Small-sided Games Vs Small-sided Games And Repeated Sprint In Young Soccer Players Effects On Fitness

In order to improve the physical fitness soccer players, there are many training methodologies. Some coaches support integrated work methods in which training is based on the practice of the sport itself. On the other hand, other coaches, although they do not ignore the practice based on the game, prefer to complement it with a more analytical training methodology, reasoning that it is easier to control the training variables. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Small-Sided Games (SSG) in isolation and repeated sprint training (RST) in addition to SSG on soccer performance fitness parameters such as cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-body strength, agility and repeated sprint ability (RSA) with change of direction. METHODS: Thirty-six young soccer players (age: 17.6 ± 0.7 years) from an academy of a Spanish First Division club were assigned to 2 groups during 6 weeks: Control Group (CG) (n = 20) and Intervention Group (IG) (n = 16). In addition to the usual training sessions and competition matches, the CG conducted 12 SSG sessions ranging from 2vs2, 4vs4 and 8vs8. The IG faced the same SSG but adding 12 RST workouts consisting of 1, 2 or 3 blocks of 6 sprints of 10 seconds with passive recovery of 5-10 seconds between each other, and 2 minutes between blocks. Before and after the intervention, cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-body strength, agility and RSA Ability with change of direction were evaluated. RESULTS: Both CG and IG increased cardiorespiratory fitness (3%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 0.68, 4.6%; 3%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 1.2, respectively), RSAaverage (1.2%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 0.04; 2.3%, p < 0.05, effect size: 1.05, respectively), RSAtotal (1.3%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 0.48; 2.5%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 1.1, respectively), RSAbest (0.13%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ trivial; 0.26%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 0.1, respectively) and agility (1.6%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 0.12; 1.2%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ 0.3, respectively). Additionally, only IG increased in lower-body strength (0.4%, p < 0.05, Cohen´s d ~ trivial). However, the groups did not show significant differences between each other in any of the parameters evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates that SSG are equally effective on their own as they are in addition to with RST for developing physical fitness in youth soccer players.