In-season Resisted Sprint Training: a Targeted Approach for Improving Sprint Performance in Professional Rugby Players

Ward, J. B., Louit, L. & Gavarry O. (2024)

This study investigated the effectiveness of targeted Resisted Sprint Training (RST) on sprint performance in professional male rugby athletes during the in-season period. Sixteen athletes were non-randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: Early Acceleration (EA), Late Acceleration (LA), and Transition Phase (TP). The participants completed a six-week training intervention, completed once per week, with each intervention focusing on a specific phase of the sprint. The EA group pushed prowler sleds over 5 m loaded to 100% of the athlete’s body weight; the LA group used the 1080 Sprint over 10 m with their speed reduced to 50% of their max velocity; and the TP group used the 1080 Sprint over 15 m at loads that resulted in a 10-25% reduction in the athletes’ max velocity. 20 m sprint times were recorded pre- and post-intervention in addition to the 5 m splits: 0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-15 m, and 15-20 m. The results showed that the EA group experienced significant improvements in the 0-5 m split (4.7% improvement) and 20 m sprint (2.4% improvement). The LA group did not exhibit significant improvements but improved the 0-10 m split (4.7% improvement) and 20 m sprint (2.9% improvement). The TP group showed significant improvement in the 10-15 m split (3% improvement), and overall 20 m sprint (1.2% improvement). These findings suggest that targeted RST interventions can enhance sprint performance for the specific phase targeted, with potential practical implications for professional rugby players. Future research should explore using more frequent training sessions over longer intervention periods and investigating the combined effects of these interventions on sprint performance