RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 How much is too much? (Part 1) International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury JF British Journal of Sports Medicine JO Br J Sports Med FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine SP 1030 OP 1041 DO 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096581 VO 50 IS 17 A1 Soligard, Torbjørn A1 Schwellnus, Martin A1 Alonso, Juan-Manuel A1 Bahr, Roald A1 Clarsen, Ben A1 Dijkstra, H Paul A1 Gabbett, Tim A1 Gleeson, Michael A1 Hägglund, Martin A1 Hutchinson, Mark R A1 Janse van Rensburg, Christa A1 Khan, Karim M A1 Meeusen, Romain A1 Orchard, John W A1 Pluim, Babette M A1 Raftery, Martin A1 Budgett, Richard A1 Engebretsen, Lars YR 2016 UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/17/1030.abstract AB Athletes participating in elite sports are exposed to high training loads and increasingly saturated competition calendars. Emerging evidence indicates that poor load management is a major risk factor for injury. The International Olympic Committee convened an expert group to review the scientific evidence for the relationship of load (defined broadly to include rapid changes in training and competition load, competition calendar congestion, psychological load and travel) and health outcomes in sport. We summarise the results linking load to risk of injury in athletes, and provide athletes, coaches and support staff with practical guidelines to manage load in sport. This consensus statement includes guidelines for (1) prescription of training and competition load, as well as for (2) monitoring of training, competition and psychological load, athlete well-being and injury. In the process, we identified research priorities.