Monitoring training load in beach volleyball players: a case study with an Olympic team

— Aim: Describe and compare training load dynamics of two Olympic beach volleyball players. Methods: Two Olympic beach volleyball players participated in this study (specialist defender and blocker: both aged 34 years, holding 14 years of competitive experience, height: 1.74 m and 1.81 m, weight: 69 kg and 65 kg, respectively). Internal training load (ITL), total weekly training load (TWTL), monotony and strain were obtained through the session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) for three training mesocycles (10 weeks). Lower limb explosive power was assessed through the counter movement jump (CMJ). Results: Mean ITL, TWTL, monotony and strain during the 10-week period were: 370 ± 156; 1997 ± 838; 2.7 ± 1.3; 5621 ± 1802 arbitrary units (AU) (Defender) and 414 ± 153; 2392 ± 892; 2.7 ± 1.1; 6894 ± 3747 (AU) (Blocker). Mean of CMJ height was 47.0 ± 1.3 and 40.3 ± 1.6 cm, for the defender and blocker, respectively. The defender player presented higher ITL in the second (effect size (ES) = 0.90; 92/5/3, likely ) and in the third (ES = 0.91; 94/4/2, likely ) mesocycles when compared to the first. Monotony raised from the first to the third mesocycle (ES = 2.91; 98/1/1, very likely ). Blocker’s ITL was higher in the third mesocycle than the first (ES = 1.42. 98/1/1, very likely ) and in the second (ES = 1.49; 98/1/1, likely ). Conclusion: ITL magnitude increased from the first to the third mesocycle, in both players.