TABLE 2.
Blood biomarkers of muscle damage and inflammation and their change across post-match recovery.
| Study | Rugby code | Group | Sample (n) | Δ to 0–≤12 h (%) | Δ to 12–≤24 h (%) | Δ to 24–≤36 h (%) | Δ to 36–≤48 h (%) | Δ to 48–≤72 h (%) | Δ to ≥72 h (%) |
| Creatine kinase (U/L or IU.L–1) | |||||||||
| Cunniffe et al., 2010 | RU | Team | 10 | 55.9 | 255.0 | 125.2 | |||
| da Silva et al., 2020 | RU | Team | 14 | 44.9 | 225.8 | 74.1 | 6.3 | –21.0 | |
| Gill et al., 2006 * | RU | Team | 23 | 114.5 | |||||
| Johnston et al., 2013 | RL | Team | 7 | 82.5 | 175.5 | 143.8 | |||
| Johnston et al., 2015 | RL | Team | 21 | 126.0 | 55.0 | ||||
| Jones et al., 2014 | RU | Backs | 13 | 451.5 | 197.1 | ||||
| Forwards | 15 | 191.6 | 104.1 | ||||||
| McLellan et al., 2011a | RL | Team | 17 | 50.3 | 211.6 | 96.0 | 83.1 | 46.4 | |
| Minett et al., 2010 * | RU | Team | 12 | 133.7 | |||||
| Murphy et al., 2013 *# | RL | Team | 9 | 95.3 | 162.1 | ||||
| Oxendale et al., 2016 | RL | Team | 28 | 263.3 | 170.2 | 19.6 | |||
| Suzuki et al., 2004 | RU | Team | 15 | 18.0 | 53.7 | –14.2 | |||
| Takarada, 2003 | RU | Team | 15 | 265.5 | 585.2 | 390.5 | 176.6 | ||
| Twist et al., 2012 | RL | Backs | 10 | 167.9 | 88.9 | ||||
| Forwards | 13 | 285.1 | 144.6 | ||||||
| Webb et al., 2013 * | RL | Team | 21 | 36.6 | 167.1 | 91.5 | |||
| West et al., 2014a $ | R7 | Team | 10 | 152.8 | 222.2 | ||||
| Skein et al., 2013 *# | RL | Team | 11 | 100.0 | 225.0 | ||||
| Myoglobin (μg/L or ng.mL–1) | |||||||||
| Lindsay et al., 2015a *¤ | RU | Team | 18 | 2589.0 | –58.9 | ||||
| Lindsay et al., 2015b | RU | Team | 11 | 148.5 | 1.3 | –24.7 | –38.0 | ||
| Takarada, 2003 | RU | Team | 15 | 2091.8 | 191.7 | 33.3 | 8.3 | ||
| C-reactive Protein (U/L or mg.L–1) | |||||||||
| Cunniffe et al., 2010 | RU | Team | 10 | –2.1 | 121.6 | 201.0 | |||
| Minett et al., 2010 * | RU | Team | 12 | 40.0 | |||||
| Murphy et al., 2013 *# | RL | Team | 9 | 9.8 | 64.1 | ||||
| Skein et al., 2013 *# | RL | Team | 11 | 7.3 | 46.0 | ||||
All values were converted into percentage change from raw data which was extracted from tables or digitised figures or from percentage change at a given time point reported in each study. *Values are extracted from the control group condition in these studies which implemented an intervention in a controlled trial. #Two values were reported in the 0–≤12 h time period, with the earliest value reported post-match extracted for consistency. $Only values reported with respect to day one were included as this was a multi-day rugby sevens tournament. ¤Raw data was provided by the author on request. IU.L, international equivalent units per litre; mg.L, milligrammes per litre; R7, rugby sevens; RL, rugby league; RU, rugby union. Δ - indicates the change from baseline to a given time period.