Investigate the effects of sprint and narrow field training methods on cardiopulmonary parameters in soccer players

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of sprint and narrow field training methods on cardiopulmonary parameters in soccer players. In this study, a total of (n=24) male football players who actively play football in Gelisim University football team, including small field group (n=8), sprint group (n=8) and control group (n=8), participated voluntarily. In addition to their own training for 8 weeks, small-sided game and sprint interval training method was applied to the soccer players in the study on the same day and time 3 days a week, while the control group continued their routine soccer training. In the pre-tests of the soccer players in the study, anthropometric tests and an exercise test protocol of increasing intensity were applied to determine the cardiopulmonary values, and the same protocol was repeated after 8 weeks for the post-test values. Shapiro-Wilk analysis was performed in the normality test analysis of the data obtained from the research and one way anova statistical analysis test was applied to determine the difference between groups from parametric tests due to the normal distribution of the groups. Repeated measure anova test was applied in the statistical analysis of the pre-test and post-test values of intergroup, intra-group and group-time interaction of football players. The significance level of the data was determined as p <0.05 and the analysis was performed in SPSS 25 package program. SigmaPlot program (SigmaPlot 12.0) was used to determine the VO2max, anaerobic threshold and respiratory threshold values of football players. According to the findings obtained from the study, no statistically significant difference was found in the anthropometric measurements of soccer players in the pre-test and post-test parameters between and within groups (p<0.05). While no significant difference was found in the anaerobic threshold parameters of soccer players between the groups in the pre-test results (p<0,05), a significant difference was found in the Anaerobic Threshold HR (HR beats/min) parameter in the post-test values between the groups (p<0,05). A statistically significant difference was found in VO2 ml/min, VO2 ml/kg/min and HR (HR beats/min) parameters in the anaerobic threshold pre-test and post-test comparisons of soccer players. According to the data obtained in the study, there was no significant difference in the pre-test respiratory threshold parameters between the groups (p<0.05), while a statistically significant difference was found in the post-test respiratory threshold HR HR (HR beats/min) parameter between the groups (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in other parameters (p<0.05). The analysis of the pre and post test values of the respiratory threshold VO2 ml/min, VO2 ml/kg/min and speed (km/h) measurements of the soccer players within the group showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the sprint and small field groups (p<0.05), while no statistically significant difference was found in the other parameters (p<0.05). In the study, while no statistically significant difference was found in the isocapnic buffering phase pre-test and post-test parameters of the football players between the groups (p<0.05), a significant difference was obtained in the isocapnic buffering phase VO2 Relative (ml/kg/min) and isocapnic buffering phase speed (km/h) parameters of the football players within the group (p<0.05). According to the findings obtained from our study, there was no statistically significant difference in the pre-test and post-test comparisons of Exhaustion Time (min) and VO2max (ml/kg/min) parameters between the groups (p<0.05). However, when we considered the intragroup values of soccer players in our study, a significant difference was detected in the pre-test and post-test parameters of Exhaustion time (min) and VO2max (ml/kg/min) measurements (p<0.05). As a result, it was seen that sprint and small field games training applied to soccer players had a positive effect on cardiopulmonary parameters. Keywords: Football, Anaerobic Threshold, Isocapnic Buffering Phase, VO2ma