Date of Award

8-1-2013

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Mathematics

First Advisor

Bruce Wade

Committee Members

Richard Stockbridge, Suzanne Boyd

Abstract

Intermittent sports create challenges regarding performance measurement. Quantification of various physiological characteristics can lead to increased performance and injury reduction throughout a season of competition. Currently, a variation of an athletes' heart rate is the primary physiological characteristic used for quantifying load on the athlete. With increasing technology, we have the ability to gather additional characteristics regarding the physicality of athletes during competition. This study statistically compares various models using these new characteristics as predictors to the athletes' lactate concentration in their blood. From this comparison, we determine which physiological characteristic(s) best represent the performance and fatigue of these athletes. In addition to the characteristics, this study evaluated the best method of quantifying the load on an athlete based on the best-fit model of the aforementioned variables. Finally, we use this model to calculate the load experienced by these athletes in a practice session to understand how this physical load quantity can be utilized in practices, matches and recovery.

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