A 16-week rugby training program improves power and change of direction speed in talented girls

Camila Borges Müller*, Rousseau Silva da Veiga, Amanda Franco da Silva, Eurico Nestor Wilhelm, Luís Miguel Teixeira Vaz, Gabriel Gustavo Bergmann, Eraldo dos Santos Pinheiro

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Rugby Sevens has been extensively investigated in elite athletes, but talented teenagers require more attention from sports development researchers. This study aimed to investigate a 16-week intervention of rugby training on physical performance in talented girls. Fifteen girls (14.00 ± 0.53 years, 156.27 ± 4.03 cm, 52.53 ± 5.67 kg) selected as physically talented for rugby to participate in a sport-development program were divided into two groups. The intervention group (IG) carried out two-session per week of rugby training for 16 weeks. The control group (CG) did not perform any type of physical training. A battery of physical tests was carried out before and after the intervention. A two-way ANOVA with group*time was carried out for analysis. Both groups increased their performance in countermovement jump, handgrip isometric strength, linear sprints, and 5-m multiple shuttle test (p < 0.05). However, squat jump, change of direction speed (CODS), and running anaerobic sprint test improved in IG (p < 0.05), while no difference was found in the CG. These results suggest that variables related to power output and CODS may be improved with the rugby training due to the specificity of the modality in talented girls.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)195-210
Number of pages16
JournalHigh Ability Studies
Volume33
Issue number2
Early online date7 Sept 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Jul 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ability
  • adolescents
  • female
  • Sports performance
  • team sports

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