Salter, Jamie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7375-1476, Forsdyke, Dale ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4283-4356, Dawson, Zoe, Rhymer, Jacob, Walsh, Luke and Mundy, Peter (2025) The influence of athletic profile on acute neuromuscular response to a repeated sprint protocol in youth females: a pilot study. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. (In Press)

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Abstract

Athletic profiles influence how athletes tolerate exposure to high-intensity activities and training-induced fatigue. Current understanding of athletic profiles has been derived primarily from adult male populations which limits the application of this potentially important training knowledge to females, and in particular youth females. Therefore, this study aimed to address this bias and examine the influence of athletic profiles on acute neuromuscular response in 118 female multisport athletes aged between 8 and 22 (age: 13.6 ± 2.9; stature: 155.9 ± 13.9; body mass: 50.2 ± 16.1). All participants completed sprint speed (5, 40 m, and maximal sprint speed [MSS]) and strength characteristics (Isometric mid-thigh pull) immediately pre- and post-a repeated sprint protocol. Anaerobic Speed Reserve was calculated from performance tests (MSS and maximal aerobic speed) with participants subsequently categorized (slow, hybrid or fast). Excluding relative peak force, there were significant differences in all sprint speed and strength characteristics between slow and hybrid and significant differences between slow and fast profile athletes before repeated sprinting. Dependent t-tests revealed significant (p = 0.001, d = 0.58) reductions in 40 m performance for fast athletes and a significant decrease in MSS for both hybrid (p = 0.003, d = 0.47) and fast athletes (p = 0.002, d = 0.58). This suggests that female athletes with hybrid, and fast athletic profiles may experience greater negative neuromuscular response following repeated sprints. Practitioners should therefore consider individualizing training and monitoring neuromuscular response to training to prevent athletic profile-related performance reductions, overreaching or injury accumulating over time.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	In Press
Subjects:	Q Science > QP Physiology R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics
School/Department:	School of Science, Technology and Health
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/11857

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