The Effects of Increased vs. Traditional Squat Stance Width on Performance Indices in Elite Rugby League Players

NCT05505786 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Squat stance width
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 26
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The back squat is a commonly utilized resistance training exercise for the promotion of both performance and musculoskeletal health. There are a range of manipulations that can be made to the setup of this resistance exercise, with once such adaptation being the stance width when performing the exercise. This intervention aims to explore the effects of increasing the stance with on performance indices in elite rugby league players.

Conditions

Sports Performance

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• 505 agility test

  Test of 180 degree turning ability, measured using timing gates.

  Baseline

• 505 agility test

  Test of 180 degree turning ability, measured using timing gates.

  8-weeks

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Body mass

  Baseline

• Body mass

  8-weeks

• Sum of skinfold thickness

  Baseline

• Sum of skinfold thickness

  8-weeks

• Three repetition maximum squat strength

  Baseline

Study Arms (2)

Normal stance width

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Those assigned to this group will complete their pre-season training as normal i.e. when performing their squat exercises they will do so using their habitual (self-selected) stance width.

Behavioral: Normal stance width

Wide stance width

EXPERIMENTAL

Those assigned to this (i.e. experimental) group will also complete their pre-season training as normal, the only exception will be that when performing their squat exercises they will increase their stance width by 20% compared to their self-selected stance width.

Behavioral: Wide stance width

Interventions

Normal stance width BEHAVIORAL

Normal self-selected stance width when performing squat exercises.

Normal stance width

Wide stance width BEHAVIORAL

Increased stance with (by 20% over their own self-selected stance width) when performing squat exercises.

Wide stance width

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Rugby league player contracted to a professional Super League team
• years minimum of back squat experience
• Male
• Injury free for 6-months

You may not qualify if:

• Female
• Any injury at baseline
• Any international matches played during the between season break

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Central Lancashire: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Central Lancashire

Preston, Lancashire, PR4 0PE, United Kingdom

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: Stratified to include similar number of forward and backs in each arm.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 16, 2022
• First Posted: August 18, 2022
• Study Start: October 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2021
• Study Completion: April 1, 2022
• Last Updated: September 6, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)