A Combined 7-Week Strength and Power Training: Effects on Body Composition, Strength, Speed, and Agility in U14 and U16 Youth Elite Soccer Players
The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of a 7-week combined strength and power training program on body composition, aerobic capacity, strength, sprint, and agility in elite youth soccer players. Twenty-one players, divided into age groups (U14 and U16), participated in this study. In addi...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/5/2470 |
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| Summary: | The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of a 7-week combined strength and power training program on body composition, aerobic capacity, strength, sprint, and agility in elite youth soccer players. Twenty-one players, divided into age groups (U14 and U16), participated in this study. In addition to four training sessions per week (plus matches), the two groups completed a strength training session on Match Day 4 (MD-4) and a power training session on Match Day 2 (MD-2). Before and after the intervention, various tests were conducted, including skinfold measurements, submaximal intermittent shuttle run, eccentric hamstring strength (EHS), countermovement jump (CMJ), single-leg jump (SLJ), sprint test with split times at 10 and 30 m, agility <i>t</i>-test, push-ups, and pull-ups. Our results indicate that a seven-week program of combined strength training led to significant improvements in body composition, EHS, jump performance, and pull-up tests for both groups of players (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Moreover, the U14 group also demonstrated an improvement in the agility test (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The U14 group experienced more substantial gains than the U16 group in agility and push-up performance (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The sprint performance remained unchanged for both groups (<i>p</i> > 0.05), suggesting that specific training is required to improve this quality. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-3417 |