TRAINING LOAD AND RECOVERY IMBALANCE AS PREDICTORS OF INJURY RISK: MEDIATING EFFECTS OF SLEEP AND NUTRITIONAL LEVEL

Abstract

The proposed concept of the research was to explore training load-recovery imbalance as one variable that predicts injury risk among the athletes with the special consideration of the nutritional condition and sleep moderating the study. The research design adopted was a cross-sectional and quantitative study design, which employed 240 athletes of university level who participated in various sports as the source of data. Measurement of the training load, recovery, quality sleep, nutritional status, and risk of injury were done through standardized instruments. Descriptive statistics showed moderate values of training load, recovery, sleep, and nutritional status of the participants. Pearson correlation checked the results with a moderate positive correlation between training load and the risk of an injury and a negative correlation between recovery and sleep and nutritional status and the rate of occurrence of an injury. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was carried out to test the direct and indirect correlations of the variables. The results showed that the load-recovery imbalance exercise may be an important predictor of injury, and the predictive value is moderate. In addition, the mediation analysis, which took the form of bootstrapping, established that the correlation between imbalance of training loads-recovery and risk of injury were partly mediated by sleep and nutritional condition. Cases of bad nutrition and poor sleep among athletes were found to expose them to high risks of injuries due to their failure to recover. The mediation effects were however moderate such that there are various factors which act in combination to determine the risk of injury. The importance of having balance between training load and recovery as an alternative of minimizing the risk of injuries. It also emphasizes the role of sleep and nutrition as a significant condition to support the recuperation and reduce the number of injuries. These findings imply that the full management model of the athletes including proper monitoring of the load, recovery, adequate sleep, and nutrition is crucial towards improving the performance and preventing injuries.