External workload intensity in cricket fast bowlers across maximal and submaximal intensities: Modifying PlayerLoad and IMU location

Workload is a commonly accepted risk factor for injury among fast bowlers, however many methods exist to characterise workload. Recently, automated intensity-sensitive measures like PlayerLoad have been used to improve the estimation of workload in fast bowlers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether similar variables could be extracted from a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) that highly correlate with intensity, according to release speed. Eight elite and pre-elite bowlers participated in the study, with each bowler bowling one over each at 60%, 80% and 100% intensity and repeating this across two sessions (36 balls per participant). IMUs were placed on the upper-back and non-bowling wrist and maximum PlayerLoad from each delivery (PLmax) was compared to the accumulated value across each delivery (PLacc). The strongest correlation with release speed was with PLacc from the non-bowling wrist (R = 0.74), followed by PLacc from the upper-back (R = 0.65) and PLmax from the upper back (R = 0.60). Consequently, an improved estimation of the intensity at which bowlers are working at could be gained by examining accumulated PlayerLoad values from an IMU on the non-bowling wrist.

Automated summary

The study found a correlation between workload and injury risk among fast bowlers, and suggested that utilizing IMUs can improve workload estimation and provide intensity-related variables, helping to understand the working intensity of bowlers.