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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Dec 1;17(12):e0277683.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277683. eCollection 2022.

Effects of speed, agility and quickness training programme on cognitive and physical performance in preadolescent soccer players

Athos Trecroci  1 , Luca Cavaggioni  1   2 , Alessio Rossi  3 , Andrea Moriondo  4 , Giampiero Merati  5   6 , Hadi Nobari  7   8   9 , Luca Paolo Ardigò  10   11 , Damiano Formenti  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of speed, agility and quickness training programme on cognitive and physical performance in preadolescent soccer players

Athos Trecroci et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a short-term (4 weeks) non-soccer-specific training programme based on speed, agility and quickness (SAQ) and a soccer-specific training programme based on small-sided games (SSG) on cognitive and physical performance in preadolescent soccer players. Twenty-one participants were randomly assigned to SAQ group (n = 11) or SSG group (n = 10). They were tested pre and post interventions on physical (5 m sprint, 20 m sprint and sprint with turns of 90°) and cognitive (inhibitory control by means of the Flanker task and perceptual speed by means of the visual search task) performances. Although no significant time x group interactions were observed, the main effect of time was significant for cognitive performance and 5 m and 20 m sprint, showing improvements after both SAQ and SSG. These findings highlight that 4 weeks of SAQ training programme induced comparable improvements in cognitive and physical performance with respect to a soccer-specific training programme based on SSG in preadolescent soccer players. Non-sport-specific activities targeting speed, agility and quickness combined with cognitive engagement (i.e., SAQ) should be useful strategies as soccer-specific activities to be included within a soccer training programme for promoting both physical and cognitive domain in preadolescent individuals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Overview of the experimental protocol.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Scheme of the sprint with 90° turns (COD90).
Fig 3
Fig 3. Effect of training intervention on inhibitory control (reaction time for congruent and incongruent condition in the Flanker task).
Post < pre as from Bonferroni post-hoc tests: * P < 0.05; # P < 0.01.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Effect of training intervention on perceptual speed (reaction time for 5, 10, 15 and 20 items conditions in the visual search task).
Post < pre by Bonferroni post-hoc tests: * P < 0.05.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Effect of training intervention on perceptual speed (reaction time for 5, 10, 15 and 20 items conditions in the visual search task).
Post < pre by Bonferroni post-hoc tests: * P < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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