Thesis (PhD (Sports Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / There is general consensus that athletes, striving to compete and perform at the highest level, should optimally balance training and competition stress with adequate regeneration. Although a well-planned training programme is of utmost importance, the time between training sessions and competitions is critical for the modern-day athlete. It is suggested that athletes should apply a variety of recovery methods to enhance the regeneration process. Although team sport is a popular entity throughout the world, there is limited published research on the regeneration process in team athletes and recovery methods to enhance the regeneration process. The aim of this study was to develop a model that could serve as a guideline for the regeneration of team athletes within the South African context. Two phases were involved in the process of developing a model. Phase one involved a research of literature in order to assess which strategies can be implemented for athletic regeneration, and what information team athletes are given for regeneration. The second phase involved an investigation into the recovery strategies that are currently used for regeneration by elite South African team players during the competitive phase of the year. Research questions focused on the recovery methods used by players, the perceived importance of various recovery methods to the players, and the relationship between sport and level of participation in the use of recovery strategies. This study did not attempt to assess the knowledge of the players on recovery methods.

In dieser Studie wurde das Schlaf-Wach-Verhalten jugendlicher Elite-Mannschaftsathleten in Österreich im Zusammenhang mit deren Training untersucht. Dafür wurden 104 Athleten (M=14.52 Jahre, SD=0.40), die jeweils Mitglied eines U15/U16 Teams im Fußball (n=69) oder Eishockey (n =35) waren, über mehrere Wochen (14–42 Tage) per Aktigraphie und Schlafprotokoll untersucht. Zusätzlich wurden der Chronotyp (D-MEQ) und die allgemeine Schlafqualität (PSQI) erhoben. Es wurde angenommen, dass die Schlafqualität vor Trainings- und Spieltagen geringer ist als vor Ruhetagen und dass sich eine geringe Schlafqualität negativ auf die Trainingsintensität auswirkt. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Athleten an Ruhetagen eine längere Schlafdauer aufweisen. Es hat sich außerdem bestätigt, dass eine kürzere Schlafdauer und längere Einschlaflatenz einen negativen Einfluss auf die wahrgenommene Trainingsintensität am folgenden Tag haben. Ein stärkerer Einbezug der Schlafqualität bei Leistungsanalysen und in der Gestaltung von Trainingsplänen wird empfohlen. / This study investigates the sleep-wake behavior of elite youth team athletes in Austria concerning their training. For this purpose, 104 athletes (M = 14.52, SD = 0.40), who were each part of a U15/U16 soccer (n = 69) or ice hockey team (n = 35), were examined over 14–42 days using actigraphy and sleep protocol. In addition, we assessed chronotype (D-MEQ) and general sleep quality (PSQI). We hypothesized that sleep quality before training and matchdays would be lower than before rest days, and that low sleep quality would negatively affect training intensity. The study showed that athletes slept longer on rest days. It also confirmed that shorter sleep duration and longer sleep onset latency negatively impact perceived training intensity the following day. A greater emphasis on sleep quality in performance analyses and in the design of training plans is recommended.