The Effects of Sprint vs. Resisted Sled-Based Training; an 8-Week in-Season Randomized Control Intervention in Elite Rugby League Players

Jonathan Sinclair, Christopher James Edmundson, John Metcalfe, Lindsay Bottoms, Stephen Atkins and Ian Bentley
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Jonathan Sinclair: Research Centre for Applied Sport, Physical Activity and Performance, Faculty of Allied Health and Wellbeing, School of Sport & Health Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2RA, UK
Christopher James Edmundson: Research Centre for Applied Sport, Physical Activity and Performance, Faculty of Allied Health and Wellbeing, School of Sport & Health Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2RA, UK
John Metcalfe: Research Centre for Applied Sport, Physical Activity and Performance, Faculty of Allied Health and Wellbeing, School of Sport & Health Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2RA, UK
Lindsay Bottoms: Centre for Research in Psychology and Sport Sciences, School of Life and Medical Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
Stephen Atkins: School of Health and Society, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
Ian Bentley: Research Centre for Applied Sport, Physical Activity and Performance, Faculty of Allied Health and Wellbeing, School of Sport & Health Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2RA, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-11

Abstract: The aim of the current study was to examine the efficacy of resisted sled-based training compared to traditional unresisted sprint training in terms of mediating improvements in speed, agility, and power during an eight-week period of in-season training in elite rugby league players. Participants were randomly separated into either resisted sled or traditional sprint-based training groups and they completed an eight-week in-season training block with training prescribed based on the group to which they were assigned. Measures of 5 m, 10 m, and 20 m sprint times in addition to countermovement jump height and 505-agility test time were measured at baseline, four-weeks and eight-weeks. For sprint-based outcomes, although both groups improved significantly, there were no statistical differences between the two training methods. However, at the eight-week time point there were significant improvements in 505-agility test (sprint group: baseline = 2.45 and eight-weeks = 2.42 s/sled group: baseline = 2.43 and eight-weeks = 2.37 s) and countermovement jump (sprint group: baseline = 39.18 and eight-weeks = 39.49 cm/sled group: baseline = 40.43 and eight-weeks = 43.07 cm) performance in the sled training group. Therefore, the findings from this investigation may be important to strength and conditioning coaches working in an elite rugby league in that resisted sled training may represent a more effective method of sprint training prescription.

Keywords: rugby league; sprint; resisted sled training; agility; strength and conditioning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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