Sports Performance and Injury Epidemiology in Portuguese XV Rugby Union's 2023 World Cup Preparation in a High-Altitude Center: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Rugby Union's physical demands lead to high injury rates, requiring players to optimize their abilities. Altitude training enhances performance but poses risks to injuries.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study compares the Portuguese Rugby team's injury rates and Global Positioning System (GPS) performance data during the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2023 preparation phase. Two medical doctors from the medical Portuguese department diagnosed and recorded all the injuries occurred. GPS players data recorded the following: running distance (RD), high-speed running distance (HSRD), number of accelerations of high intensity (HI), maximum velocity (MV), and percentage of personal maximum velocity (% MV). Data were analyzed by position and growth rate (∆) comparing sea level (Cycle 1) and altitude (Cycle 2). The players were analyzed by injury severity, type, anatomical location, and GPS performance metrics.

Results: A higher number of injuries was recorded in Cycle 2 compared to Cycle 1 (∆ = +5 for forwards; ∆ = +3.5 for backs). While average values for MV and % MV showed a downward trend, RD, HSRD, and HI exhibited upward trends. However, none of these differences reached statistical significance.

Conclusions: Injury counts and training volume indicators showed upward trends, while MV and % MV declined, though none reached statistical significance. These patterns should be interpreted cautiously, and further research is needed to explore GPS metrics in injury monitoring.