Theoretical Issues in the Further Development of the Sense of Coherence Construct

In this chapter, the author discusses theoretical issues, including the dimensionality of the sense of coherence (SOC) scale, questioning whether the three components of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness can be measured separately or not; a plea for longitudinal data to study SOC as the causal variable; whether SOC can be strengthened and thus function as an outcome variable or not; the concept of domain-specific SOC; the concept of a boundary in the measurement of SOC; the dichotomization and trichotomization of SOC to investigate more thoroughly if a weak SOC or a strong SOC is crucial for health and well-being; the importance of relating SOC to salutogenic outcome measures such as perceived wellness or a healthy lifestyle; and additional issues such as the collective SOC, measuring other central constructs in the salutogenic model and the importance of literature reviews and meta-studies. Excellent recommendations are given for ways forward.

In-Season Internal Load and Wellness Variations in Professional Women Soccer Players: Comparisons between Playing Positions and Status

The internal intensity monitoring in soccer has been used more in recent years in men’s football; however, in women’s soccer, the existing literature is still scarce. The aims of this study were threefold: (a) to describe the weekly variations of training monotony, training strain and acute: chronic workload ratio through session Rated Perceived Exertion (s-RPE); (b) to describe weekly variations of Hooper Index [stress, fatigue, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and sleep]; and (c) to compare those variations between playing positions and player status. Nineteen players (24.1 ± 2.7 years) from a Portuguese BPI League professional team participated in this study. All variables were collected in a 10-week in-season period with three training sessions and one match per week during the 2019/20 season. Considering the overall team, the results showed that there were some associations between Hooper Index categories and s-RPE like stress or fatigue (0.693, p < 0.01), stress or DOMS (0.593, p < 0.01), stress or s-RPE (−0.516, p < 0.05) and fatigue or DOMS (0.688, p < 0.01). There were no differences between all parameters in playing positions or player status. In conclusion, the study revealed that higher levels of fatigue and DOMS occur concurrently with better nights of sleep. Moreover, any in-season variations concerning internal load and perceived wellness seems independent of position or status in outfield players. The data also showed that the higher the players’ reported stress, the lower the observed s-RPE, thus possibly indicating a mutual interference of experienced stress levels on the assimilation of training intensity by elite women soccer players.

Monitoring post-match fatigue during a competitive season in elite youth soccer players

Introduction: Countermovement jump (CMJ) and perceived wellness measures are useful for monitoring fatigue. Fatigue indicators should simultaneously show sensitivity to previous load and demonstrate influence on subsequent physical output; however, this has not been examined. This study examined the efficacy of CMJ and wellness measures to both detect post-match fatigue and predict subsequent physical match output in elite youth soccer. Methods: Sixteen soccer players (18 ± 1 years) participated in 36 English Football League Youth Alliance League fixtures. Physical match outputs (total distance, high-speed running, very high-speed running, and accelerations and decelerations) were recorded using a 10 Hz global positioning system and 200 Hz accelerometer device during competitive match play. CMJ height and perceived wellness were assessed weekly and daily, respectively, as indirect indicators of fatigue. Four sub-units of wellness (perceived soreness, energy, general stress, and sleep) were measured using customised psychometric questionnaires. Results: Simple linear regression showed that match accelerations and decelerations (AD) were predictive of energy (R2 = 0.08, P = 0.001), stress (R2 = 0.09, P &lt; 0.001), and total wellness (R2 = 0.06, P = 0.002) 2 days post-match. CMJ (R2 = 0.05, P = 0.002), stress (R2 = 0.08, P &lt; 0.001), sleep (R2 = 0.03, P = 0.034), and total wellness (R2 = 0.05, P = 0.006) 5 days pre-match (MD-5) were predictive of AD during the subsequent match. Conclusion: CMJ and wellness may be useful in detecting post-match fatigue. Wellness scores, but not CMJ, on MD-5 influence subsequent match output and therefore may be used to plan and periodise training for the upcoming microcycle.

Adolescent football players’ sleep, wellness and school physical activity over different phases of the year

This study aimed to examine differences in sleep and perceived wellness between a group of adolescent academy football (soccer) players from sport high schools (SHS) and regular high schools (RHS) during different phases of the year, with a secondary focus on their school physical activity (s-PA) levels. Data were collected from 51 adolescent football players from one youth Australian academy in two blocks of two weeks (four weeks total). Subjective sleep quantity and quality, wellness and s-PA were assessed through validated daily questionnaires and weekly surveys. MANOVAs and ANOVAs for repeated measures were conducted to assess sleep and wellness variables across different weeks (school vs. holidays, early vs. late season) and between groups (SHS vs. RHS). No differences in sleep or muscle pain were found between players at SHS and RHS (p > 0.05). No effect of week (school vs. holidays, early season vs. late season) on sleep quality or wellness was found, nor did hours of s-PA affect sleep duration (all p > 0.05). Total sleep time was within recommended guidelines and significantly longer sleep times were experienced during the holidays compared to school term (p = 0.002). Overall, adolescent academy football players reported sleep quantities within recommended ranges and had greater sleep volumes during the holidays rather than during school. School type (SHS vs. RHS) and hours of s-PA had no effect on the players sleep within our cohort. Additionally, it appears perceptual wellness in this population is unaffected by time of season, or school compared to holidays.

Relationship Between Internal and External Training Load in Field Hockey

Training load monitoring in team sports is important in order to plan and evaluate training strategies and ensure optimal performance. Integration of internal and external training load measures into a single training efficiency metric reduces the effect of confounding variables on training loads. The purpose of this study was to generate a training efficiency metric to evaluate in-season field hockey training. Further, the relationship between players’ perceived wellness the training efficiency metric was determined. Internal (training impulse and session rating of perceived exertion; TRIMP and sRPE) and external (total distance, high-speed distance, acceleration load, high-power distance, metabolic work, mechanical work, and impulse) training load was collected over a 6-week period for 11 male national level field hockey players (21.1 ± 1.2 years, 178.7 ± 8.6 cm, 4.6 ± 6.3 kg). The relationships between internal and external training load were assessed, and two training efficiency models were generated through mixed model analyses using sRPE and TRIMP. Subsequently, the relationships between training efficiency and perceived wellness were examined. The statistical analyses determined that total distance, high-speed distance, high-power distance, and metabolic work (r = 0.311-0.573) were included in the TRIMP training efficiency model. The sRPE training efficiency model included total distance, high-speed distance, high-power distance, metabolic work, and mechanical work (r = 0.329-0.757). Moreover, neither of the training efficiency models were related to daily cumulative wellness scores (TRIMP: r = -0.046; p = 0.336; sRPE: r = -0.034; p = 0.370). The study showed that the sRPE training efficiency model provided a better reflection of in-season field hockey training demands than the TRIMP model. Additionally, practitioners are not advised to adjust training based on acute changes in players’ perceived wellness.

Virtual Ice Cream Rounds: Addressing medical clerk wellness during COVID-19

Ice Cream Rounds (ICRs) are used by residency and clerkship programs across Canada to provide trainees with a safe space to debrief difficult situations, connect with peers, and promote wellness. At the Niagara Regional Campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, ICRs are held often and are well-received by learners. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted and facilitated the first virtual ICR. Post-session, students reported an increase in nearly all domains of their perceived wellness. Due to the uncertainty associated with this unprecedented time, this event could help learners at other institutions support each other.