Open AccessSupplementing Regular Training With Short-Duration Sprint-Agility Training Leads to a Substantial Increase in Repeated Sprint-Agility Performance With National Level Badminton Players
Author(s) -
Benjamin M. Walklate,
Brendan J. O’Brien,
Carl D. Paton,
Warren Young
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of strength and conditioning research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.569
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1533-4287
pISSN - 1064-8011
DOI - 10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181b339d9
Subject(s) - sprint , training (meteorology) , duration (music) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychology , physical therapy , computer science , medicine , physics , meteorology , art , literature
Repeated-agility sprint ability is an important performance characteristic of badminton players. However, it is unclear whether regular badminton training is sufficient to improve repeated-agility sprint ability or whether supplementary training is required. Therefore, our aim was to investigate whether supplementing regular group training with short sessions of badminton-specific agility-sprint training conferred any greater changes in performance than regular training alone. Twelve national level badminton players completed a set of performance tests in the week before and after a 4-week training period. Performance tests consisted of 10- and 20-meter sprints, a multistage fitness test, a 300-meter shuttle run, and a novel badminton sprint protocol. After pretesting, pair-matched participants were randomly assigned into regular or supplementary training groups. Both groups undertook regular national squad training consisting of 4 2-hour sessions per week. In addition, the supplementary group completed a high-intensity sprint-training regime consisting of 7 to 15 repeats of badminton-specific sprints twice per week. Relative to control, the supplementary training group reported improvements (mean +/- 90% confidence limits) in the 300-meter shuttle run (2.4% +/- 2.7%) and badminton sprint protocol (3.6% +/- 2.6%). However, there were no substantial difference in either the 10-meter (-0.3% +/- 2.1%) or 20-meter (-0.6% +/- 1.8%) sprint or the multistage fitness test (0.0% +/- 2.7%). Supplementing regular training with sessions of short-duration sprint training appears to lead to worthwhile increases in repeated-agility sprint performance with national level badminton players.