CPSS Acute and Chronic Monitoring 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A sport scientist is comparing 'rolling averages' vs. 'exponentially weighted moving averages' (EWMA) for calculating ACWR. What is the primary advantage of EWMA?
- EWMA requires less data to calculate
- EWMA gives more weight to recent training loads, making it more responsive to load changes (Correct answer)
- EWMA eliminates the lag artifact associated with rolling averages
- EWMA removes the need for subjective wellness data
Correct answer: EWMA gives more weight to recent training loads, making it more responsive to load changes
EWMA assigns greater weight to more recent training sessions, making it more sensitive to rapid changes in load compared to a simple rolling average that treats all days equally.
Question 2: Which outcome best describes 'non-functional overreaching' (NFOR) as distinguished from 'functional overreaching' (FOR)?
- NFOR involves planned short-term performance decrement with rapid recovery
- NFOR results in prolonged performance decrements lasting weeks to months with mood disturbances (Correct answer)
- NFOR is associated exclusively with strength training, not endurance sports
- NFOR resolves within 72 hours with adequate nutrition
Correct answer: NFOR results in prolonged performance decrements lasting weeks to months with mood disturbances
NFOR is characterized by performance decrements that persist for weeks to months, accompanied by mood disturbances and hormonal disruption, distinguishing it from the short-term decrement of FOR.
Question 3: During a taper week, which physiological change would indicate positive readiness adaptation?
- Decreased HRV and elevated resting HR
- Increased resting HRV and normalized testosterone-to-cortisol ratio (Correct answer)
- Elevated CK levels persisting above baseline
- Declining Hooper Index scores across the week
Correct answer: Increased resting HRV and normalized testosterone-to-cortisol ratio
During an effective taper, HRV typically increases toward baseline and the T:C ratio normalizes, reflecting reduced fatigue and improved autonomic recovery.
Question 4: Which of the following represents an internal load monitoring method?
- GPS-derived total distance
- Accelerometer-derived player load
- Session RPE × session duration (Correct answer)
- Sprint count from video analysis
Correct answer: Session RPE × session duration
Internal load refers to the physiological stress experienced by the athlete; session RPE × duration (training load in AU) captures the athlete's subjective physiological response, making it an internal load measure.
Question 5: An athlete completes a countermovement jump (CMJ) test battery weekly. Which CMJ variable is most sensitive to accumulated neuromuscular fatigue?
- Jump height
- Reactive strength index
- Flight time-to-contraction time ratio (Correct answer)
- Peak power output
Correct answer: Flight time-to-contraction time ratio
The flight time-to-contraction time (FT:CT) ratio is highly sensitive to neuromuscular fatigue because contraction time increases as force production capacity is compromised.
Question 6: Which principle of athlete monitoring suggests that changes in metrics are most meaningful when compared to an individual athlete's own baseline rather than population norms?
- Standardization principle
- Individualization principle (Correct answer)
- Specificity of adaptation
- Ecological validity
Correct answer: Individualization principle
The individualization principle recognizes that athlete responses to training are highly variable, so changes from personal baselines are more actionable than comparisons to group averages.
Question 7: Which of the following describes 'training strain' as a monitoring construct?
- Total training volume divided by average intensity
- The product of total weekly load and training monotony (Correct answer)
- The ratio of high-intensity to low-intensity sessions
- Chronic load minus acute load
Correct answer: The product of total weekly load and training monotony
Training strain is calculated as total weekly training load multiplied by training monotony, capturing both the magnitude and uniformity of the training stimulus.
CPSS Acute and Chronic Monitoring 4
A sport scientist is comparing 'rolling averages' vs. 'exponentially weighted moving averages' (EWMA) for calculating ACWR.
What is the primary advantage of EWMA?