Effects of Intensity Modulated Total-Body Circuit Training Combined with Soccer Training on Physical Fitness in Prepubertal Boys After a 6-Month Intervention

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-month high- or moderate-intensity total-body circuit training (CT) program on physical fitness in prepubertal soccer players. Sixty-seven prepubertal boys with a mean age of 11.2 ± 0.7 years completed the study. Participants from a soccer academy were randomly assigned either to a high-intensity CT group (HCT, n = 22) or a moderate-intensity CT group (MCT, n = 24). A control group (CON, n = 21) comprised age-matched individuals who were not involved in any regular training regime. CT protocols were included in the experimental group’s training sessions 3 times per week over 24 weeks as part of their usual weekly training regime. Based on the HR zone method, CT protocols included high- or moderate-intensity (85–95% HRmax or 75–85% HRmax) series of 3 different sets of upper- and lower-body strength exercises with articular and muscular mobilization, all culminated with 40-m sprints. Physical fitness was evaluated by the Eurofit test which included the flamingo balance (FLB), plate tapping (PLT), sit-and-reach (SAR), standing broad jump (SBJ), handgrip (HG), sit-ups (SUP), bent arm hang (BAH), 10×5 m shuttle run (SHR), and the Physical Working Capacity test (PWC170). The twoway ANOVA indicated group×time interaction effects for 5 components: the largest was for the SBJ (F2,63 = 42.895, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.577), and the lowest for the SHR (F2,63 = 5.006, p < 0.01, η2 = 0.137) indicating better improvements in the HCT compared to the MCT group. Furthermore, for HCT and MCT groups the highest pre- to post-intervention percentage changes were for the FLB and the SAR, while in the CON group the changes of all physical fitness components were not significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the intensity-controlled total-body CT protocol incorporated into a standard soccer training program is effective for enhancement in physical fitness performance in prepubertal soccer players.

Boraczyński, M., Boraczyński, T., Gajewski, J., Kamelska-Sadowska, A. M., Gronek, P., Laskin, J. (2021). Effects of Intensity Modulated Total-Body Circuit Training Combined with Soccer Training on Physical Fitness in Prepubertal Boys After a 6-Month Intervention. Journal of Human Kinetics, 80, 207-222. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2021-0102

Boraczyński, M., Boraczyński, T., Gajewski, J., Kamelska-Sadowska, A. M., Gronek, P., and Laskin, J. (2021). Effects of Intensity Modulated Total-Body Circuit Training Combined with Soccer Training on Physical Fitness in Prepubertal Boys After a 6-Month Intervention. Journal of Human Kinetics, 80, pp.207-222. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2021-0102

Boraczyński, Michał et al. “Effects of Intensity Modulated Total-Body Circuit Training Combined with Soccer Training on Physical Fitness in Prepubertal Boys After a 6-Month Intervention.” Journal of Human Kinetics, vol. 80, 2021, pp. 207-222. doi:10.2478/hukin-2021-0102.

Boraczyński M, Boraczyński T, Gajewski J, Kamelska-Sadowska AM, Gronek P, Laskin J. Effects of Intensity Modulated Total-Body Circuit Training Combined with Soccer Training on Physical Fitness in Prepubertal Boys After a 6-Month Intervention. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2021;80:207-222. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2021-0102