Reference values for the creatine kinase response to professional Australian football match-play

Professional Australian football elicits a profound effect on the CK response. The values provide a reference tool for athletes competing at this level of competition. The novel method of representing the CK response as a percentage difference from an individuals' season-mean enables a superior comparative ability between CK responses and reduces the high CK responder bias that occurs when using raw scores alone. The data will assist medical and conditioning staff in excluding medical emergencies and also aid in individualising the prescription of training loads and recovery to optimise athlete performance and minimise further muscle damage.