Effects of Core and Resistance Exercise on Sprint and Agility Outcomes in Adolescent Footballers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to investigate the effects of resistance (RT) and core (CT) training on sprint and agility performance in 12–13-year-old male soccer players for eight weeks. The participants were randomly divided into three groups: resistance training group (n=10), core training group (n=10), and control group (n=10). In the study, 10 m, 20 m and 30 m sprint tests and 505 and arrowhead agility tests were applied as pre-test and post-test. The data obtained were evaluated in SPSS program. Graphs were created in Graphpad Prism program. Results showed significant improvements in sprint distances in both experimental groups. In the RT group, significant improvements were found in 10 m (p=0.006), 20 m (p=0.038), 30 m (p=0.004) sprints and both agility tests (505: p=0.038; Arrowhead: p=0.027); effect sizes were medium-high (e.g. 10 m sprint, d=0.83). In the CT group, significant improvements were noted in the 10 m (p=0.034), 20 m (p=0.043), 30 m (p=0.024) sprints, while borderline significance was observed only in the Arrowhead test (p=0.064). In the control group, no significant change was found in any test. These findings suggest that the improvements were due to the training interventions. In conclusion, resistance-based training seems to be more effective in improving sprint and agility performance, while core training plays a supportive role in certain phases of sprinting. These findings suggest that, considering the age group, it is important to select the type of training intervention according to the content for performance improvement in soccer players.