Overuse And Fatigue: The need for proper workload management
How far and how long athletes can go in their careers is a direct result of how well their workloads are managed.
It's not often that you find South African cricket fans in agreement. More often than not, there is a lot of bickering over this player, that player, and so forth. But, in the last two years, they were all in agreement that the coaches and other powers that be should manage Kagiso Rabada's workload much better.
For a while, the young Proteas star just about carried the burden of the bowling unit on his shoulders. And so no one was surprised when KG spoke up in 2019, revealing that he felt as if he was operating at around 60%.
I got reminded of this situation today when I bumped into a tweet by Flash Cricket Commentators on Shaheen Shah Afridi's high workload since his debut. The 20-year-old has bowled more overs than any bowler at his age since 2010, more than twice as many as Rabada at that point in his career.
The obvious benefits that come with so much international cricket are there for all to see. Shaheen Shah Afridi is now a high-quality bowler.
Studies show that higher career workload improved performance. This is not surprising because skill is developed by targeted practice and exposure. The best players become the best and remain the best through consistent competition against the best. This is because this forces them to train in ways that help them to master exceptional skills, skills that they will be required to use and adapt to varying situations.
The more he plays, the better he will become. He will definitely achieve lots of milestones in his career. At 20 he has taken 48 Test wickets, 45 ODI wickets and 24 wickets in T20 internationals. The future looks bright for the young pacer if he is managed well.
Mental Fatigue
One of the dangers of not managing athletes well is the danger of mental fatigue. Sports competitions are extremely demanding on the mind. Therefore, demanding game situations — in combination with factors like training, sleep and stress — challenge an athlete physically and mentally and lead to the development of fatigue. A tired brain can negatively affect performance as much as a tired muscle. Researchers have suggested that the sensation of fatigue, once considered solely a physical phenomenon, might also arise from the brain.
In his study titled, "Fatigue in football: it’s not a brainless task!" Aaron J. Coutts states that "With the exception of military combat, it has been suggested that team sports such as football place more stress on the brain than any other activity."
Studies like the above-mentioned help shed light on the struggles Kagiso Rabada was facing when he spoke of himself not operating at 100%. He was burnt out. According to an article by nata.org, many athletes experiencing burnout report feeling trapped by circumstances of sports participation. The athlete first starts feels stale or overwhelmed, but is encouraged by coaches, strength staff, athletic trainers, teammates to push through.
Physical Dangers
Overexertion is the harbinger of injury in all forms of competitive sports. In cricket, it is the harbinger of injury. Remember Jofra Archer's elbow issues? His elbow stress fracture, which appeared just after their 2019 tour of New Zealand is said to have been the result of overuse.
This is because the art of fast bowling is incredibly complicated; it requires a bowler to perform multiple actions simultaneously, in a short period of time (approximately one second). This places immense physical demands on the body. As a result, fast bowlers have the highest risk of injury, with prevalence rates of approximately 42%.
The younger the bowler, the greater the risk. According to a study, younger players around 24 years or less, sustain more overuse and bowling injuries than older players.
According to a paper by researchers from Rhodes University's Department of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, by Lee Pote and his colleagues, "The demands placed on fast bowlers may elicit unique responses that contribute towards increased injury risk..."
Fast bowlers are at higher risk of injury, this is a widely accepted fact. But, the risk is not only from overuse, as underuse is as dangerous to them. The number of overs bowled and the frequency of bowling matters a great deal. Too much, and the bowler risks injury. Too little, and the bowler not only risks stunted development, but they also risk injury. For a decent career of quality performances, the management of fast bowlers' workloads is very important.
In their paper, "Assessment of Workload and its Effects on Performance and Injury in Elite Cricket Fast Bowlers," Dean J. McNamara, Tim J. Gabbett and Geraldine Naughton, reveals that, "Fast bowling workloads are linked to injury risk. Under-bowling and over-bowling performances increase the risk of injury. These findings suggest a minimum volume of bowling is required to increase injury resilience, while excessive bowling loads may increase injury risk."
It is my hope that Shaheen Shah Afridi is managed better, that his workload is reduced to reasonable amounts. Hell, I still want to see this guy bowl for 12 or more years to come. And I think his best is still to come.
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