EFFECTIVENESS OF COMBINING SPRINT AND HIGH-REPETITION SQUAT RESISTANCE TRAINING IN ANAEROBIC CONDITIONING

1384 The benefits of using resistance training to improve strength, flexibility and muscular balance are well known. Indeed, most modern conditioning programs have some "strength" component incorporated into the overall training plan in order to improve an athlete's power during competition. In sports where anaerobic conditioning is vital, sprint training is utilized to condition the athlete for the demands of competition. Anecdotal evidence suggests that, in addition to improving strength, high-repetition resistance training may enhance anaerobic conditioning. The purpose of this study was to compare anaerobic conditioning in a group of 12 athletic male subjects (22 ± 4.1 years), using sprint training (ST) with a group of 12 athletic male subjects (21.4 ± 4.1 years), combining sprint training and high-repetition squat resistance training (RST), and a group of 12 athletic male subjects (22 ± 2 years), not training (NT) during a six-week period. Subjects in the ST group trained 5-days per week using twelve 40-yard sprints (25-second rest periods) per training session. Subjects in the RST group trained 3-days per week using twelve 40-yard sprints (25-second rest periods) per training session and 2-days per week using a high-repetition squat resistance training program consisting of 5 sets of twelve repetitions (5×12) using 50% of their 1 repetition maximum (1RM) training weight. Level of anaerobic conditioning was determined by calculating the percentage of maximal velocity maintained (%MVM) over a series of ten 40-yard sprints (25-second rest periods). One-way ANOVA indicated that both the ST and RST training groups were significantly better conditioned (higher %MVM) than the NT training group (p < .001), with the RST training group maintaining a significantly higher percentage of maximal velocity (.92) than did the ST training group (.87) during the anaerobic conditioning test (p < .05). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding sprint speed. These results suggest that the benefits of high-repetition resistance training may include anaerobic conditioning in addition to strength, resulting in improvements in performance during competitions involving repeated bouts of high-intensity exertion.