The effects of short-term preseason skill-based conditioning on physiological characteristics in elite female volleyball players

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the benefits of short-term preseason skill-based conditioning on the physiological characteristics of female volleyball players from the first-division volleyball league over four weeks of training. Twelve female volleyball players (18.33±3.47 years; 177.25±5.28 cm; 65.38±5.93 kg) completed four weeks of game-related drills combined with physical conditioning. Physiological characteristics were measured using a 20-m shuttle run test: average heart rate (HRavg), maximum heart rate (HRmax), the maximum number of breaths (BRmax), maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), maximum excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOCmax) and maximum of metabolic equivalent (METmax). Data collection and extraction were administrated using heart rate monitors and Firstbeat Sports software. After an initial evaluation (T0), the players were tested after the fourth week of the training cycle (T1). Heart rate average (HRavg) decreased (-1.9%; p=0.046), maximum metabolic equivalent (METmax) (14.2%; p<0.001) and maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) (14.1%; p<0.001) increased respectively. The results suggest that the volleyball players continued improving their physiological characteristics during the study. Finally, as a major application, these data provide normative standards of physiological characteristics in the preseason for female volleyball players.

Keywords

• skill-based conditioning
• effects
• physiological characteristics
• female
• volleyball