Key Points: 1. Results indicate acceptable utility for measures of subjective soreness when assessing the influence of match play and/or training in professional rugby union. 2. High inter-individual variability for assessing the influence of match play and/or training in professional rugby union was evident in countermovement jump, biochemical markers and heart rate-derived measures. 3. Practitioners are advised to assess individual training response to match play and/or training in professional rugby union to better guide training prescription and optimize player readiness. Abstract Background: Professional rugby union is a high-intensity contact sport with position-specifc high training and match volumes across a season that may lead to periods of fatigue if above a typically experienced threshold. This study assesses the infuence of match play and/or training on fatigue levels in rugby union players. Objective We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of measures used to assess fatigue status in male professional rugby union players. Methods: Using electronic databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MED LINE), a systematic review of fatigue testing in rugby union was conducted on neuromuscular, subjective self-report, biochemical, and heart rate-derived measures. Results: Thirty-seven articles were included in this systematic review, of which 14 were further included in a meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis revealed small, yet not signifcant, decreases in countermovement jump height immediately after (efect size [ES]= -0.29; 95% confdence interval [CI]-0.64 to 0.06), 24 h (ES= -0.43; 95% CI-3.99 to 3.21), and 48 h (ES= -0.22; 95% CI-0.47 to 0.02) after exposure to rugby union match play or training. Reported wellness (ES= -0.33; 95% CI-1.70 to 1.04) and tiredness (ES= -0.14; 95% CI-1.30 to 1.03) declined over a period of a few weeks (however, the results were not-statistically signifcant), meanwhile muscle soreness increased (ES=0.91; 95% CI 0.06 to 1.75) within the 96 h after the exposure to rugby union match play or training. Finally, while cortisol levels (ES=1.87; 95% CI-1.54 to 5.29) increased, testosterone declined (ES= -1.54; 95% CI-7.16 to 4.08) within the 24 h after the exposure. However, these results were not statistically signifcant. Conclusions: Subjective measures of muscle soreness can be used to assess fatigue after match play and training in rugby union players. Within-study and between-study variability for countermovement jump height, biochemical markers, and heart rate-derived measures means the utility (practical application) of these measures to assess fatigue in professional rugby union players after matches and training is unclear.
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