Short–Term Effects of Strength  and Plyometric Training on Sprint  Acceleration of College Level Soccer  Players

Dr. A. S. NAGESWARAN

Volume : II, Issue : III, March - 2013

Short–Term Effects of Strength and Plyometric Training on Sprint Acceleration of College Level Soccer Players

Dr. A. S. Nageswaran

Abstract :

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of combined strength and plyometric training with strength training alone on sprint acceleration of college level soccer players. Eighteen male soccer players of age 17 to 21 from Nazareth Margoschis College were selected as subjects for this study. Subjects in the intervention team were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group Strength Training ST (n = 6) performed heavy strength training twice a week for 6 weeks in addition to 8 to 10 soccer sessions a week. Group Strength and Plyometric Training ST+P (n = 6) performed a plyometric training program in addition to the same training as the ST group. The control group (n = 6) performed 8 to 10 soccer sessions a week. The data on sprint acceleration were collected by administering 30 M Acceleration Test. The pre-test data were collected two days before the training program and the post-test data were collected two days after the training program. The subjects of all the three groups were tested on sprint acceleration test prior to and after the training period. The data collected from eighteen men subjects (i.e. the three groups) from pre-test and post-test experimentation on sprint acceleration were statistically examined for significant difference, if any, applying the analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA). The analysis of the data showed that there was significant variance in sprint acceleration among the adjusted post-test means of ST, ST+P, and control groups. Further, to determine which of the three paired means had a significant difference, scheffe�s test was applied. The results suggested that there was a significant performanceenhancing effect in combining strength and plyometric training to soccer players concurrently performing 8 to 10 soccer sessions a week compared to strength training alone. The control group showed a better improvement in sprint acceleration than the ST group, but that was not up to the significant level.