Characterizing the Thermal Demands and Mobility Performance During International Wheelchair Rugby Competition

Erica H Gavel; Melissa A Lacroix; Vicky L Goosey-Tolfrey; Heather M Logan-Sprenger

doi:10.3389/fresc.2022.856904

Characterizing the Thermal Demands and Mobility Performance During International Wheelchair Rugby Competition

Front Rehabil Sci. 2022 Apr 29:3:856904. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2022.856904. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Erica H Gavel^{1

2}, Melissa A Lacroix², Vicky L Goosey-Tolfrey³, Heather M Logan-Sprenger^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Science, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
² Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom.
⁴ Faculty of Health Science, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON, Canada.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the thermoregulatory responses and mobility performance of wheelchair rugby (WCR) players during international competition.

Methods: Eleven male National Team WCR players volunteered for the study. Testing occurred during a four game series against international competition (temp 24.7 ± 0.7°C, relative humidity 50.1 ± 3.6%), with movement time (MT) and gastrointestinal temperature (T_gi) recorded continuously.

Results: The mean maximal T_gi was 38.6 ± 0.6°C (37.9-39.7) and did not significantly differ among Low-Class, Mid-Class, and High-Class athletes (p > 0.05). Moreover, there was a strong and significant relationship between minutes (min) played per quarter of the game and change in T_gi (r = 0.36, p = 0.01). Athletes moved a total of 27:43 ± 9:40 min:seconds (s), spent a total of 15:02 ± 8.23 min:s in Zone 1 (53.5%), 8:19 ± 3:20 min:s in Zone 2 (31.7%), and 5:59 ± 1:51 min:s in Zone 3 (21.3%). There were no differences among classification in total movement time (p = 0.169) or for speed in Zone 1, Zone 2, or Zone 3 (p > 0.05). The relationship between peak forward speed and total movement time was strong (p = 0.021, r = 0.68).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the time spent in absolute movement zones is not classification dependent, the change in core temperature is related to movement time per quarter. Furthermore, peak speeds obtained on-court were linked to overall movement time which suggests athletes should warm-up before going on court.

Keywords: Paralympic sport; performance; thermoregulation; wheelchair mobility; wheelchair rugby.