Supramaximal Interval Running Prescription in Australian Rules Football Players: A Comparison Between Maximal Aerobic Speed, Anaerobic Speed Reserve, and the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test

ABSTRACT

Collison, J, Debenedictis, T, Fuller, JT, Gerschwitz, R, Ling, T, Gotch, L, Bishop, B, Sibley, L, Russell, J, Hobbs, A, and Bellenger, CR. Supramaximal interval running prescription in Australian Rules Football players: A comparison between maximal aerobic speed, anaerobic speed reserve and the 30-15 intermittent fitness test. J Strength Cond Res 36(12): 3409-3414, 2022-Accurate prescription of supramaximal interval running during Australian Rules Football (AF) preparatory periods is important to facilitate the specific targeting of physiological and neuromuscular adaptation. This study compared the variability in supramaximal interval running performance prescribed by proportion of maximal aerobic speed (MAS), anaerobic speed reserve (ASR), and 30-15 intermittent fitness test (30-15IFT) terminal speed. Seventeen male junior AF players first completed assessments of MAS, ASR, and 30-15IFT in a randomized order. They subsequently performed supramaximal interval running trials (15 seconds on: 15 seconds off until volitional exhaustion) at 120% MAS, 20% ASR, and 95% 30-15IFT in a randomized order. Variability in time to exhaustion (TTE) for each prescription method was calculated as the mean of the square root of the squared difference between the individual value and the mean value, and it was compared via repeated-measures analysis of variance with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Time to exhaustion during supramaximal interval running was not different between the prescription methods ( p = 0.58). Time to exhaustion residuals were reduced when prescribed by ASR compared with MAS (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.47; 29%); however, confidence intervals about this reduction indicated that there was some uncertainty in this finding (SMD = -1.03 to 0.09; p = 0.09). Trivial differences in TTE residuals were present when prescribed by 30-15IFT compared with MAS (SMD = -0.05 ± 0.59; p = 0.86). Although there was some uncertainty about the reduction in supramaximal interval running performance variability when prescribed by ASR compared with MAS, the 29% reduction exceeds the inherent error in TTE efforts (i.e., ∼9-15%) and may thus be considered practically meaningful. Reducing supramaximal interval running performance variability ensures similar physiological demand across individuals, potentially facilitating similar degrees of physiological adaptation.

Comparison of Military Recruit and Incumbent Physical Characteristics and Performance: Potential Implications for Through-Career Individual Readiness and Occupational Performance

Drain, JR, Debenedictis, T, Bulmer, S, and Michael, S. comparison of military recruit and incumbent physical characteristics and performance: Potential implications for through-career individual readiness and occupational performance. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-After basic military training, physical training practices among incumbent personnel differ substantially, potentially precipitating varied physical capacity and operational readiness. The purpose of this retrospective investigation was to compare physical characteristics and physical performance between recruits and incumbent personnel. Data were collected for 222 army recruits (REC: 197 men/25 women) nearing completion of basic training and 280 incumbent army personnel from combat arms (CA: 142 men) and noncombat arms trades (NCA: 113 men/25 women). Height, mass, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded together with performance measures including predicted V[Combining Dot Above]O2max and 1 repetition maximum box lift. Compared with REC, male incumbents were older (21.8 ± 0.6 vs. 27.6 ± 1.2 years; mean ± 95% confidence interval), had greater body mass (77.6 ± 1.3 vs. 82.6 ± 1.5 kg) and BMI (24.2 ± 0.3 vs. 25.8 ± 0.5 kg·m), similar relative V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, and lower box lift (49.7 ± 1.4 vs. 47.2 ± 2.4 kg). Male CA demonstrated greatest physical performance while male NCA demonstrated the highest BMI and poorest physical performance. Compared with REC, female incumbents were older (22.8 ± 1.6 vs. 31.9 ± 4.4 years), had similar body mass, higher BMI (24.1 ± 0.7 vs. 26.1 ± 2.4 kg·m), as well as lower V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (42.0 ± 1.3 vs. 37.9 ± 2.1 ml·kg··min) and box lift (27.8 ± 2.1 vs. 23.3 ± 2.4 kg). More than 97% of men and approximately 75% of women were able to achieve the box lift and V[Combining Dot Above]O2max baseline standards. The older age category (26 + vs. 18-25 years) typically demonstrated higher BMI and lower physical performance. Through-career maintenance of physical capacity is important for military personnel to support individual readiness and occupational performance, preserve health, and mitigate musculoskeletal injury risk.

Set distance time trials for predicting maximal aerobic speed in female Australian Rules Footballers

OBJECTIVES

Maximal aerobic speed (MAS) may be predicted from 2.0km time trial (TT) running speed in male Australian Rules football (AF) players. Given the between-sex differences in physiological variables precursory to endurance performance, and the impact of this on MAS distance limit, this study determined running speed across various TT distances best approximating MAS in female AF players.

METHOD

33 female AF players completed assessments of MAS and TT performance separated by at least 48h. In a randomised order, half of the athletes completed TT distances of 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0km, and the other half completed distances of 1.4, 1.8 and 2.2km. Bias, limits of agreement (LOA) and linear mixed modelling determined agreement between TT-derived running speed and MAS.

RESULTS

Average speed for all TT distances were different to MAS (bias≥0.59±0.45km·h^-1; p≤0.015) with the exception of the 1.4km TT (bias=-0.12±0.26km·h^-1; p=0.34). LOA was narrowest for the 1.4km TT (±0.76km·h^-1; ±6.1%) compared to other TT distances (±0.82-1.67km·h^-1; ±6.7-12.9%). A significant linear association between bias and TT distance (r=-0.73; p<0.001) indicated TT speed would be equal to MAS when a 1.4-1.5km TT was completed, and that MAS may be predicted from any distance between 1.2 and 2.2km.

CONCLUSIONS

MAS was best approximated by a 1.4-1.5km TT in female AF players, but may be predicted from TT speed for any distance between 1.2 and 2.2km. TT-derived MAS provides a time and resource efficient method for the quantification of aerobic fitness and prescription of future training intensities.