INTRODUCTION: Monitoring and managing training load contributes to achieve desired training outcomes. Training load measured independently of internal characteristics is termed external load (e.g. distance, accelerations), while internal load reflects the individual physiological and biomechanical responses to the external load (1). Information about the relationship between internal and external training load has the potential to enhance training prescription and athlete management through a more detailed assessment of training efficacy. In this study we aimed to model the within- and between-player effects of different external load variables on the internal load variable session Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE) in elite team handball METHODS: Fifteen female team handball players from a team in the Norwegian Premier League were included. We included data from 24 on-field sessions from the in-season period. External load was measured via a tracking-device (Catapult ClearSky T6, Catapult Sports, Australia), which includes a local positioning system and an inertial measurement unit. The variables PlayerLoad™, PlayerLoad2D™, total distance, high speed running distance, very high speed running distance, and high intensity events were used. Players reported their sRPE via an online questionnaire, using a modified Borg CR-10 scale. sRPE was multiplied with session-duration to get sRPE training load (sRPE-TL). Data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model, where the external load variables were treated as predictor variables, with separate models for each predictor variable. Player-ID and session-ID were random effects in the models. RESULTS: The mean±SD sRPE-TL was 425±170 a.u. All external training load variables showed a significant within-player effect on sRPE-TL, where a 2 SD change in external load produced a 17-37% change in sRPE-TL. PlayerLoad™ (Effects size [ES]:1.38), PlayerLoad2D™ (ES:1.24), and total distance (ES:1.19) had the largest effects. None of the external load variables showed a significant between-player effect. The models showed ESs from 0.28 to 0.50 for individual responses (random effect for Player-ID). CONCLUSION: Our results show that sRPE-TL can differentiate between sessions with differing external load within individual players. sRPE is shown to be closely related to certain external load variables, in agreement with studies from other team sports (2). In contrast to previous research, no between-player effects were found, meaning that players with a typical high or low external load do not differ in their sRPE-TL response to the same external load. However, the individual response effects underline the need for an individual approach to load monitoring. These results contribute to the understanding of the dose-response relationship in handball training for female players.
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