Abstract
Purpose: Sled towing has been shown to be an effective method to enhance the physical qualities in youth athletes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a 6-week sled towing intervention on muscular strength, speed and power in elite youth soccer players of differing maturity status. Method: Seventy-three male elite youth soccer players aged 12–18 years (Pre-Peak Height Velocity [PHV] n = 25; Circa-PHV n = 24; Post-PHV n = 24) from one professional soccer academy participated in this study. Sprint assessments (10 m and 30 m), countermovement jump and isometric mid-thigh pull were undertaken before (T1) and after (T2) a 6-week intervention. The training intervention consisted of 6 weeks (2 × per week, 10 sprints over 20 m distance) of resisted sled towing (linear progression 10%–30% of body mass) during the competitive season. Bayesian regression models analysed differences between T1 and T2 within each maturity group. Results: There were minimal changes in strength, speed and power (P = 0.35–0.80) for each maturity group across the 6-week intervention. Where there were changes with greater certainty, they are unlikely to represent real effect due to higher regression to the mean (RTM). Conclusion: It appears that a 6-week sled towing training programme with loadings of 10%–30% body mass only maintains physical qualities in elite youth soccer players pre-, circa-, and post-PHV. Further research is required to determine the effectiveness of this training method in long-term athletic development programmes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 75-87 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 28 Jan 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2021 |
Bibliographical note
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© 2021, The Author(s).
Keywords
- IMTP
- Long-term athletic development
- Maturation
- Speed
- Strength
- Youth development
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Physiology
- Rehabilitation
- Nutrition and Dietetics