Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE 1
ARTICLE CRITIQUE: TRAINING EXERCISES FOR ENHANCING SPEED AND AGILITY
IN ELITE ATHLETES
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Date:
ARTICLE CRITIQUE 2
ARTICLE CRITIQUE: TRAINING EXERCISES FOR IMPROVING SPEED AND AGILITY
IN ELITE ATHLETES
The article by Falch et al. (2020) was selected for critiquing because it investigates the
relative significance of strength and plyometric exercises in enhancing change of direction (COD)
ability. Research has established that COD ability is a critical factor distinguishing elite from sub-
elite athletes (Gabbett et al., 2009; Baker & Newton, 2008). This article is relevant to elite athletes'
speed and agility because COD exercises are rapid dynamic movements aimed at exerting the most
force in the shortest time achievable hence agility and speed. Strength and plyometric exercises
enhance COD ability through different squat modifications. Strength training helps develop force-
dominant COD, whereas plyometric exercise help develop aspects influencing COD ability.
Therefore, the article examined the association of ability in velocity-dominant (45˚) and force-
dominant (180˚) CODs from two distinct approaching distances – 4m vs. 20m with implementation
in various strength and plyometric exercises. The study also compared muscle activation between
velocity-dominant (45˚) and force-dominant (180˚) CODs to better determine the association
between the exercise and COD ability. More understanding of comparisons in muscle activation
and relationship in ability measures between the two exercises can facilitate the development of
meaningful training programs for enhancing elite athletes' speed and agility.
Methodology
The article’s methodology has the following strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
The study design’s method is complete. The study used a within-subject design. In this
design, each participant is subjected to two or more treatments under investigation (Charness et
al., 2012). After the treatments, the study assesses the outcome variable (Charness et al.,
ARTICLE CRITIQUE 3
2012). Causal estimates are obtained by exploring how participants’ behavior changed with
different experimental treatments or conditions. The article’s methodology adequately followed
the within-subject design requirements. In particular, all the subjects undertook a sequence of
various COD tests, plyometric tests, and strength tests in a single test occasion. The study matched
the exercises in movement patterns. After these tests, the study measured the outcome variable,
including the activity magnitude between the two exercises. The investigators also gathered data
from the tests to determine the comparisons between the two exercises.
The study provided demographic statistics of participants. The study indicates that all the
23 participants for the study were experienced, male footballers. Their age ranged from 19.9 years
to 25.1 years. They had a height ranging from 175 cm to 187.6 cm. Their body mass ranged from
71.3 kg to 88.5 kg. Demographic data is requisite for examining whether the specific research
participants represent the population (Hammer, 2011). Adequate demographic description enables
readers and scholars to understand to whom the study results generalize and enables comparisons
to be made across research replications (Hammer, 2011). It also gives data required for research
synthesis as well as secondary data analysis. This analysis helps determine gaps in existing
literature and variations that happen within and among populations.
The study complied with the ethical requirements of studies involving human subjects.
Studies using human participants should receive informed consent from either the subjects or the
subjects’ legal representatives (Resnik, 2018). Before receiving consent, researchers should
provide necessary information to enable participants to decide whether to participate in the study.
In this regard, this article’s investigators explained the relevant study procedures to their
prospective subjects, after which the participants gave written consent to participate in the study.
Furthermore, the journal and the Norwegian Center for Research Data Project authorized the study.
ARTICLE CRITIQUE 4
Ethical requirements also expect investigators to utilize interventions that do not harm
participants (Fakruddin et al., 2013). As such, investigators are required to take reasonable and
adequate measures to ensure that research risks are minimized while benefits are maximized.
Accordingly, investigators should provide adequate information, explain procedures effectively,
and offer training (where required) to reduce the research risks. This study fulfilled this ethical
expectation by informing subjects to desist from too much exercise and alcohol intake 24 hours
before testing. The investigators explained the study-related protocols and risks to all participants.
Weaknesses
No sampling technique Indicated. The study has not explained the sampling technique
used. The study population included the Norwegian national league, who trained at least two times
a week. However, the study did not explain how they obtained 23 football players from the entire
population. It is challenging to determine if the investigators used probability or non-probability
sampling. This weakness presents the likelihood of bias because it is difficult to determine whether
every football player belonging to the population had an equal chance of being selected.
The results cannot be generalizable because of potential bias. The investigators did not
indicate how they drew the sample of the 23 male footballers from the population - Norwegian
national league. It is difficult to determine if there was bias in obtaining the sample; hence, the
results cannot be generalized to the Norwegian national league, especially those from the 2nd to
6th division.
Results
All the strength tests were not significantly related to COD performance (p > 0.08). This
was because the maximal lifts contracted slowly. The plyometric tests produced an improved
performance with less time (4m) to finish both the velocity-dominant (45˚) and force-dominant
ARTICLE CRITIQUE 5
(180˚) CODs, backed by muscle activation similarities. Therefore, plyometric exercises have more
physical commonalities with CODs relative to strength training.
Discussion
The article’s discussion section has the following strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths
The article adequately interprets the study results. The authors explain that all strength
tests were not significantly associated with COD performance because strength tests are linked
with particular contraction velocity, as observed by Behm and Sale (1993) for strength and
sprinting. The contractions are slow to transfer their effect to the various CODs directly. The
muscle pre-stretch that may improve the concentric contraction because of neural potentiation
enables more motor units to be introduced, with effects increasing with velocity. The plyometric
enhancement effect on CODs is explained by the best association of skate jump with all CODs
because its productions are vital for COD acceleration and deceleration. The more rapid pre-stretch
in plyometric training and COD that cause increasing magnitudes of cross-bridges may rationalize
the increasing muscle activation.
The article adequately compares findings to previous studies. The finding that plyometric
exercises improve COD ability has been compared to the studies by Jones et al. (2009) and Spiteri
et al. (2014). These studies found significant correlations between plyometric exercise and
improved COD ability. The insignificant association between strength exercises and COD ability
has also been compared to previous studies by Young et al. (2002) and Spiteri et al. (2014).
Contrary to this article’s results, the two prior studies found a significant correlation between
strength exercises and COD performance.
ARTICLE CRITIQUE 6
The article has indicated the study limitations. The researchers explain that measuring
strength exercises at maximal exterior load lifted hindered the specificity toward CODs.
Accordingly, lighter loads that maximize power production might have shown a more significant
relationship between strength exercises and COD ability. The study has also indicated that it was
limited due to the smaller sample size used relative to the whole target population – the many
footballers in the Norwegian national league's six divisions.
Weakness
The study findings are not generalizable. Due to sample size limitations, this article’s
results are not generalizable to the study population. The study used only 23 male footballers of
the several footballers in the Norwegian national league. This sample does not adequately
represent the population. Therefore, the results may only reflect the sample rather than the entire
population.
Conclusion
This article explored the connection of ability in velocity-dominant (45˚) and force-
dominant (180˚) CODs with implementation in various strength and plyometric exercises. Unlike
strength exercises, plyometric exercises showed a significant association with improved COD
ability. This article has significant strengths and shortcomings. The within-subject design has been
adequately followed, with all participants receiving each treatment. The study provided sufficient
demographics and fulfilled the ethical expectations of investigations using humans. It sufficiently
interpreted the findings, comparing them to previous research and indicating study limitations.
However, the article did not explain the sampling technique and procedure used to obtain the study
sample, making it hard to rule out potential bias. The study was limited by the smaller sample size
that was significantly unrepresentative; hence the results are ungeneralizable. Overall, the article
ARTICLE CRITIQUE 7
significantly contributes to the significance of plyometric exercises in designing programs that
boost speed and agility for elite athletes through improved COD ability.
ARTICLE CRITIQUE 8
References
Baker, D., & Newton, R. (2008). Comparison of Lower Body Strength, Power, Acceleration,
Speed, Agility, and Sprint Momentum to Describe and Compare Playing Rank among
Professional Rugby League Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,
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Behm, D., & Sale, D. (1993). Velocity Specificity of Resistance Training. Sports Medicine, 15(6),
374-388. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199315060-00003
Charness, G., Gneezy, U., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Experimental methods: Between-subject and
within-subject design. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 81(1), 1-8.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2011.08.009
Fakruddin, M., Mannan, K., Chowdhury, A., Mazumdar, R., Hossain, M., & Afroz, H. (2013).
Research involving Human Subjects - Ethical Perspective. Bangladesh Journal of
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Falch, H., Rædergård, H., & van den Tillaar, R. (2020). Association of strength and plyometric
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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238580
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of Strength Characteristics to Change of Direction and Agility Performance in Female
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https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000000547
Young, W., James, R., & Montgomery, I. (2002). Is Muscle Power Related to Running Speed with
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