{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T05:25:36Z","timestamp":1787030736155,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787011200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Sports Act. Living"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Monitoring athletes' perceived wellness has become an important component of daily tasks of practitioners, yet the properties of brief wellness questionnaires remain insufficiently examined in specific team sport contexts. The purpose of this study was to describe the internal consistency, between-athlete reliability, and estimates of measurement error for a modified wellness questionnaire during short-term field monitoring and to explore associations with selected external monitoring variables.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Routinely collected data from eighteen elite male water polo players were retrospectively analyzed across 12 repeated measurement occasions, resulting in 216 questionnaire observations. The questionnaire assessed sleep quality, physical and, upper- and lower-body fatigue, mental fatigue, and stress, from which composite recovery and fatigue scores were derived. All items were scored so that higher values indicated a more favorable status. External variables included sleep duration, heart rate variability (HRV), and daily summed session-rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE); additional lagged models examined potential delayed associations with recovery and fatigue.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Most wellness indicators demonstrated low between-athlete reliability, particularly sleep quality and recovery-related items, indicating substantial within-athlete variability over time. Internal consistency was acceptable for the recovery composite and good for the fatigue composite. SEM values were 0.61 for recovery and 0.59 for fatigue, with corresponding MDC\n                      <jats:sub>95<\/jats:sub>\n                      values of 1.69 and 1.64. Within-questionnaire mixed-effects models showed that recovery was associated with the stress score across measurement occasions. Exploratory external-association analyses showed that sleep duration was associated with perceived sleep quality and recovery, while HRV was associated with the stress score. Daily summed s-RPE was not meaningfully associated with concurrent wellness scores, although higher previous day s-RPE was associated with less favorable next-day fatigue.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The modified wellness questionnaire showed interpretable internal score patterns and selected exploratory external associations during short-term descriptive monitoring in this specific elite water polo setting. However, the findings do not establish full psychometric validation, responsiveness, or suitability for training prescription decisions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fspor.2026.1902609","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:29:13Z","timestamp":1787027353000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Preliminary field evaluation and exploratory external-association analysis of a modified wellness questionnaire for short-term monitoring in elite male water polo players"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Zsolt","family":"Varga","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Hungarian Water Polo Federation","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gergely","family":"Luk\u00e1cs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hungarian Water Polo Federation","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]},{"name":"Physical Education and Exercise Center, Medical School, University of P\u00e9cs","place":["P\u00e9cs, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andr\u00e1s","family":"G\u00e1rdonyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hungarian Water Polo Federation","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zolt\u00e1n","family":"Tarj\u00e1nyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hungarian Water Polo Federation","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]},{"name":"Heart and Vascular Centre, Semmelweis University","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"N\u00e1ndor","family":"Prikid\u00e1novics","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hungarian Water Polo Federation","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kinga","family":"Shenker-Horv\u00e1th","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hungarian Water Polo Federation","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]},{"name":"Center for Sports Nutrition Science, Hungarian University of Sports Science","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"G\u00e1bor","family":"Pavlik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences and Sport Medicine, Hungarian University of Sports Science","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"G\u00e1bor","family":"G\u00e9czi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport Management, Hungarian University of Sports Science","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"S\u00e1ndor","family":"S\u00e1f\u00e1r","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Training Theory and Methodology Research Center, Hungarian University of Sports Science","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kriszti\u00e1n","family":"Havanecz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hungarian Water Polo Federation","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]},{"name":"Training Theory and Methodology Research Center, Hungarian University of Sports Science","place":["Budapest, Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-199520050-00003","article-title":"Monitoring overtraining in athletes. Recommendations","volume":"20","author":"Hooper","year":"1995","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2015-094758","article-title":"Monitoring the athlete training response: subjective self-reported measures trump commonly used objective measures: a systematic review","volume":"50","author":"Saw","year":"2016","journal-title":"Br J Sports Med"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S2-161","DOI":"10.1123\/IJSPP.2017-0208","article-title":"Monitoring athlete training loads: consensus statement","volume":"12","author":"Bourdon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int J Sports Physiol Perform"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327965pli0901_1","article-title":"The contours of positive human health","volume":"9","author":"Ryff","year":"1998","journal-title":"Psychol Inq"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.2307\/3090197","article-title":"The mental health continuum: from languishing to flourishing in life","volume":"43","author":"Keyes","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Health Soc Behav"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-014-0253-z","article-title":"Monitoring training load to understand fatigue in athletes","volume":"44","author":"Halson","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1451","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2016-097298","article-title":"The athlete monitoring cycle: a practical guide to interpreting and applying training monitoring data","volume":"51","author":"Gabbett","year":"2017","journal-title":"Br J Sports Med"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1186\/s40798-022-00433-y","article-title":"The current state of subjective training load monitoring: follow-up and future directions","volume":"8","author":"Coyne","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sports Med Open"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2015-095788","article-title":"The training-injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder?","volume":"50","author":"Gabbett","year":"2016","journal-title":"Br J Sports Med"},{"key":"B10","first-page":"19","article-title":"Developing athlete monitoring systems: theoretical basis and practical applications","volume-title":"Sport, Recovery and Performance: Interdisciplinary Insights","author":"Coutts","year":"2018"},{"key":"B11","volume-title":"Psychometric Theory","author":"Nunnally","year":"1994"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1207\/S15327752JPA8001_18","article-title":"Starting at the beginning: an introduction to coefficient alpha and internal consistency","volume":"80","author":"Streiner","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Pers Assess"},{"key":"B13","volume-title":"Scale Development: Theory and Applications","author":"DeVellis","year":"2017"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1449","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2016.01449","article-title":"Team synergies in sport: theory and measures","volume":"7","author":"Ara\u00fajo","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3188","DOI":"10.1519\/JSC.0000000000002680","article-title":"Physiological and tactical on-court demands of water polo","volume":"33","author":"Botonis","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Strength Cond Res"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-199826010-00001","article-title":"Overtraining and recovery. A conceptual model","volume":"26","author":"Kentt\u00e4","year":"1998","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"367","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.5.3.367","article-title":"Neuromuscular, endocrine, and perceptual fatigue responses during different length between-match microcycles in professional rugby league players","volume":"5","author":"McLean","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int J Sports Physiol Perform"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.2017-0759","article-title":"Recovery and performance in sport: consensus statement","volume":"13","author":"Kellmann","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Sports Physiol Perform"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1103","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-200333150-00003","article-title":"A framework for understanding the training process leading to elite performance","volume":"33","author":"Smith","year":"2003","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"944","DOI":"10.4085\/1062-6050-0528.19","article-title":"Single-item self-report measures of team-sport athlete wellbeing and their relationship with training load: a systematic review","volume":"55","author":"Duignan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Athl Train"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6317","DOI":"10.3390\/s22166317","article-title":"A validation of six wearable devices for estimating sleep, heart rate and heart rate variability in healthy adults","volume":"22","author":"Miller","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sensors (Basel)"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3571","DOI":"10.3390\/s21103571","article-title":"Wrist-based photoplethysmography assessment of heart rate and heart rate variability: validation of WHOOP","volume":"21","author":"Bellenger","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sensors (Basel)"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1519\/00124278-200102000-00019","article-title":"A new approach to monitoring exercise training","volume":"15","author":"Foster","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Strength Cond Res"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"656","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.2013-0297","article-title":"The validity of the session-RPE method for quantifying training load in water polo","volume":"9","author":"Lupo","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int J Sports Physiol Perform"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0b013e31818cb278","article-title":"Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science","volume":"41","author":"Hopkins","year":"2009","journal-title":"Med Sci Sports Exerc"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"295","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jrp.2006.04.003","article-title":"The integrated trait\u2013state model","volume":"41","author":"Hamaker","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Res. Pers"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S2-27","DOI":"10.1123\/ijspp.2016-0434","article-title":"Monitoring fatigue status in elite team-sport athletes: implications for practice","volume":"12","author":"Thorpe","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int J Sports Physiol Perform"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1249\/MSS.0b013e318279a10a","article-title":"Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: joint consensus statement of the European College of Sport Science and the American College of Sports Medicine","volume":"45","author":"Meeusen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Med Sci Sports Exerc"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.4324\/9781003258117-3","article-title":"Developing athlete monitoring systems: theoretical basis and practical applications","volume-title":"Recovery and Well-Being in Sport and Exercise","author":"Coutts","year":"2021"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Sports and Active Living"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fspor.2026.1902609\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:29:14Z","timestamp":1787027354000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fspor.2026.1902609\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]]},"references-count":29,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fspor.2026.1902609"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fspor.2026.1902609","relation":{},"ISSN":["2624-9367"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2624-9367","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]]},"article-number":"1902609"}}