Validity evidence of sample time series graphs for American Football athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.500Keywords:
American football, Overtraining, Training load control, Validity evidence, PsychometricsAbstract
American football is a high-contact sport characterized by intermittent bouts of intense physical activities. Effective monitoring of training stress is critical for optimizing athletic performance and minimizing injury risk in this demanding sport. Our objective in this observational study was to investigate the validity of evidence of Sample Time Series Graphs (STSG) as a multifactorial stress monitoring tool in Brazilian American football athletes. Thirty-eight athletes underwent anthropometric evaluations, and pre- and post-competition assessments, including STSG, Daily Analysis of Life Demands for Athletes (DALDA), Session Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE-TL), and motor performance tests. STSG's internal structure was verified through exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. The significance level was set at (p<0.05). Concurrent validity was analyzed by correlating STSG items with DALDA, weekly sRPE-TL, monotony, and strain. Sensitivity was evaluated using generalized estimating equations (GEE) and generalized mixed models (GMM). Our findings showed that STSG demonstrated robust factorial structure (χ² = 12.4, df = 4, p = 0.02; RMSEA = 0.0724; BIC = -11.6; TLI = 0.93), adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.648), and relevant concurrent validity (ρ > 0.39; ρ < -0.41). Analyses indicated increased stress near competitions, primarily in muscle soreness and training readiness. STSG was proved as a valid and reliable tool for monitoring stress indicators in Brazilian American football athletes, potentially optimizing performance and well-being. Further research should explore the STSG’s applicability across diverse sports and competitive levels.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Márcio Fernando Tasinafo Júnior, Leonardo Santos Lopes da Silva, Leonardo da Silva Gonçalves, André Pereira Dos Santos, Pedro Pugliesi Abdalla, Dalmo Roberto Lopes Machado (Author)
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