Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effects of different sled overloads on maximum
sprint velocity achieved by female soccer players with different strength,
speed, and power levels. Twenty elite female soccer players from the same club
participated. On the same day, athletes performed: linear and resisted-sprint
tests with 30 and 60 % of body-mass over 5-, 10-, and 20-m; half-squat
maximum bar-power output, and half-squat one-repetition maximum assessment. A
median split analysis was used to divide players into two groups according to
their velocity, half-squat one-repetition maximum, and half-squat power.
Differences in percentage decreases between unresisted- and resisted-sprints
comparing higher and lower groups were analyzed using magnitude-based
inferences. Overall, the stronger, faster, and more powerful players were less
affected by both loads, as demonstrated by their lower decreases in velocity
over the different distances. However, half-squat power appeared to be more
sensitive for indicating impairments in resisted-sprint performance, due to
meaningful differences in percentage decreases observed between higher and lower
power groups. Notably, overloads of 30 and 60% of body-mass provoked
substantial reductions in resisted-sprint velocity (~22.9% for
30% and ~51.4% for 60% of body-mass, relative to
unresisted-sprint velocity). Athletes with superior power levels are less
affected by the progressive sled overloading.
Key words
team-sports - football - velocity - sprint ability - sled towing
