PMID 37489302

Research
All papers

The Addition of Sprint Interval Training to Field Lacrosse Training Increases Rate of Torque Development and Contractile Impulse in Female High School Field Lacrosse Players

Symons TB, Roberts AH, Carter KA, Caruso JF

Question

Does sprint interval training added to field-lacrosse-specific training improve lower-limb rate of torque development, contractile impulse, and skeletal muscle strength in female high school field lacrosse players?

Summary

Twelve female high school lacrosse players completed a 12-week sprint interval program alongside normal lacrosse practice and games. Early rate of torque development, contractile impulse, isometric strength, and high-velocity knee-extension torque improved, but the study lacked a lacrosse-only control group, so the added effect of sprint intervals cannot be isolated.

Methodology

  • Female varsity high school field lacrosse players.
  • 12 participants.
  • Maximal running sprints.
  • Work intervals: Distance-based sprints: 40 m, 15 m, or suicide runs over 16/25/50/75 m segments.
  • Recovery: 15-20 s active recovery, 15 s rest, 120 s between sets, or 60 s between suicides.
  • Intensity: Maximal/all-out; encouraged Borg 0-10 RPE of 9-10.
  • 3 sessions/week.
  • 12 weeks.
  • Uncontrolled pre/mid/post training study with participants serving as their own control.
  • Rate of torque development, Contractile impulse, and Peak torque were tracked.

Outcomes

RTD

Early RTD improved, while longer RTD windows were not statistically significant.

RTD 0-50 +42%, p=0.004; RTD 0-100 p=0.051; RTD 0-200 p=0.076.

Mixed

Contractile impulse

Contractile impulse improved across all measured early contraction windows.

0-50 ms +42%, p=0.004; 0-100 ms +33%, p=0.018; 0-200 ms +22%, p=0.031.

Improved

Peak torque

Isometric and high-velocity concentric torque improved; slow isokinetic torque did not.

0 rad/s +20%, p=0.002; 3.14 rad/s +9%, p=0.038; 1.57 rad/s no improvement.

Mixed

Completion

Twelve of fourteen initial athletes completed; two stopped because of injury and illness.

12/14 completers; relatedness of injury/illness not reported.

Mixed

Insights

  • Maximal sprint intervals may improve rapid force measures in trained adolescent field athletes.
  • The protocol is better suited to advanced sport-performance settings than general home HIIT.
  • The absence of a lacrosse-only control means claims should be framed as association, not isolated causation.

Limitations

  • No control group.
  • Small sample.
  • Single sport, sex, and age group.
  • Sprint times and RPE were not monitored.
  • Maturation and concurrent season training may contribute to results.

Safety

  • Two participants were unable to complete due to injury and illness.
  • The article did not state whether the injury or illness was related to sprint training.