The Effects of Travel Demands on Athlete Preparation, Performance and Recovery in National Football Teams
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2024
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International football (soccer) competition regularly requires athletes to travel between clubs and national teams, with often only short 2-3 day turnarounds between matches. Such travel requirements place significant stress on athletes and pose concern for performance and recovery. While responses to individual trips have been commonly reported, comparisons between different travel demands within the same population are limited, making it difficult to prepare for the broad range of travel requirements that exist within a single national team. This thesis includes five studies aiming to better inform athlete responses to variations in travel demands. Studies one and two explored associations between flight characteristics and perceptual fatigue, sleep and jet lag responses. Study one identified associations between increased time zone changes and eastward travel with poorer perceptual fatigue and sleep for two days after arrival. Study two reported travel from Europe to Australia, travel from the national team back to clubs, and morning or evening arrivals to be associated with poorer perceived fatigue, sleep and jet lag responses. These findings will assist national football teams to prioritise athlete management based on difficult travel requirements. Study three explored associations between travel demands and physical and technical match performance data. Minimal influence of travel variables on match performance was found, although eastward travel was linked to reduced pass accuracy and increased high-speed distance, likely due to opposition quality. Study four assessed recovery responses to different match loads and post-match travel demands. Poorer recovery outcomes, including perceived recovery status, fatigue, sleep, and soreness, were associated with greater high-speed match load, longer travel durations and eastward travel. Study five aimed to assess available mobile applications focused on managing jet lag and discuss the content they provide. No apps were supported by peer-reviewed research. Common recommendations included sleep schedule adjustments, timed light exposure, acupressure treatments, and melatonin consumption. Significant variations in the intervention schedules provided by apps were observed, highlighting the need for careful consideration of app use by national team staff. Collectively, these studies have identified travel variables that may influence the post-travel response of national team footballers. While perceptual measures are affected by travel demands, match performance remains largely unaffected when athletes arrive >40h in advance. However, extensive post-match travel may impact recovery, especially with longer duration and eastward travel. Individualized planning is essential for traveling national teams, and the findings of this thesis may assist to prioritize athletes based on their specific travel demands.
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