High intensity training improves exercise performance in elite women volleyball players during a competitive season

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  • Elisabeth Purkhús
  • Peter Krustrup
  • Magni Mohr

Elite women volleyball players (n=25; age; 19±5 yrs, height; 171±7 cm, weight; 63±10 kg; means±SD) volunteered to participate in the study. They were randomized into a high intensity training group (HIT; n=13) and a control group (CON; n=12). In addition to the normal team training and games, HIT performed 6-10x30-s all-out running intervals separated by 3-min recovery periods 3 times per wk during a 4-wk in-season period, while CON only completed team training sessions and games. Pre and post intervention all players completed the Arrowhead Agility Test (AAT), a repeated sprint test (RST; 5x30 m separated by 25 s of recovery), and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery level 2 test (Yo-Yo IR2) followed by a-10 min rest period and the Yo-Yo IR1 test. Mean running distance during HIT-training in wk-1 was 152±4 m and increased (P<0.05) by 4.6% (159±3 m) in wk-4. AAT performance improved (P<0.05) by 2.3% (18.87±0.97 to 18.44±1.06 s) and RST by 4.3% post-intervention in the HIT-group only. Baseline RST fatigue index (FI) was 7.0±2.9 and 6.2±5.0% in HIT and CON, respectively, but was lowered (P<0.05) to 2.7±3.0% post-training in HIT and remained unaltered in CON (5.5±5.0%). In HIT, Yo-Yo IR2 and Yo-Yo IR1 performance improved by 12.6 and 18.3% post-intervention, respectively, with greater (P<0.05) change scores than in CON. In conclusion, additional high intensity in-season training performed as interval running improved agility, repeated sprint ability and high intensity intermittent exercise performance in elite women volleyball players.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Volume30
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)3066-3072
Number of pages7
ISSN1064-8011
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

ID: 157322186