Effects of Integrative Neuromuscular Training Combined With Regular Tennis Training Program on Sprint and Change of Direction of Children

• Published in: Frontiers in physiology 2022-02, Vol.13, p.831248-831248
• Main Authors: Wang, Zhi-Hai, Pan, Rui-Cheng, Huang, Meng-Ru, Wang, Dan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: child; movement; physical fitness; Physiology; sensitive period
• ISSN: 1664-042X; 1664-042X
• DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.831248

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of integrative neuromuscular training (NMT) on sprint and the ability to change direction for children who are between the ages of 7 and 8 and beginning to play tennis. Thirty-two participants were randomized into a training group (TG;  = 16) and a control group (CG;  = 16). All participants attended tennis classes twice a week for a continuous 8 weeks. In addition, the TG received NMT (e.g., 20-m sprints, running at four corners, rope ladder drills, etc.), which progressed in difficulty every 2 weeks. Pre-intervention and post-intervention measurements, including a 30-m sprint test, a 5-10-5 test, and a 3 × 10 m shuttle run test, were assessed by a Smartspeed laser timing gate system, while the spider agility test was evaluated with a stopwatch. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA found significant differences in the interaction between time and group among variables measured. Results were as follows: time in the 30 m sprint (  = 13.467, 95% CI = 7.163-7.506,  = 0.001,  = 0.310, Δ = 0.42 s); 5-10-5 test (  = 13.975, 95% CI = 8.696-9.017,  = 0.001,  = 0.318, Δ = 0.78 s); 3 × 10 m shuttle run (  = 7.605, 95% CI = 11.213-11.642,  = 0.01,  = 0.202, Δ = 0.77 s); and spider agility test (  = 34.555, 95% CI = 28.258-29.670,