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Abstract: Kilit, B, Chmura, P, Arslan, E, Soylu, Y, and Radziminski, Ł. Effects of 2 combined training protocols on the aerobic and anaerobic fitness, technical skills, and psychophysiological responses in young soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 39(1): 86-93, 2025-The study compared the effects of combining small-sided soccer games (SSGs) with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and repeated sprint training (RST) on aerobic and anaerobic fitness, technical skills, and psychophysiological responses in young soccer players. Thirty-two male, adolescent, soccer players (aged 13.5 ± 0.3 years) were randomly divided into either the SSGs + HIIT group ( n = 16) or the SSGs + RST group ( n = 16) for combined training 3 times per week for 6 weeks. The players in the SSGs + HIIT group performed 12-18 minutes of runs at intensities (90-95%), whereas the players in the SSGs + RST group consisted of 3-4 sets of 5-7 times 15-m shuttle sprints (all-out efforts). Both training groups played 4 bouts of 2-a-side or 4-a-side SSGs with various game formats at 2-day intervals. Psychophysiological responses were determined during and after all training sessions. Before and after training interventions, the following physical performance tests were used: 5- to 30-m sprint time, countermovement jump, triple-hop distance, zigzag agility with the ball and without the ball, repeated sprint ability (RSA), 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test, 3 corner run test, speed dribbling ability (SDA), Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1, and Y-balance test. Our main findings were that the SSGs + RST group demonstrated greater improvement in 5-m sprint time, SDA time, and RSA in the meantime compared with the SSGs + HIIT ( p ≤ 0.05, d values ranging from 1.50 to 2.25). Moreover, the SSGs + RST group showed greater improvement in agility test responses ( p ≤ 0.05, d values ranging from 2.13 to 2.34) than the SSGs + HIIT group. However, the SSGs + HIIT induced higher perceived exertion, mental effort, and lower greater physical enjoyment meaningfully compared with the SSGs + RST ( p ≤ 0.05, d values ranging from 6.04 to 6.67). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that the SSGs + RST is an effective training program to improve young soccer players' speed and agility-based performance responses., (Copyright © 2024 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

Kilit, B and Arslan, E. Effects of high-intensity interval training vs. on-court tennis training in young tennis players. J Strength Cond Res 33(1): 188-196, 2019-This study aimed to examine the effects of 6 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. 6 weeks of on-court tennis training (OTT) on the psychophysiological responses, performance responses, and technical scores of young tennis players. Twenty-nine young male tennis players (aged 13.8 ± 0.4 years) were divided into HIIT (n = 14) and OTT groups (n = 15). Both groups trained for the same total training duration with passive rest in each session. Pre-test and post-test included maximum oxygen consumption ((Equation is included in full-text article.)max), sprinting, jumping, 400-m running time, a tennis-specific technical test, and the t-drill agility test. The training interventions resulted in similar improvements in (Equation is included in full-text article.)max responses (HIIT: +5.2%, d = 1.36 [large effect]; OTT: +5.5%, d = 1.50 [large effect]). Both training protocols increased jumping and sprinting performances significantly from pre-testing to post-testing (p < 0.05, d values ranging from 0.40 to 1.10). The OTT group showed significantly higher performance responses in terms of the agility test performance and technical scores (p < 0.05, d = ranging from 0.77 to 0.88 [moderate effect]) compared with the HIIT group. By contrast, the HIIT group exhibited significantly higher performance responses in terms of the 400-m running time (p < 0.05, d = 1.32 [large effect]). Our results showed that tennis-specific on-court drills might be a more effective training strategy to improve agility and technical ability with greater physical enjoyment, whereas HIIT may be more appropriate for speed-based conditioning in young tennis players.