Effects of Eight-Week Sprint and Agility Training on Speed and Change-of-Direction Speed (COD) in Amateur Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

This study examined the effects of an 8-week sprint and agility training program on speed, agility, and explosive power in amateur male soccer players aged 20–25 years in Ankara. Thirty players were randomly assigned to a training group (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The training group performed sprint and agility exercises three times per week for 8 weeks in addition to their regular football training, whereas the control group continued only their usual training. All participants completed the 20-m Sprint Test, T-Test agility test, and Standing Long Jump Test before and after the intervention. In the training group, significant improvements were observed in sprint and agility performance (p<0.05), and the standing long jump showed a statistically significant but small improvement (p=0.043, d=0.16). No significant changes were detected in the control group (p>0.05). When change scores were compared between groups, improvements in sprint and agility performance in the training group were significantly greater than in the control group (p=0.001 and p<0.001, respectively), whereas changes in explosive power did not differ significantly between groups (p=0.152). In conclusion, 8 weeks of sprint and agility training effectively improve speed and agility in amateur soccer players, while producing only limited, small-magnitude gains in explosive power, suggesting that additional plyometric and strength training is required to achieve larger improvements in this parameter.

Keywords

• Speed
• Agility
• Explosive power
• Performance

Amatör Futbolcularda Sekiz Haftalık Sprint ve Çeviklik Antrenmanlarının Hız ve Yön Değiştirme Hızı (COD) Üzerindeki Etkisi: Randomize Kontrollü Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Ankara’da 20–25 yaş aralığındaki amatör erkek futbolcularda 8 haftalık sprint ve çeviklik antrenman programının hız, çeviklik ve patlayıcı güç performansı üzerindeki etkilerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmaya 30 gönüllü futbolcu katılmış, katılımcılar rastgele olarak antrenman (n=15) ve kontrol (n=15) gruplarına ayrılmıştır. Antrenman grubu, düzenli futbol antrenmanlarına ek olarak 8 hafta boyunca haftada üç kez sprint ve çeviklik egzersizleri uygulamış, kontrol grubu ise yalnızca rutin antrenmanlarına devam etmiştir. Tüm katılımcılara 20 Metre Sprint Testi, T-Testi ve Durarak Uzun Atlama Testi uygulanmıştır. Antrenman grubunda sprint ve çeviklik testlerinde anlamlı iyileşmeler gözlenirken (p<0.05), durarak uzun atlama performansında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ancak etki büyüklüğü düşük bir artış saptanmıştır (p=0.043, d=0.16). Kontrol grubunda hiçbir parametrede anlamlı bir değişiklik görülmemiştir (p>0.05). Gruplar arası değişim skorları karşılaştırıldığında, antrenman grubundaki sprint ve çeviklik performansındaki iyileşmenin kontrol grubuna kıyasla anlamlı derecede daha fazla olduğu belirlenmiştir (sprint için p=0.001, çeviklik için p<0.001), patlayıcı güçteki değişim ise gruplar arasında anlamlı düzeyde farklılık göstermemiştir (p=0.152). Sonuç olarak, 8 haftalık sprint ve çeviklik antrenmanlarının amatör futbolcularda hız ve çeviklik performansını anlamlı ölçüde geliştirdiği, patlayıcı güçte ise sınırlı fakat mevcut bir gelişim sağladığı söylenebilir; bu nedenle patlayıcı gücün daha belirgin düzeyde artırılması için programa plyometrik ve kuvvet egzersizlerinin eklenmesi önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Sürat
• Çeviklik
• Patlayıcı güç
• Performans

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