to the competition.