Monitoring Performance and Recovery in Athletes

Sports scientists must be able to monitor their athletes on a daily basis. Athlete load can be monitored internally (how the athlete feels) and externally (the work the athlete does during training) which can then be used as a marker of the athlete's adaptation to their training program. This unit will give students exposure to the various methods of athlete monitoring and recovery. Students will gain an understanding of the theory and application of athlete monitoring including; jump testing, wearable technologies, training and competition load monitoring, recovery, sleep, and travel. Students will develop the ability to critically appraise the various monitoring tools used by sports scientists.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Investigate athlete monitoring tools and/ or recovery interventions by synthesising findings from research to identify their effectiveness and implications for athlete performance;
2. Apply load monitoring variables to analyse a training block to produce actionable insights for athlete adaptation; and
3. 3. Evaluate, critique and communicate the impact of monitoring tools and interventions to provide evidence-based recommendations for athletic performance.