A new approach to intensity and load monitoring and its potential use in training, games, and recovery in handball. Could it become a useful tool?

Background and purpose Athletes’ monitoring is a critical issue in the high-performance sporting environment. The CR-10 RPE scale has become a standard method to evaluate perceived exertion in exercise testing, training, and rehabilitation. Handball training should be measurable, but there is not just one indicator or methodology to be applied to the different training types that this sport requires. Although there is great access to technology, a need for alternative monitoring in handball using a tool which is cheap, practical and user friendly is necessary and essential. The aim of this present research was first to correlate Borg’s Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) monitoring method, with Foster’s exercise score, creating a new interpretation, the Exertion Intensity Scale (EIS) and second to find if there is an effect of fatigue and training intensity of the players on the attendance to the physiotherapist for different types of recovery. Material and Methods The sample of the research consisted of 18 high level Women Handball players and coaching staff, who evaluated the intensity of the training and the sensation of fatigue and also the training components and the main subject of each training accordingly. Descriptive and inductive statistics were used for the statistical analysis. Results From the comparison of the two scales (RPE & EIS), it appears that there was a strong correlation between them. Furthermore, it is confirmed that, as the intensity of training increases so does the fatigue of the players. It also seems in the case of intensity of training and games, there was a statistically significant effect on visits to the physiotherapist for active recovery. Conclusions From the results we can conclude that the Exertion Intensity Scale (EIS) and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scales can be used as everyday tools for load and intensity monitoring in handball.