Effects of Six-Week Pre-Season Complex Contrast Training Intervention on Male Soccer Players’ Athletic Performance
Gopal Kumar, Vivek Pandey, Rodrigo Ramírez‐Campillo, Rohit K. Thapa
Abstract
Abstract Introduction. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a six-week complex contrast training (CCT) intervention on the athletic performance of highly-trained amateur male soccer players during the pre-season period. Material and Methods. Participants aged 21.3 were randomized to CCT (n = 7) or active (i.e. standard soccer training) control (CG; n = 9) groups. Athletic performance was assessed using the 30 m linear sprint test time, standing long jump distance (SLJ), countermovement jump (CMJ) height, and unilateral right-left knee flexion and extension isokinetic maximal strength tests. The experimental group replaced part of the standard soccer training schedule with three CCT sessions per week for six weeks. A two (pre-post intervention) by two (CCT, CG) mixed ANOVA was used to analyze the exercise-specific effects. In addition, between-group comparisons at post-test were conducted with baseline scores as covariate. Within group changes were analyzed using paired t-test. Results. Significant group-by-time interaction effects were found for all dependent variables (p < 0.001 – 0.004). Post-hoc tests using paired t-test revealed significant improvements in all dependent variables in CCT (all p ≤ 0.001; effect size (g) = 0.29 – 0.96; %Δ = 4.5 – 14.7), but not in CG (p = 0.174 – 0.633; g = 0.03 – 0.20; %Δ = 0.4 – 2.6). Further, Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc analysis using baseline scores as a covariate showed post-test differences in favor of CCT compared to CG for all variables. Conclusions. CCT is recommended as an effective training strategy during the pre-season to improve athletic performance among highly-trained amateur male soccer players.