Effects of a Novel Neuromuscular Training Intervention on Jump, Sprint, and Change of Direction in Adult Female Soccer Players

Abstract

Neuromuscular training is a methodology used in sports to improve the physical performance of athletes. Soccer has physical demands of power and speed, so players need to develop sprinting, changing direction, and jumping skills. According to these objectives, a novel neuromuscular training protocol has been developed to improve physical performance in terms of jumping, speed, and direction changes in adult female soccer players. The protocol is based on mobility exercises, stability, anterior and posterior chain strength, lumbopelvic control, and change of direction ability. For this, 34 female soccer players were randomly divided into a control group (CG, n = 17) and an experimental group (EG, n = 17) during 10 weeks of intervention. Hedges'g was used for the effect size. The control group did not show significant improvements in any variable (p > 0.05). The experimental group showed significant time-group improvements with a large effect size on the countermovement jump right (CMJR; p = 0.05, ES = 1.13), countermovement jump (CMJ; p = 0.05, ES = 1.35), and countermovement jump left (CMJL; p = 0.05, ES = 0.83), peak speed (p < 0.05; ES = 0.96) and 180 change of direction (180 COD) in the intergroup analysis (p < 0.05; ES = -1.29 to -1.39). Novel variables such as bilateral deficit and change of direction deficit showed significant improvements in the experimental group (change of direction deficit left (CODDL): p = 0.05, ES = -1.24; change of direction deficit right (CODDR): p = 0.05, ES = -1.15 and bilateral limb deficit (BLD): p= 0.05, ES = -0.49). In conclusion, the novel neuromuscular training intervention, which included weekly progressions and unilateral and bilateral exercises, showed significant improvements in the physical performance of adult female soccer players.