simple low-cost guide to athlete fatigue monitoring

Abstract

As the demands of training and competition increase so does the potential risk of injury and illness to the athlete whilst seeking to maximize their adaptive processes to promote optimal performance. Therefore, as a strategy to mitigate this risk, strength and conditioning coaches need reliable and valid monitoring tools to track an athlete’s status throughout training to ensure progression of adaptation, and that the athlete remains healthy throughout the adaptation process. The purpose of this article is to provide the reader an evidence-driven outline of basic, simple, and cost-effective monitoring tools which are reliable and valid to observe the fitness/fatigue paradigm and track overall athlete physical adaptation and health throughout the training process, suitable for most settings. A weekly example calculating sessional ratings of perceived exertion (sRPE), training load, monotony, and strain is provided along with a basic monitoring system as a guide for the reader.