Repeated-Sprint Training in Hypoxia in International Rugby Union Players

in International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

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Adam Beard
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John Ashby
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Ryan Chambers
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Franck Brocherie
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Grégoire P. Millet
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2018-0170
Keywords:
repeated-sprint ability; team sports; competition; lower limbs; altitude training
In Print:
Volume 14: Issue 6
Page Range:
850–854
Restricted access

Purpose: To investigate the effects of repeated-sprint training in hypoxia vs in normoxia on world-level male rugby union players’ repeated-sprint ability (RSA) during an international competition period. Methods: A total of 19 players belonging to an international rugby union senior male national team performed 4 sessions of cycling repeated sprints (consisting of 3 × eight 10-s sprints with 20 s passive recovery) either in normobaric hypoxia (RSH, 3000 m; n = 10) or in normoxia (RSN, 300 m; n = 9) over a 2-wk period. Before and after the training intervention, RSA was evaluated using a cycling repeated-sprint test (6 × 10-s maximal sprint and 20-s passive recovery) performed in normoxia. Results: Significant interaction effects (all P < .05, ηp2>.37) between condition and time were found for RSA-related parameters. Compared with Pre, maximal power significantly improved at Post in RSH (12.84 [0.83] vs 13.63 [1.03] W·kg−1, P < .01, ηp2=.15) but not in RSN (13.17 [0.89] vs 13.00 [1.01] W·kg−1, P = .45, ηp2=.01). Mean power was also significantly enhanced from Pre to Post in RSH (11.15 [0.58] vs 11.86 [0.63] W·kg−1, P < .001, ηp2=.26), whereas it remained unchanged in RSN (11.54 [0.61] vs 11.75 [0.65] W·kg−1, P = .23, ηp2=.03). Conclusion: As few as 4 dedicated specific RSH sessions were beneficial to enhance repeated power production in world-level rugby union players. Although the improvement from RSA to game behavior remains unclear, this finding appears to be of practical relevance as only a short preparation window is available prior to international rugby union games.

Beard and Millet are with ISSUL, Inst of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Ashby and Chambers are with the National Centre of Excellence, Welsh Rugby Union, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Brocherie is with the Laboratory of Sport, Expertise and Performance, Research Dept, French Inst of Sport, Paris, France.

Beard (ajbeardo@hotmail.com) is corresponding author.
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