In youth sports, conditioning is typically an afterthought for most coaches. Based on how much time is left at the end of the practice, they’ll line the kids up on the goal line and have them do some version of interval training, most often with a name like “gassers” or “suicides”. Progressions are usually not planned or implemented, and volume and intensity may be more related to the teams most recent performance (i.e., punishment conditioning) than based on needs. This type of conditioning is hit or miss in terms of effectiveness. Why leave such an important component of performance up to chance with poor planning and programming? If planned appropriately, conditioning work can be conducted such that other facets of performance can also be improved, not just physical fitness.
In a new study published in the latest issue of Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, a group of researchers evaluated the effects of two different conditioning programs on markers of performance. A group of 19 highly trained male soccer players (age = 15) were assigned to one of two groups, both of which would perform 20 repeated sprints of 15 s with 30 s of recovery between sprints. One group had a preplanned 180 degree change of direction as part of each sprint while the other group had to react to a visual stimulus before changing direction. Before and after 6 training sessions, the athletes were tested in the Illinois Agility Test, change of direction speed in response to a visual stimulus, 20 m sprinting speed, and vertical jump height.
The results showed that both conditioning protocols significantly improved Illinois Agility Test times. 20 m sprint time and vertical jump height did not change for either group. Change of direction speed in response to a visual stimulus improved only in the group who included this in their protocol. Even though the other group included a change of direction, the fact that it was pre-planned appears to negate any benefits that would come from reactivity to a stimulus. Thus, it would appear that adding a change of direction to repeated sprint training prompted by a visual stimulus as opposed to being predictable, will have greater transfer to sport-specific performance.
Dennis-Peter Born, Christoph Zinner, Peter Düking, Billy Sperlich, (2016) Multi-Directional Sprint Training Improves Change-Of-Direction Speed and Reactive Agility in Young Highly Trained Soccer Players. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (15), 314 – 319.