Fatigue in Sport and Exercise

Fatigue is an important concern for athletes at all levels, recreational sport and exercise participants, athletic coaches, personal trainers, and fitness professionals. The study of fatigue is also important for students of the sport, exercise, and health sciences, as it enables a deeper understanding of fundamental physical function and the limitations behind human performance. There remains considerable debate about the definition of fatigue, what causes it, its impact during different forms of sport and exercise, and the multitude of factors that can influence the nature and severity of fatigue. The vast body of literature in these areas can make it challenging to understand what we know and what we still need to understand about fatigue in sport and exercise. The second edition of this book presents a fully revised and updated overview of the contemporary research evidence into sport and exercise fatigue. The book examines the latest thinking into how we conceptualise fatigue, as well as how we measure it. The fundamental science of fatigue is introduced, focussing predominantly on physiological aspects of energy depletion, metabolic acidosis, environmental challenges, electrolytes and minerals, and the perception of fatigue as it relates to mental fatigue and the central regulation of sport and exercise performance. Each chapter includes real case studies from sport and exercise, as well as useful features to aid learning and understanding such as definitions of key terms, guides to further reading, and discussion questions. Fatigue in Sport and Exercise, Second Edition is an invaluable companion for any degree-level course in sport and exercise science, fitness and training, or strength and conditioning.

Shaun Phillips, PhD is Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, with 15 years experience teaching undergraduate and postgraduate sport and exercise science, strength and conditioning, and physical activity for health students. His research interests focus on fatigue and human performance, and high-intensity interval exercise as a population health tool. Alongside his academic expertise, Shaun has provided research and consultancy services for elite and professional sport and health organisations, including the FIA Young Driver Excellence Academy and Rally Star programmes, Heart of Midlothian Football Club, The Scottish Institute of Sport, the Scottish Female Hockey Team, and the National Health Service.

Section 1: What is Fatigue? 1. Conceptualising, Measuring, and Researching Fatigue in Sport and Exercise Section 2: What Causes (and What does not Cause) Fatigue? 2. Energy Depletion 3. Metabolic Acidosis 4. Environmental Stress 5. Potassium, Calcium, and Inorganic Phosphate 6. Central Fatigue, and Central Regulation of Performance 7. Mental Fatigue Section 3: Fatigue: Is it the Same for Everyone? 8. Influence of Sport and Exercise Demand on Fatigue Mechanisms 9. Influence of Biological Sex and Training Statis on Fatigue Section 4: Summary: Where Next? 10. Conclusion