Perceived Mental and Physical Fatigue, Stress and Recovery, and Workload in Masters Athletes Pre‐ and Post‐Sailing Competition

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of sailing competition on perceived mental fatigue and physical fatigue, stress and recovery, and workload for Masters athletes, and to explore the underlying modulating factors of perceptual fatigue. Using a cross-sectional study design, 22 Masters athletes competing in the 2023 Oceania and Australian Laser Masters Championships completed a survey 48 h prior to and following the competition. The survey asked sailors to report on their perceived mental fatigue and physical fatigue (Visual Analogue Scales), stress and recovery (Short Recovery and Stress Scale), workload (NASA Task Load Index), and modulators of mental fatigue and physical fatigue. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Tests were used to assess differences before and after the competition period. Mental fatigue and physical fatigue significantly increased due to the sailing competition, and this was accompanied by significant increases in stress and workload, and reduced recovery. Weather and complex decision making were identified as important modulators of perceptual fatigue during competition with weather having a larger influence on physical fatigue than mental fatigue. In conclusion, findings indicate a potential relationship between sailing competition and athletes perceived levels of mental and physical fatigue, and this is underpinned by changes in stress, recovery, and workload. Practitioners are encouraged to use self-report measures to monitor these mechanisms and inform the development of individualised interventions that holistically manage perceptual outcomes.