Sprint and Jump Mechanical Profiles in Academy Rugby League Players: Positional Differences and the Associations between Profiles and Sprint Performance

Abstract

This cross-sectional study evaluated the sprint and jump mechanical profiles of male academy rugby league players, the differences between positions, and the associations between mechanical profiles and sprint performance. Twenty academy rugby league players performed 40-m sprints and squat jumps at increasing loads (0–80 kg) to determine individual mechanical (force-velocity-power) and performance variables. The mechanical variables (absolute and relative theoretical maximal force-velocity-power, force-velocity linear relationship, and mechanical efficiency) were determined from the mechanical profiles. Forwards had significantly (p < 0.05) greater vertical and horizontal force, momentum but jumped lower (unloaded) and were slower than backs. No athlete presented an optimal jump profile. No associations were found between jump and sprint mechanical variables. Absolute theoretical maximal vertical force significantly (p < 0.05) correlated (r = 0.71–0.77) with sprint momentum. Moderate (r = −0.47) to near-perfect (r = 1.00) significant associations (p < 0.05) were found between sprint mechanical and performance variables. The largest associations shifted from maximum relative horizontal force-power generation and application to maximum velocity capabilities and force application at high velocities as distance increased. The jump and sprint mechanical profiles appear to provide distinctive and highly variable information about academy rugby league players’ sprint and jump capacities. Associations between mechanical variables and sprint performance suggest horizontal and vertical profiles differ and should be trained accordingly.

Investigating Vertical and Horizontal Force-Velocity Profiles in Club-Level Field Hockey Athletes: Do Mechanical Characteristics Transfer Between Orientation of Movement?

“…Samozino et al [52] recently identified acceleration performance less than 30m largely depends on P MAX and individual mechanical characteristics, further identifying the necessity to develop and express this mechanical quality to be an effective field hockey player. These findings have been supported in similar studies, but not all (r = 0.27) [53] involving amateur netball players, academy rugby players, high-level sprint athletes and professionl male and female football players, (r = 0.40−0.75) [14,[18][19][20], further highlighting the need for power development expression in field and court sports. However, across these studies, most force variables (F 0 ) did not achieve significance (r ≤ 0.27), thereby demonstrating a greater emphasis on movement velocity capabilities to express maximal external power.…”

Factors influencing the jump momentum – sprint momentum correlation: a data simulation

“…The absence of any condition in the present investigation in which jump momentum was a stronger predictor of sprint momentum than using body mass alone further reinforces the apparent lack of evidence to support using jump momentum for this purpose over other alternatives in applied settings. Furthermore, the correlations between body mass and sprint momentum ( r = 0.97 [CI: 0.97, 0.98]) were greater than those recently reported between sprint momentum and any jump or sprint force‐velocity profile parameter (greatest r = 0.88 for sprint theoretical maximal horizontal force; Nicholson et al, 2021).…”

“…body mass or sprint velocity). Due to the challenging and potentially fatiguing nature of regular sprint momentum assessment, there may be a benefit to researchers and practitioners from alternative jump‐based tests to predict sprint momentum (Agar‐Newman & Klimstra, 2015; Harry et al, 2021; Jalilvand, Banoocy, Rumpf, & Lockie, 2019; McMahon, Lake, Ripley, & Comfort, 2020; Nicholson, Dinsdale, Jones, & Till, 2021).…”

Maturity Offset, Anthropometric Characteristics and Vertical Force–Velocity Profile in Youth Basketball Players

“…The vertical force-velocity profile (FVP) meets the requirements of specificity and individualization since it visualizes, by vertical jump performance, the strong relationship between the force applied by a subject and the velocity at which the subject applies that force per unit time (RFD) [15,[21][22][23][24], thus establishing individualized imbalances, either force or velocity [25], that will guide the intervention program until the optimization of the vertical force-velocity profile is achieved. The vertical force-velocity profile has been used and contrasted in the high performance of collective sports: basketball [26], soccer [27], handball [24], rugby [28] and water polo [29], among others. It has even been tested in young soccer players in training [30], but not in basketball players at maturing age.…”