Effects of Combined Strength and Power Training on Physical Performance and Interlimb Asymmetries in Adolescent Female Soccer Players

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the effects of an 8-week combined strength and power training intervention on physical performance and interlimb asymmetries in adolescent female soccer players. Methods: Thirty-seven adolescent female soccer players (age 16.1 [1.1] y) were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 18) or experimental group (n = 19). The experimental group performed combined strength and power training twice a week, which consisted of strength and power exercises that trained the major muscles of the lower body and trunk musculature. Preintervention and postintervention tests included unilateral and bilateral horizontal and countermovement jump tests, a 40-m sprint test (10- and 30-m split times), a 10-m sprint with a 180° change-of-direction (COD) test, and a multiple-COD test (V-cut test). Asymmetries were also analyzed in the unilateral tests. Results: Significant group-by-time interaction of the improvement between pretest and posttest was observed for speed (effect size [ES]: −1.30 to −1.16) and COD tests (ES: −0.62 to −0.61) but not in jumping (ES: −0.09 to 0.28) and interlimb-asymmetry tests (ES: −0.13 to 0.57). Conclusions: The short-term in-season combined strength and power training program induced greater speed and COD performance improvements than soccer training alone in adolescent female soccer players.

Effects of Strength vs. Plyometric Training Programs on Vertical Jumping, Linear Sprint and Change of Direction Speed Performance in Female Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The selected studies were submitted to the PEDro methodological quality scale. Two studies obtained a score of 9/10 [ 36 , 37 ], one study obtained 8/10 [ 38 ], six obtained 7/10 [ 5 , 6 , 39 , 40 , 41 ], two obtained 5/10 [ 42 , 43 ], and two obtained 4/10 [ 44 , 45 ]. Table 1 displays the complete and detailed PEDro scale score of each study.…”

“…It is interesting to observe the between-mode analysis due to the comparison between the same ST or PT group (intra-group), whilst within-mode analysis is a comparison between EG and CG of ST or PT training and, occasionally, this mode of analysis does not represent the reality of the results. In this sense, Pardos-Mainer et al [ 5 ] demonstrated a large effect (ES = −1.17) in linear sprint performance after an ST which is combined with power exercises. Similar results have been found by Ozbar et al [ 42 ] (ES = −1.12) after a PT.…”

“…The purpose of ST is to promote maximal strength and muscular hypertrophy to improve physical performance [ 22 ], and this method has often been used by physical trainers in soccer training routines [ 7 , 47 ]. Two studies by Pardos-Mainer et al [ 5 , 6 ] found that ST exerted a borderline small–moderate effect on vertical jump performance whilst Lindblom et al [ 39 ] and Pedersen et al [ 38 ] resulted only a trivial ES, and even the effect was negative. It is possible that the exercises included in the ST programs do not demonstrate a significant transference effect to soccer-specific physical performance and conditioning programs with higher load and intensity would be necessary in order to benefit from the training [ 8 , 35 ]…”

“…Subgroup analyses of programming parameters revealed that ST interventions were more effective with longer study durations (8 weeks or more), greater training frequency (2 sessions or more per week), more training sessions (16 or more) and longer session times (30 min or more) to improve vertical jump performance. However, only four studies [ 5 , 6 , 38 , 39 ] provided data and, owing to the homogeneity of programming parameters used across studies, more research, utilizing varying study durations, amounts of sessions, training sessions and session times, should be carried out to establish more robust recommendations regarding these parameters.…”

“…Different intervention programs, such as neuromuscular training, plyometric training (PT), strength training (ST) or power training [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ], have been performed to improve physical capacities. However, there are discrepancies about which are the best exercises to improve female soccer players’ performance due to the lack of studies.…”