Association of Performance in Strength and Plyometric Tests with Change of Direction Performance in Young Female Team-Sport Athletes.

Hallvard Nygaard Falch,Eirik Lindset Kristiansen,Markus Estifanos Haugen,Roland Van Den Tillaar

doi:10.3390/jfmk6040083

Hallvard Nygaard Falch, Eirik Lindset Kristiansen + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk6040083

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Abstract

The change of direction (COD) ability is a task-specific skill dependent on different factors such as the degree of the turn, which has led to differentiating CODs as more force- (>90°) or velocity-oriented (<90°). Considering force and velocity requirements is of importance when designing sport-specific training programs for enhancing COD performance. Thus, 25 female handball and soccer players participated in this study, which investigated the association between three different strength and plyometric exercises and force- and velocity-oriented COD performance. By utilizing the median split analysis, the participants were further divided into a fast (n = 8) and a slow (n = 8) COD group, to investigate differences in step kinematics between fast and slow performers. The correlational analysis revealed that the bilateral back squat and unilateral quarter squat were significantly associated with several force- and velocity-oriented COD performance (r = −0.46 to −0.64), while the association between plyometric and COD performance was limited (r < 0.44). The fast COD group revealed higher levels of strength, jump height, peak velocities, higher step frequencies, shorter ground contact times, and greater acceleration and braking power (d > 1.29, p < 0.03). It was concluded that the observed correlation between strength and COD performance might be due to stronger athletes being able to produce more workload in a shorter time, which was supported by the step kinematics.

Highlights

IntroductionIn court and field sports, athletes are required to possess numerous physical and tactical skills [1,2]
In female court and field sport athletes, the bilateral and quarter squat revealed the greatest association with change of direction (COD) performance, possibly due to the demands of the kneeextensor and hip-flexors for rapidly applying force when accelerating/decelerating in a COD
The association between plyometric and COD performance was limited. These results indicate that stronger athletes have higher levels of power production, positively influencing COD performance

Summary

Introduction

In court and field sports, athletes are required to possess numerous physical and tactical skills [1,2]. The physical skills required are distinctive for the different sports, positions on the field, and team tactics [3,4]. Despite the short timeframe of these high-intensity actions relative to total match-time, they are decisive for match outcomes as they often precede match-decisive situations [10,11]. One such important high-intensity action is the physical ability to rapidly perform a change of direction (COD), which frequently occurs in team sports [12,13,14]. Lower-limb strength, power, and reactive strength are leg muscle qualities positive for COD performance [18], due to the importance of rapidly expressing a large amount of force over multiple steps when performing a COD [16,19,20]

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Conclusion