Training Load in Sport: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives
Training load is a critical component of athletic development, which involves manipulating various parameters, such as training intensity, volume, frequency, and density, to promote positive adaptations in the athlete's performance. However, training load can also have negative effects, such as excessive fatigue, injuries, and overtraining, which can impair the athlete's performance and health. It is therefore crucial to understand how training load can be optimized to improve athletic performance and minimize associated risks. This Research Topic aims to provide a current perspective on the knowledge and challenges associated with the effects of careful manipulation and load management to optimize performance and promote the health of athletes from different sports and competitive levels. The results obtained may be of particular importance for identifying the best and most current load prescription practices in different sports, as well as preventive and treatment interventions for injuries related to excessive training. Furthermore, research can provide information about the physiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between training load and athletic performance, which can be useful in developing new, more efficient and safer training strategies.