Tim Gabbett

Gabbett Performance Solutions

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has enabled the adoption of digital health platforms for self-monitoring and diagnosis. Notably, the pandemic has had profound effects on athletes and their ability to train and compete. Sporting organizations worldwide have reported a significant increase in injuries manifesting from changes in trai...

Objective Creatine kinase (CK) is widely used as a monitoring tool to make inferences on fatigue and readiness in elite soccer. Previous studies have examined the relationship between CK and GPS parameters, however these metrics may not accurately describe the players' load during soccer-specific movements. Football Movement Profile (FMP) monitorin...

Background Repeated high-intensity effort (RHIE) activity is known to be a critical component of high-intensity, intermittent team sports. Despite the importance of this quality, there are few studies comparing the RHIE activity of higher- and lower-ranked teams competing in the same competition. This study characterized the distribution of recover...

Background Military populations, including fast jet aircrew (FJA - aka fighter aircrew/pilots), commonly suffer from musculoskeletal complaints, which reduce performance and operational capability. Valid surveillance tools and agreed recordable injury definitions are lacking. Our objective was to develop and then evaluate the validity of a musculos...

Background: Previous studies have examined the relationship between external load and creatine-kinase (CK) response at the team level. This study aimed to build individualized CK prediction models for elite youth national team soccer players. Hypothesis: The CK response of youth soccer players can be categorized as being sensitive to micromovement...

Heat-related illnesses, which range from heat exhaustion to heatstroke, affect thousands of individuals worldwide every year and are characterized by extreme hyperthermia with the core body temperature (CBT) usually > 40 °C, decline in physical and athletic performance, CNS dysfunction, and, eventually, multiorgan failure. The measurement of CBT ha...

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, training routines of most athletes around the world were abruptly interrupted, potentially increasing the risk of injury. The purpose of this study was to compare three measures of training load (TL): tennis-specific TL, physical TL, and total TL management before, during and after lockdown in three profess...

There is a wide variance in the magnitude of physiological adaptations after resistance or endurance training. The incidence of “non” or “poor” responders to training has been reported to represent as high as 40% of the project’s sample. However, the incidence of poor responders to training can be ameliorated with manipulation of either the trainin...

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between training load and match-play team performance in the subsequent game. Methods: Training load for a NCAA Division I Basketball team was tracked over a 3-year period; 225 practices were observed and recorded. Training load was classified as total duration of training and duration of full-court 5...

Objective: To investigate the relationship between training/match play duration and time-loss groin injury in professional male soccer players and determine if previously identified intrinsic risk factors influenced this relationship. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 590 professional male soccer players were prospectively...

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have provided practitioners with information on the activity profiles of team-sport players. There is no available literature identifying the average or peak physical demands of elite soccer in the USA. This investigation aims to quantify the activity profiles and most demanding passages of elite soccer competition...

The current investigation aimed to understand the positional profile of repeated high-intensity-effort activity (RHIE) across halves during elite rugby union match-play. Forty elite rugby union players (n = 40) were monitored across match-play during a single season. Player’s locomotor profiles were recorded using wearable microtechnology (GPS; Cat...

Purpose: This study described and analyzed practices and perceptions of rhythmic gymnastics coaches, medical staff, and athletes on training-load management. Methods: Online surveys were distributed among professionals and gymnasts involved in rhythmic gymnastics training across the world. One hundred (50 coaches, 12 medical staff, and 38 gymnas...

The aim of this study was to compare the physical demands of SSG with either greater length (SSG length ) or width (SSG width ) with official soccer matches. Sixteen Brazilian U-20 national-level soccer players participated in two sessions with SSG length (4v4, 40 m length and 26 m width) and two sessions with SSG width (4v4, 26 m length and 40 m w...

Context Most available data on athletic development training models focus on adult or professional athletes, where increasing workload capacity and performance is a primary goal. Development pathways in youth athletes generally emphasize multisport participation rather than sport specialization to optimize motor skill acquisition and to minimize in...

Background Few studies have examined the association between the acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) and complaints/injuries in young tennis players. Primary aims: to investigate if accumulated external workload ‘spikes’ in ACWR of tennis training, match-play and fitness training, and if high or low workload/age ratio, were associated with the rate...

Background In young tennis players, high loads on the spine and high training volumes in relation to age are associated with a high lifetime prevalence of back pain. The primary aim of this study was to investigate if accumulated external workload “spikes” in the acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) of tennis training, match play, and fitness traini...

Background: Few studies have examined the association between the acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) and complaints/injuries in young tennis players. Primary aims of this study were to investigate if accumulated external workload "spikes" in ACWR of tennis training, match play, and fitness training, and to see if high or low workload/age ratio wer...

Mechanical loading to the knee joint results in a differential response based on the local capacity of the tissues (ligament, tendon, meniscus, cartilage, and bone) and how those tissues subsequently adapt to that load at the molecular and cellular level. Participation in cutting, pivoting, and jumping sports predisposes the knee to the risk of inj...

Context The rating of perceived effort (RPE) is a common method used in clinical practice for monitoring, loading control, and resistance training prescription during rehabilitation after rupture and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). It is suggested that the RPE results from the integration of the afferent feedback and corollary dis...

Hamstring injuries are the most prevalent muscle injuries in both amateur and professional soccer (football) athletes. Previously, eccentric strength deficits and between-limb imbalances have been associated with an increased risk of muscle injuries. This study investigates whether fatigue significantly reduces peak eccentric hamstring strength af...

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) during basic military training (BMT), frequently resulting in dropout, are wellrecognized as a substantial problem both logistically and financially. Seven key evidence-informed principles of load management to minimize the risk of injury have been proposed in sport. A pertinent question is whether these principles c...

Background Previous studies have examined the training load relative to match load in club settings. The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the external training load relative to match load in days before a subsequent international game and (2) examine the cumulative training load in relation to match load of U-17 national team field soccer pl...

Neck pain is a common complaint among fighter aircrew, impacting workforce health and operational capability. This systematic review aimed to identify, evaluate and synthesise the current evidence for factors associated with the occurrence of neck pain among fighter aircrew. Six electronic databases were searched in June 2019 and updated in June 20...

Background Previous studies have examined the relationship between external training load and creatine kinase (CK) response after soccer matches in adults. This study aimed to build training- and match-specific CK prediction models for elite youth national team soccer players. Hypothesis Training and match load will have different effects on the C...

Timoteo, TF, Debien, PB, Miloski, B, Werneck, FZ, Gabbett, T, and Filho, MGb. Influence of workload and recovery on injuries in elite male volleyball players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of workload and recovery on injury rates in elite male volleyball players. Data were collected...

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) during basic military training (BMT), frequently resulting in dropout, are wellrecognized as a substantial problem both logistically and financially. Seven key evidence-informed principles of load management to minimize the risk of injury have been proposed in sport. A pertinent question is whether these principles c...

Wearable sensors enable the real-time and non-invasive monitoring of biomechanical, physiological, or biochemical parameters pertinent to the performance of athletes. Sports medicine researchers compile datasets involving a multitude of parameters that can often be time consuming to analyze in order to create value in an expeditious and accurate ma...

Background: High-speed running is commonly implicated in the genesis of hamstring injury. The success of hamstring injury management is typically quantified by the duration of time loss or reinjury rate. These metrics do not consider any loss in performance after returning to play from hamstring injury. It is not known to what extent high-speed ru...

“Load Management” has become a common term used in basketball, particularly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). While the media and spectators may interpret load management as removing players from competition (or training) and providing them with more rest, the reality is that when applied appropriately, well-established training princip...

Competitive periods are critical periods where elite rhythmic gymnasts experience higher training loads and insufficient recovery. The aim of this short report is to describe individual training load, recovery and injuries in elite group rhythmic gymnasts during competitive periods. Six gymnasts from the Brazilian senior rhythmic gymnastics group w...

Context Rhythmic gymnastics requires a high level of complexity and perfection of technical gestures, associated with well-developed physical and artistic capacities. The training-load and recovery profiles of rhythmic gymnasts across a season are unknown. Objective To analyze the training load and recovery of professional rhythmic gymnasts during...

Over the past 20 years, research on the training-load–injury relationship has grown exponentially. With the benefit of more data, our understanding of the training-performance puzzle has improved. What were we thinking 20 years ago, and how has our thinking changed over time? Although early investigators attributed overuse injuries to excessive tra...

Background The acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) is an index of the acute workload relative to the cumulative chronic workloads. The monitoring of physical workloads using the ACWR has emerged and been hypothesized as a useful tool for coaches and athletes to optimize performance while aiming to reduce the risk of potentially preventable load-dr...

The purpose of this study was to examine the variation in training load and wellness across a season in an elite Gaelic football team. Weekly external and internal load were obtained from thirty elite Gaelic football players (25.7 ± 3.5 years, 183.0 ± 4.7 cm, 84.4 ± 6.5 kg) across a full season (33 weeks, 8 seasonal blocks). External training loads...

BLUF The findings of the current study demonstrate that an appropriately planned pre-competition training camp can provide an effective strategy to develop tactical, technical and team-play elements while not adversely impacting levels of fatigue. ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate daily deviations of selected physiological and p...

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of implementing the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) to prevent hamstring injuries in soccer. A professional team was followed by the same medical team during 5 successive seasons (2012/2013 through 2016/2017). During the first and last seasons (2012/2013 and 2016/2017), no hamstring preventive actio...

Background: When progressing an athlete from rehabilitation to peak performance, load must exceed load-capacity. When gradual, systematic increases in load are applied, load-capacity will improve. However, if the applied load greatly exceeds load capacity, then tissue tolerance is exceeded, and injury may occur. Clinical question: It is well est...

Purpose: To examine relationships among physical performance, workload, and injury risk in professional rugby league players. Methods: Maximal-effort (n = 112) and submaximal (n = 1084) running performances of 45 players were recorded from 1 club over 2 consecutive seasons. Poorer and better submaximal running performance was determined by highe...

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the differences between halves in the most demanding passages of play in football players according to playing position and duration-specific activity. Global positioning system data were collected from twenty-three football players from a reserve squad of the Spanish La Liga. A total of 265 indivi...

We examined the association between coupled and uncoupled acute:chronic workload ratios (ACWR) and injury risk in a cohort of 28 elite cricket fast bowlers (mean±SD age, 26±5 yr). Workloads were estimated using the session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE). Coupled ACWRs were calculated using a 1-week acute workload and 4-week chronic work...

Objectives: To automate the detection of ruck and tackle events in rugby union using a specifically-designed algorithm based on microsensor data. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Elite rugby union players wore microtechnology devices (Catapult, S5) during match-play. Ruck (n=125) and tackle (n=125) event data was synchronised with video...

Overall injury rates remain high in elite football despite the significant research on injury prevention.1 One of the reasons is the players’ low adherence to injury prevention programmes due to their experience of muscle soreness and ‘heavy legs during the match’.2 Additionally, prevention training compliance may be reduced due to the ‘desire to p...

Abstract Couderc, A, Gabbett, TJ, Piscione, J, Robineau, J, Peeters, A, Igarza, G, Thomas, C, Hanon, C, and Lacome, M. Repeated high-intensity effort activity in international male Rugby Sevens. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2018—Rugby Sevens is characterized by repeated high-intensity accelerations, sprinting, and collisions, commonly referr...

Background Sleep quality is an essential component of athlete’s recovery. However, a better understanding of the parameters to adequately quantify sleep quality in team sport athletes is clearly warranted. Objective To identify which parameters to use for sleep quality monitoring in team sport athletes. Methods Systematic searches for articles re...

Training and competition loads have emerged as valuable injury risk factors but very few studies have explored injury outcomes in adolescent athletes. The aims of this study were to describe injuries and to explore the relationship between training and match load volumes and injury in adolescent athletes participating in multiple contact team sport...

The aim of this investigation was to determine the position and duration specific activity of the most demanding passages of play in football players. Global positioning system data were collected from twenty-three football players across a competitive season. A total of 605 individual match files were analysed. Players were categorised based on po...

Tissera, KM, Naughton, GA, Gabbett, TJ, Krause, LM, Moresi, MP, and Benson, AC. Sex differences in physical fitness characteristics and match-play demands in adolescent netball: Should male and female adolescents co-compete in netball? J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-Sports participation offers multifaceted benefits, especially during adol...

Background Since 2000, there has been a rapid growth in training load and injury research. In the past 5 years alone, a total of 38 studies (from as many as 24 different research groups, and 11 different sports) have investigated the relationship between loading profiles and injury. Despite the growing body of literature examining training load and...

Objectives To systematically identify and qualitatively review the statistical approaches used in prospective cohort studies of team sports that reported intensive longitudinal data (ILD) (>20 observations per athlete) and examined the relationship between athletic workloads and injuries. Since longitudinal research can be improved by aligning the...

Purpose: To examine the relationship between player internal workloads, daily wellness monitoring, injury and illness in a group of elite adolescent cricketers during overseas competitions. Methods: Thirty-nine male international adolescent cricketers (17.5 ± 0.8 yr) took part in the study. Data was collected over five tours across a three-year...

The current study compared the running demands of professional field hockey players using individualized speed zones and generic default settings of the GPS manufacturer. In addition, the differences in slow, moderate and fast players were studied. Sixteen male players from the same club participated in the study (age: 25.5 ± 2.9 years; body mass:...

Purpose: Commercially-available microtechnology devices containing accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and global positioning technology have been widely used to quantify the demands of rugby union. This study investigated whether data derived from wearable microsensors could be used to develop an algorithm that automatically detects scrum...

The aim of this study was to validate the quantification of internal training load (session rating perceived exertion, sRPE) and the effect of recall timing of sRPE during high-intensity functional training (HIFT) sessions. Thirteen male HIFT practitioners (age 27.2 ± 33 y, height 177.1 ± 4.0 cm, body mass 81.1 ± 9.0 kg) were monitored during 2 com...