WEEK TO WEEK TRAINING LOAD SHIFTS IN ELITE DRAGON BOAT PADDLERS.

Training camps are utilised in the selection process of Dragon Boat crews. Due to low funding in this sport, paddlers work full time and train around work hours, which may lead to rapid shifts in training load when attending camps. The objective was to detail the training loads of two elite dragon boat paddlers prior to and during a national training camp. An online system was used to collect training details and internal training loads. Data was extracted for the week leading into a camp, and the week of a camp, giving two, seven-day blocks. Weekly training loads for each paddler leading into the camp and during camp were 1680 units and 1600 units, respectively, and 5670 and 5050 units, respectively. This equated to more than a three-fold increase in training load from week-to-week. One paddler sustained an injury on the last day of this camp which negatively affected them for the rest of the season. Training load shifts can be managed by both the athlete and coach to minimise injury and illness risk. It is recommended that athletes utilise best practice guidelines, which recommend a 10% increase in load per week when preparing for intensive training blocks. Camp coaches and planners must consider the impact of shifts in load on the athletes and reduce the duration or number of sessions across a camp when an athlete has not completed sufficient training. This two-fold proactive approach to reducing rapid shifts in training load around national camps may reduce the risk of injury and illness while still maintaining the overall quality of the training camp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]