Changes in subjective mental and physical fatigue during netball games in elite development athletes

Abstract Objectives To assess the magnitude of changes in, and relationships between, physical and mental fatigue pre-to-post match in elite development netballers. Design Observational. Methods Twelve female netballers (21.3 ± 2.9 years) competing in the Australian Netball League reported perceptual measures of mental and physical fatigue pre- and post-match on 12 separate competition occasions. Minutes played, to allow for calculation of weighted changes (ratings proportional to playing time), positional groups and performance analysis variables were also assessed. Results Post-match ratings were higher (p  Conclusions Mental and physical fatigue were found to increase across netball matches in elite development athletes. Mental fatigue emerged as a largely separate construct to physical fatigue.