Repeated-Sprint Training in Hypoxia in International Rugby Union Players

• Published in: International journal of sports physiology and performance p. 1
• Main Authors: Beard, Adam, Ashby, John, Chambers, Ryan, Brocherie, Franck, Millet, Grégoire P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2019
• Subjects: Competition; Repeated-sprint training in hypoxia; Lower limbs; Repeated-sprint ability; Rugby Union; Team sports
• ISSN: 1555-0273
• DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2018-0170

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. Nineteen players belonging to an international Rugby Union Senior male national team performed four 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. At Pre- and Post-training intervention, RSA was evaluated using a cycling repeated-sprint test (6 x 10-s maximal sprint and 20-s passive recovery) performed in normoxia. Significant interaction effects (all P<0.05, η >0.37) between condition and time were found for RSA-related parameters. Compared to Pre-, maximal power significantly improved at Post- in RSH (12.84 ± 0.83 vs. 13.63 ± 1.03 W.kg-1, P<0.01, η =0.15) but not in RSN (13.17 ± 0.89 vs. 13.00 ± 1.01 W.kg-1, P=0.45, , η =0.01). Mean power was also significantly enhanced from Pre- to Post-intervention in RSH (11.15 ± 0.58 vs. 11.86 ± 0.63 W.kg-1, P<0.001, η =0.26), while it remained unchanged in RSN (11.54 ± 0.61 vs. 11.75 ± 0.65 W.kg-1, P=0.23, η =0.03). As little as four dedicated specific RSH sessions were beneficial to enhance repeated power production in World-level Rugby Union players. Although the improvement from RSA to game behaviour remains unclear, this finding appears of practical relevance since only a short preparation window is available prior to international Rugby Union games.