The effect of interstate travel on the steep patterns and performance of elite Australian Rules footballers

This study examined the effect of interstate travel on steep patterns and game performance of elite Australian Rules footballers. Nineteen members of a Western Australian-based Australian Football League team participated in the study during the 2004 season. Steep was assessed on the night before home and away games by measuring sleep duration (SLD), steep efficiency (SLE), wake time (WT) and number of wakings (NW) via actigraphy. Subjective steep quality was assessed using a steep rating (SR) scale. Baseline steep measurements were obtained over four consecutive non-game nights. Game performance was assessed using a coach's rating (CR) scale and impact ranking (IR) and by player statistics including frequency of possessions (P) and frequency of possessions and team assists (PTA). Compared to baseline, SLD was greater on the nights before home and away games (by 48 and 39 min, respectively, p < 0.05). Other steep measures were unchanged. Steep rating was poorer before away than home games (p < 0.05). CR and IR were greater during home than away games (p < 0.05). All other measures of performance were similar at home and away. These results show that prior interstate travel has minimal effect on steep quality and game performance in elite footballers. (c) 2007 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.