Monitoring training load in young male table tennis players

Monitoring training loads alongside performance indices offers coaches invaluable insights, allowing them optimize training programs to enhance athlete performance and reduce the risk of injury. This study aimed to characterize the training model of elite young male Brazilian table tennis players during the pre-competition period, and to examine the relationships among external and internal loads, and performance. Six male players participated in the study (15.5±1.8 years), all selected to compete in the Brazilian Table Tennis National Youth Team (U15 and U19). The following procedures were performed: 1. a sport-specific test to obtain performance variables and 2. completing a questionnaire for monitoring external and internal loads during the training week. Internal load was calculated using the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which was also used to calculate monotony and strain. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to analyze association. Significance was set at P<0.05. Performance variables were 48.5±4.9km/h for ball velocity; 35.5±15.0% for error; 64.1±15.1% for consistency; 29.5±11.5% for accuracy; 42.3±11.4 for accuracy score; 20.1±3.9 for the performance index (PI). External loads were 14.3±5.3h in weekly training volume and 5.1±0.7 in weekly training frequency/days. Internal loads were 4.4±2.4 for weekly RPE; 1,1997.2±1,1897.3 for strain, and 1.4±0.6 for monotony. Weekly frequency (R=0.76, p=0.01) and volume (R=0.89, p=0.01) showed correlations with strain. Weekly frequency was also correlated with accuracy (R=0.79, p=0.02) and performance index (R=0.75, p=0.04). These findings indicate that external loads impacted internal loads, with weekly frequency influencing performance indices. This provides initial insights for coaches to make more precise training prescriptions.