Internal load and wellness responses between consecutive collegiate female field hockey matches

This study evaluated internal load (IL) and wellness between consecutive field hockey matches played over a 2-day period across a 7-week season consisting of 12 total matches. Twelve NCAA Division I hockey players’ IL was assessed by heart rate (HR) zones (zone 1 = 50–60% HRmax, zone 2 = 60–70% HRmax, zone 3 = 70–80% HRmax, zone 4 = 80–90% HRmax, and zone 5 > 90% HRmax) and HR-derived training impulse. Wellness items (sleep, stress, fatigue, soreness, and total wellness) were obtained to measure the players’ subjective responses. Linear mixed models were used to examine the main effects of time (matched pairs of games) and the interaction between match (match 1 vs 2) and week (week 1–6) for IL. For wellness, main effects for time (mid-week, post-match 1, and post-match 2) and the interaction between day (mid-week, post-match 1, and post-match 2) and week (week 1–5) were examined. More time was spent in HR zone 1 in match 2 versus 1 (mean difference (MD) = 4.2 ± 3.0 minutes). Total wellness, fatigue, and soreness were all worse post-match 2 compared to mid-week (MD = 1.8 ± 1.4 AU, MD = 0.4 ± 0.6 AU, and MD = 0.8 ± 0.4 AU, respectively). Our results indicate that evaluation of specific wellness items may help practitioners determine the source of decreased wellness and adjust the weekly training load or recovery strategies based off the results of the changes in IL.