Influence of Multidirectional Agility Training on Neuromuscular Efficiency and Match Performance among University-Level Team Sport Athletes
Abstract
Team sports are defined by rapid changes of direction, sudden accelerations and decelerations, and the constant need to respond to an unpredictable game. Success in these sports therefore depends heavily on agility and on the efficiency with which the neuromuscular system produces and controls movement. This study examined the influence of an eight-week programme of multidirectional agility training on the neuromuscular efficiency and the match performance of university-level team sport athletes. A pre-test and post-test experimental design with a control group was employed. Fifty male athletes were randomly assigned to an experimental group, which undertook the agility programme three times a week alongside normal practice, and a control group, which continued its usual practice only. Neuromuscular efficiency was assessed through the reactive strength index, countermovement jump height, the Illinois agility test, the 505 change-of-direction test and a reactive agility test, while match performance was assessed through a coach-rated performance index and objective match indicators. Paired and independent t-tests were used, and effect sizes were calculated. The experimental group improved significantly on every measure of neuromuscular efficiency and match performance, with moderate to large effect sizes, whereas the control group changed little. The findings indicate that structured multidirectional agility training is an effective means of enhancing both the underlying neuromuscular qualities and the on-field performance of university-level team sport athletes.
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