Changes in lactate kinetics underpin soccer performance adaptations to cycling-based sprint interval training

Thom, Graham; Kavaliauskas, Mykolas; Babraj, John

Abstract

In adolescent soccer, 23% of the distance covers happens at speeds above onset of blood lactate accumulation which suggests that lactate kinetics may be important for soccer performance. We sought to determine the effectiveness of sprint interval training (SIT) on changing performance and lactate kinetics in adolescent soccer players. Thirteen elite soccer academy players (age 15 ± 0.5y) underwent baseline testing (0–10 m and 10–20 m sprint performance, Wingate anaerobic Test (WaNT) with blood lactate measurements and incremental VO2 peak test) before being allocated to control or SIT group. The control group maintained training whilst the HIT group carried out twice-weekly all-out effort cycle sprints consisting of 6 × 10 s sprint with 80 s recovery. There were significant time x group interactions for 10–20 m sprint time (Control pre: 1.32 ± 0.07 s post: 1.35 ± 0.08 s; SIT pre: 1.29 ± 0.04 s post: 1.25 ± 0.04 s; p = 0.01), Peak Power (Control pre: 13.1 ± 1.3 W.kg⁻¹ post: 13.2 ± 1.47 W.kg⁻¹; SIT pre: 12.4 ± 1.3 W.kg⁻¹ post: 15.3 ± 0.7 W.kg⁻¹; p = 0.01) and time to exhaustion (Control pre: 596 ± 62 s post: 562 ± 85 s; SIT pre: 655 ± 54 s post: 688 ± 55 s; p = 0.001). The changes in performance were significantly correlated to changes in lactate kinetics (power: r = 0.55; 10–20 m speed: r = −0.54; time to exhaustion: r = 0.55). Therefore, cycle based SIT is an effective training paradigm for elite adolescent soccer players and the improvements in performance are associated with changes in lactate kinetics.

Citation

Thom, G., Kavaliauskas, M., & Babraj, J. (2019). Changes in lactate kinetics underpin soccer performance adaptations to cycling-based sprint interval training. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(4), 486-494. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2019.1635650

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 24, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jul 16, 2019
• Publication Date: 2019
• Deposit Date: Jul 22, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 17, 2020
• Journal: European Journal of Sport Science
• Print ISSN: 1746-1391
• Electronic ISSN: 1536-7290
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 486-494
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2019.1635650
• Keywords: Metabolism, team sport, youth, physiology
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1980077
• Contract Date: Jul 22, 2019