CHANGES IN LOWER BODY STRENGTH AND LINEAR SPEED PERFORMANCE IN NCAA DIVISION 2 COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL PLAYERS ACROSS THREE COMPETITIVE SEASONS

Abstract

The implementation of resistance training to enhance muscular strength alongside other physical performance tasks such as linear speed or agility is a primary goal for strength and conditioning practitioners working with American football athletes. This study aimed to investigate changes in body weight, relative and absolute lower body strength, as well as linear speed ability and sprint momentum over three collegiate American football seasons. Additionally, relationships between change scores within the previously mentioned metrics, as well as the effect of Season-1 baseline strength levels on subsequent improvements in strength and linear speed were analyzed. Significant increases in body weight as well as relative and absolute lower body strength and sprint momentum were observed between Season-1 and Season-3. However, no significant improvements in linear speed were observed. Further, only change scores in body weight were found to be significantly related to change scores in the linear speed. Lastly, the group of athletes with lower Season-1 strength levels experienced significantly greater improvements in linear speed (i.e., reduction in 40-yard dash times), compared to the group with higher Season-1 strength levels. Our results indicate that athletes within our sample were able to experience increases in strength and body weight. However, such increases were not accompanied by improvements in the linear speed. While speculative, the significantly greater improvement in linear speed within the group with lower Season-1 relative strength levels may indicate that improvements in linear speed align with increases in strength, until athletes reach a certain level of strength.