Comparative Analysis of Adaptations Progress in VO2max, Leg Power, and Agility among Male and Female Sports Science Students

Abstract

The strength and conditioning program has emerged as a widely adopted, structured exercise intervention aimed at enhancing muscle strength, endurance, speed, power, flexibility, and physical function, all while mitigating the risk of injuries. Several studies, however, have assessed strength and conditioning interventions in general for sports science students at the university. Objectives: Therefore, this study aims to explore the differential effects of a strength and conditioning program incorporating a combination of Continuous Run (CR) and Circuit Training (CT) methods on VO2max, leg power, and agility applied to male and female sports science students. Material and Methods: Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest setup spanning from July to October 2022, the study consisted of 8 microcycles (8 weeks) comprising 24 sessions, where each microcycle included 2 active rest days (recovery run). A total of 63 students with bachelor’s degrees in sports science who have recently enrolled as freshmen in the Faculty of Sports Science (n = 39 men; n = 24 women; aged = 18-20 years; mass (kg) man and women = 60 ± 7 and 51 ± 6, Height (cm) men and women = 172 ± 4 and 158 ± 3, and not trained athletes) were selected through purposive sampling and provided informed consent in the present study. Pre- and post-measurements were conducted using the Multi-Stage Fitness Test (MSFT), standing broad jump test, and the Illinois agility run test. Descriptive and inferential data analyses (differential pre and post-test using the Wilcoxon test) were performed using SPSS 25 software. Results: Our findings reveal significant improvements in VO2max and leg power following the implementation of a strength and conditioning program that combines circuit training with continuous running for males (from 35.76±5.94 to 41.99±5.35 and 2.175±0.23 to 2.30±0.25, respectively: P<0.05). Meanwhile, for females, (25.97 ± 2.78 to 31.10 ± 3.09; 1.66±0.24 to 1.72±0.17; P<0.05). However, the study does not identify a significant improvement in agility for both male and female participants (17.90±0.95 to 17.69±0.87; P>0.05 and 20.13 ± 1.17 to 19.89 ± 1.19; P>0.05). Conclusions: This investigation provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of an integrated strength and conditioning program using a combination of Continuous Run (CR) and Circuit Training (CT) methods on VO2max and Leg power, for both males and females. Although there were no significant improvements in agility for either males or females, there was an increase in overall averages. The results offer implications for optimizing physical performance and refining training protocols. Therefore, the combination of Continuous Run (CR), circuit training (CT), and Circuit Resistance Training (CRT) has proven to be a practical strategy for enhancing VO2max and leg power. This is particularly relevant for coaches seeking to diversify exercise variations that can be applied to sports science students in the future Keywords: Strength and Conditioning, Circuit Training, Continuous Run, VO2max, Leg Power, Agility, Sports Science Students