(63) A COMPARISON OF EXTERNAL LOADS IN DIVISION III MEN'S LACROSSE BETWEEN HIGH COMPETITION MATCHES AND LOW COMPETITION MATCHES

Lacrosse is an open-field sport with limited knowledge of the demands of gameplay at the NCAA Division III level. As game demands change due to competition levels, there may be an alteration in the physiological stress imparted on the players, which may vary by position.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the external loads on Division III men’s lacrosse players during NCAA season games between different levels of competition and positions.

Methods: Comparisons were made between the external loads placed on the different positions against top competition versus those experienced versus low competition matches. Top competition matches were defined as matches against teams that qualified for the NCAA championship tournament (High) whereas low competition (Low) matches included teams that did not qualify. The external load was assessed using a global positioning system (GPS; Sports Performance Tracker, Melbourne, Australia) worn at every competition. Data was uploaded and trimmed to match the start and end times of competitions of players that competed for more than 50% of the competition time (n=330). The dependent variables assessed included total distance (m), work rate (m/min), intensity (AU), 2D load (AU), and 3D load (AU). RESULTS: Defensive players were found to have significantly higher external load values against High versus Low competition for total distance (6761.66±622.24m vs. 4965.92±1596.14m; p=0.003), work rate (67.01±5.87 m·min-1 vs. 50.62±16.69 m·min-1; p=0.006 ), intensity (22.09±3.43AU vs. 15.46±6.99AU; p=0.071), 2D load (271.06±25.73AU vs. 201.36±66.49AU; p= 0.039 ) and 3D load (416.08±33.57AU vs. 303.71±98.54AU; p=0.022). Additionally, there were no significant differences (p >0.05) for other positions between competition levels. CONCLUSIONS: High competition levels exert a higher external load for defensive players, but not attack, midfield, or specialists (goalie, face-off, etc), which may be due to the increased number of defensive interactions as well as the more reactive nature of lacrosse defense, whereas offense is more intentional and results in more consistent movement. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Defensive players may need an additional level of conditioning to prepare for the higher levels of stress experienced during higher competition games, which could be used to guide off-season and pre-season training as well as load management strategies for fatigue mitigation.

Acknowledgements: None