Multimodal Exercises on Sprint Performance of Rugby Players

Summary

This study is designed to evaluate the effects of a multimodal exercise program in the sprint performance and kinematics of adolescent rugby players. For this, an experimental study with an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG) is designed. During 6 weeks of the 2022-2023 preseason of rugby seven, IG will include a multimodal exercise program in their training routine. Meanwhile, CG will maintain their training routine. The study will be developed in the Sport High Performance Centre of Balearic Islands during the season of rugby seven (from August to September, 2022). All rugby athletes from under-16 and under-18 autonomic rugby teams will be invited to participate in this study throughout an email invitation from their regional rugby federation. Prior to the beginning of the study, all participants will sign the inform consent, or their legal tutors in case of minors. The Ethical Committee of the local university approved this study (278CER22) according to the Declaration of Helsinki.

One week before intervention period, sociodemographic and sportive data will be registered (age, sex, body mass, height, and sport experience). Body mass and height will be evaluated with a ±100-g precision digital weight scale (Tefal, France) and a t201-t4 adult height scale (Asimed, Spain), respectively. Also, the rugby players will complete a familiarization process consisting on a standardized warm up and 3 progressive sprints (i.e. 30 m at 50%, 70% and 90% of maximal effort).

All testing procedure (pre-test and post-test) will be completed at a similar daytime (between 17h and 19h) on the same natural grass field. The test procedure listed in our study will consist on two maximal 30-m sprints to obtain mechanical variables of horizontal force-velocity profile and kinematics during sprinting.

Players from IG will perform a multimodal exercise program two days per week during six weeks. This program will include running technical drills, exercises for lumbopelvic stabilization and resisted sprints. This program will be supervised by two experts in this field.

The investigators hypothesize that those rugby players who add the multimodal exercise program to their training routine will increase mechanical and kinematics variables of sprint performance.

Conditions

• Exercise Training
• Rugby
• Adolescent

Interventions

OTHER

Multimodal exercise program

Running technical drills: pogo, askip, dribble, scissor, etc. Exercises for lumbopelvic stabilization: mobility exercises, hip thrust, dead lift, lunge to skip. Resisted sprints by using a sled: resistance leading to a 60% and 30% of optimal load (previously calculated)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of the Balearic Islands

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Natalia Romero Franco, PhD · University of the Balearic Islands

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

14 Years

Max Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-08-08

Primary Completion

2022-08-08

Completion

2022-09-25

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations