Annals of Applied Sport Science

Background. Controlling and manipulating inter-repetition rest (IRR) could develop diverse levels of fatigue and manifest changes to lifting mechanics.
Objectives. This study's objective was to examine the effect of IRR on the kinematic of snatch lifting during multiple set exercise protocol.
Methods. Fifteen male (n=15) athletes participated in this study (age = 21.0 ± 1.41 years; body weight = 60.82 ± 2.45 kg; height = 165.70 ± 10.88 cm; snatch one-repetition maximum (1RM)/body mass = 0.73 ± 0.117). Session 1 consisted of anthropometric and 1RM determination. Sessions 2-4 involved subjects performing three sets x 5 repetitions of 85% 1RM with 10, 30, or 50 seconds of IRR implemented randomly. Ankle, knee, and hip joint velocity and barbell velocity (BV) were obtained during each protocol using VICON Motion Analysis (100Hz).
Results. Repeated measure ANOVA showed significant differences found in ankle, knee, and hip joint velocity. The barbell velocity showed a significant effect between IRR, (F (2, 28) = 22.831, P < 0.05). Repeated measure Manova showed a significant effect of IRR on the maintenance of kinematics variables across repetition. Barbell velocity showed a significant effect of IRR on the maintenance of velocity across repetition (P = 0.029).
Conclusion. Due to the differences found between IRR protocols, the implementation of IRR may increase or decrease kinematic output due to the different levels of fatigue. The implementation of IRR can help to maintain kinematic variables, which often are affected by neuromuscular fatigue occurred with continuous repetition.

Background. In order to minimize overtraining, a reliable method is required to analyze training loads.
Objectives. The objective of this study was to see if session Rate of Perceived Exertion (sRPE) is a valuable tool for tracking changes in perceived training load and strain among Malaysia rugby 15-a-side players during preparation for a significant game.
Methods. Twenty-eight (n=28) elite rugby 15’s players completed an eight-week training program that included six weeks of intensive training (IT) and two weeks of reduced training (RT). They were put to the Bronco Test before IT (T0), after IT (T1), and after RT (T2). The sRPE approach was used to quantify the perceived training load and strain. Acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) was used to determine the training load sensitivity, monotony, and strain among players.
Results. Results showed that the team stated a higher acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) during the first and second week of training and slightly reduced before entering the pre-competition phase and the following week (competitions phase). The result for Bronco Test has shown more remarkable improvement starting from the first week of training, the fourth week of training before entering the competition phase, and the sixth week of training during the competition phase. This study’s findings suggest a sensitive tool, ACWR, for monitoring changes in training load and strain in team-sport athletes. The change in session rate perceived exertion and total score of well-being/wellness correlated significantly over the training period (r =-0.41, P < 0.05).
Conclusion. To conclude, combining the short fatigue questionnaire with the session-RPE approach for perceived changes in training load and strain may provide extra information on the athletes’ condition, helping coaches avoid overreaching or overtraining.