Effects of Aerobic and Speed Training Versus Active Control on Repeated Sprint Ability and Measures of Self-confidence and Anxiety in Highly Trained Male Soccer Players

Walid Selmi; Raouf Hammami; Sofien Kasmi; Sonia Sehli; Haithem Rebai; Michael Duncan; Mokhtar Chtara; Urs Granacher

doi:10.1186/s40798-023-00619-y

Effects of Aerobic and Speed Training Versus Active Control on Repeated Sprint Ability and Measures of Self-confidence and Anxiety in Highly Trained Male Soccer Players

Sports Med Open. 2023 Jul 27;9(1):63. doi: 10.1186/s40798-023-00619-y.

Authors

Walid Selmi^{1

2}, Raouf Hammami^{1

3}, Sofien Kasmi^{1

3}, Sonia Sehli^{4

5}, Haithem Rebai³, Michael Duncan⁶, Mokhtar Chtara³, Urs Granacher⁷

Affiliations

¹ Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia.
² Research Laboratory (LR23JS01) "Sport Performance, Health and Society", Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia.
³ Tunisian Research Laboratory 'Sports Performance Optimization' (CNMSS-LR09SEP01), National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia.
⁴ Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
⁵ Research Laboratory: Education Motor Skill Sports and Health (LR19JS01), Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
⁶ Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, UK.
⁷ Department of Sport and Sport Science, Exercise and Human Movement Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. urs.granacher@sport.uni-freiburg.de.

Abstract

Background: While there is ample evidence on the effects of single-mode aerobic and speed training on physical fitness in soccer players, less is known on the combined effects of these exercise regimens on physical and psychological factors.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the effects of aerobic and speed training with soccer-specific training versus soccer-specific training only on aerobic performance during the YOYO intermittent fitness test level 1 (final velocity, total distance [TD], maximal oxygen consumption [VO2max]), repeated sprint ability (best, total sprint time [RSABT, RSATT], sprint decrement [RSA dec]) performance and somatic anxiety (SA), cognitive anxiety (CA), and self-confidence (SC) adaptations in soccer players.

Methods: Thirty-eight highly trained male athletes aged 18.9 ± 0.5 years were randomly assigned to an aerobic and speed training group (COMB-G; n = 20) or an active control group (CON-G; n = 18). Aerobic training comprised intermittent exercises at 110-120% of the final velocity achieved at the end of the YOYO IL1 test. Speed training involved maximal sprints over 15-20-m with 5-6 sets per session. Aerobic or speed training lasted 20 min per session and replaced parts of the soccer-specific training. CON-G performed the soccer-specific training including technical, tactical drills and small-sided games. Training volume was similar between groups. Pre, post intervention, all participants performed a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test, the YO-YO IL1 test and the players completed a Competitive Scale Anxiety Inventory (CSAI-2).

Results: A two (group: COMB-G, CON-G) by two (time: pre, post) mixed ANOVA (group-by-time) was computed. Significant group-by-time interactions were found for RSATT (F = 117.3; p < 0.001; Pη2 = 1.78), RSABT (F = 82.4; p < 0.001; Pη2 = 1.53), final velocity (F = 85.8; p < 0.001; Pη2 = 1.53), TD (F = 87.1; p < 0.001; Pη2 = 1.56), and VO2max (F = 18.0; p < 0.001; Pη2 = 0.72). In addition, significant group-by-time interactions were observed for SC (F = 90.2; p < 0.001; d = 1.60), SA (F = 60.5; p < 0.001; Pη2 = 1.70), and CA (F = 20.7; p < 0.001; Pη2 = 0.75). Post-hoc analyses indicated significant improvements for all dependent variables from pre- to post-training in favor of COMB-G.

Conclusion: Aerobic and speed training in combination with soccer-specific training is a safe and effective training method as it exerts positive effects not only for physical fitness but also for self-confidence and the coping of anxiety in male soccer players.

Keywords: Dose–response relationship; High intensity training; Psychological status.