In pursuit of the unbreakable athlete with Tim Gabbett. Episode #374

What comes first—the robust athlete or the high training load? What is the role of moderating factors in training load? And is the ‘10% rule’ a myth?

On this episode, Dr. Tim Gabbett PhD x2 (T: @TimGabbett) joins BJSM’s Daniel Friedman (T: @ddfriedman) to discuss all things training load and debunk some common misconceptions.

Tim has over 20 years of experience working as an applied sport scientist with elite athletes, coaches, and high performance teams from around the world. He holds a PhD in Human Physiology (2000) and has completed a second PhD in the Applied Science of Professional Football (2011), with special reference to physical demands, injury prevention, and skill acquisition. www.gabbettperformance.com

In this 20 minute conversation, Tim discusses:

· The definition of training load and its different components

· The Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR) and its limitations

· What separates robust from fragile athletes

· The 10% rule ‘myth’

· How to design a rehabilitation training program for an injured athlete

Further reading:

Gabbett TJ, Nielsen RO, Bertelsen ML, Bittencourt NF, Fonseca ST, Malone S, Møller M, Oetter E, Verhagen E, Windt J. In pursuit of the ‘Unbreakable’Athlete: what is the role of moderating factors and circular causation? https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2018/11/13/bjsports-2018-099995

Gabbett TJ. Debunking the myths about training load, injury and performance: empirical evidence, hot topics and recommendations for practitioners. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Oct 26:bjsports-2018. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2018/10/26/bjsports-2018-099784

Gabbett TJ. The training—injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder?. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Mar 1;50(5):273-80. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/5/273

Hulin BT, Gabbett TJ, Lawson DW, Caputi P, Sampson JA. The acute: chronic workload ratio predicts injury: high chronic workload may decrease injury risk in elite rugby league players. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Feb 1;50(4):231-6. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/4/231

Soligard T, Schwellnus M, Alonso JM, Bahr R, Clarsen B, Dijkstra HP, Gabbett T, Gleeson M, Hägglund M, Hutchinson MR, Van Rensburg CJ. How much is too much?(Part 1) International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Sep 1;50(17):1030-41. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/17/1030