Abstract
This study determined the effects of a single sled push at different loads on sprint performance in competitive male soccer players. Twenty male competitive outfield soccer players (age 19.6±1.3y, body mass 73.6±8.2kg) were split into experimental (n=10) and control groups. In the experimental group, 20m linear sprint time was measured immediately before and 5, 6 and 7minutes after the sled push with either 50 or 100% body mass. The control group performed the 20m sprints only. A repeated measures ANOVA comparing control and experimental groups revealed no effects of time, group or time by group interaction for either experimental condition (all P>0.05). The repeated measures ANOVA compared the experimental conditions revealed effects of time (P=0.034) and group (P=0.002), but not time by group (P>0.05). The effects sizes demonstrated within group effects on sprint time that were small to moderate (-0.26 to 0.71) and trivial to small (-0.31 to 0.09) for the 50% and 100% body mass condition, respectively. These findings demonstrate that a sled push has no significant effect on 20 m sprint time in competitive footballers. If coaches continue to prescribed a sled push before sprinting, a single 15 m push with 50% body mass could have positive benefits.
Highlights
This study determined the effects of a single sled push at different loads on sprint performance in competitive male soccer players
The withingroup effect sizes for the 50% body mass condition displayed small to moderate differences to baseline at 5 to 7 minutes (Table 1)
We report that 20 m sprint time was not significantly different to baseline after a sled push at both 50 and 100% of body mass when compared to the control group
Summary
This study determined the effects of a single sled push at different loads on sprint performance in competitive male soccer players. Twenty male competitive outfield soccer players (age 19.6±1.3y, body mass 73.6±8.2kg) were split into experimental (n=10) and control groups. The effects sizes demonstrated favourable within group effects on sprint time that were small to moderate (-0.26 to 0.71) and trivial to small (-0.31 to 0.09) for the 50% and 100% body mass condition, respectively. These findings demonstrate that a sled push has no significant effect on 20 m sprint time in competitive footballers. If coaches continue to prescribe a sled push before sprinting, a single 15 m push with 50% body mass could have positive benefits
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