Multimodal Exercises on Sprint Performance of Rugby Players

Overview

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.