Guided Article Critique: Change of Direction Assignment 2
In many sports, being able to change directions quick and effectively is an essential
component for each athlete to have. The article “Long Term Strength Training Effects on
Change-of-Direction Sprint Performance” (Keiner et al, 2014) is a great article to exhibit this
analysis. All sports require their own unique set of skills, especially team sports that require
multiple athletes' performance working together to achieve one goal. Team sports require
strength and speed for optimal performance, with football, soccer, and tennis all emphasizing
these attributes. High-intensity, and high-speed activities are common in these sports, with
force-acceleration motions playing a crucial role in scoring and determining outcomes. Running
is a key factor in these sports, with studies showing a positive correlation between strength
measurements and speed performance, especially in the acceleration phase.
Athletes need to be able to make quick directional changes, better known as change of
direction (COD) sprints, which can be measured using various tests. However, not all fitness
tests accurately reflect the demands of specific sports. The relationship between intensity and
velocity in COD findings is conflicting in the literature, with some studies showing significant
improvements in COD time following strength training, while others show no improvement.
Some studies have found that strength training and weight lifting may not significantly improve
COD performance, even after several weeks of training. However, one study did show a
significant improvement in COD time after squat training. Further research is needed to clarify
the effects of strength training on running time and COD, as well as the relationship between
squat strength and COD performance. Another article by Dos’Santos and colleagues that was
produced in 2021 also speaks about the effects of training in terms of directional change. This
second article focuses more on the 180 degree turns that can be completed during the athlete
competing, instead of just being able to complete a change of direction effectively.
Guided Article Critique: Change of Direction Assignment 3
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of 2 years of intermittent strength
training on change of direction (COD) performance in youth soccer players. 112 participants
were included, with 36 professional soccer players serving as performance standards. The
participants were divided into a Strength Training Group (STG) and a Control Group (CG), with
subgroups based on age. COD performance and force testing were measured as dependent
variables, with STG and CG as independent variables. Testing was done on two different dates
one in July 2009 and another in May 2011, with professional soccer players also tested in June
2011. All participants were informed of the protocols that needed to be followed in terms of
clothes, food and drink intake leading up to their test being completed. Along with this, consent
was given for the participants under the age of 18 by a parent. If participants were the ages of 15,
17, or 19 they were put into subgroups to get a better analysis. Following the mean height for the
professional athletes was 183.8 ± 6.9 com and weight of 77.7 ± 6.5kg
The training protocol of this article was simple, the STG group had two strength training
sessions and at least three soccer sessions per week during the training. A variety of exercises
were completed from back and front parallel, bench press, deadlift, neck presses, core strength
training, and standing rows. This was interval training for the first couple weeks, then turned into
more of a muscle straight program. During this time, the CG group completed at least three
soccer sessions, and the PRO group completed at least five. The testing protocol measured COD
by during double barriers, and participants would run 10 meters while making two directional
changes. There was a 10 minute warm up before the test was conducted, and also did a front and
back squats at 1RM.
The results of this study showed “no significant differences from any parameter in the
Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, which can be expected from a normal distribution of data” (Keiner,
Guided Article Critique: Change of Direction Assignment 4
2014). Furthermore, this study concluded that strength training does have a positive effect on
directional changes performance. One of the subdivisions of the study did show a great
performance in COD, and the younger group can have differences in strength. This study also
showed that having a longer program could have a greater effect on the results and could
increase the values overall. It was concluded that all COD shifts are related to high energy levels,
but the correlation is weak due to the difficulty of the movement. The study showed that
intensive training for two weeks led to improved results but worsened after week 22. Different
studies showed significant improvements in strength and power after specific training
interventions, with significant differences between strength-trained and non-active soccer
players. Overall, strength training interventions were found to be more effective in improving
1RM and SREL compared to soccer training alone.
In conclusion of this study, long term training is a greater recommendation for both youth
and professional athletes if the goal is improved change of direction within their sport. This type
of training can help young athletes with their strength and speed development at an early age,
and be able to maintain it easier over the years. It is important however, for younger athletes to
focus on proper form and technique before moving towards volume and intensity. As the athletes
get older, and mastered the correct form then changes can be made to their routine.
Overall, this study was an effective one to completed and gave some insight into changes
that could be made in at athlete routine to have a greater COD overtime. The study used a wide
range of inficials to get a greater scope of knowledge, and how the results could help younger
indidialvs get to a professional leval. Unformatnly the results didnt show much of a change with
the training program that was conducted, this was a hypothesis of mine in the beginning. A
Guided Article Critique: Change of Direction Assignment 6
References
Keiner, M. , Sander, A. , Wirth, K. & Schmidtbleicher, D. (2014). Long-Term Strength Training
Effects on Change-of-Direction Sprint Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning
Research, 28 (1), 223-231. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318295644b.
Dos'Santos, T., Thomas, C., McBurnie, A., Comfort, P., & Jones, P. A. (2021). Change of
Direction Speed and Technique Modification Training Improves 180° Turning
Performance, Kinetics, and Kinematics. Sports (Basel, Switzerland),9(6), 73.
https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9060073
Buhmann, R., Stuelcken, M., & Sayers, M. (2022). Alternatives to common approaches for
training change of direction performance: a scoping review. BMC sports science,
medicine & rehabilitation,14(1), 151. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-022-00544-9
Chaabene, H., Prieske, O., Moran, J., Negra, Y., Attia, A., & Granacher, U. (2020). Effects of
Resistance Training on Change-of-Direction Speed in Youth and Young Physically
Active and Athletic Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine
(Auckland, N.Z.),50(8), 1483–1499.c
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