Research summary · Youth development
Two ways to prescribe interval intensity in youth soccer
Eighteen national-level male soccer players, averaging 15.7 years, were randomized to six weeks of intervals prescribed at either their respiratory compensation point or maximal aerobic speed.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Randomized comparative training trial
- Journal
- Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport
- Population / context
- Adolescent male soccer
What the publication reports
Maximal oxygen uptake and running speed improved over time, without statistically clear between-group differences. Perceived exertion decreased in both groups, while the maximal-aerobic-speed group showed a greater increase in blood lactate.
Limits and interpretation
The small sample limits detection of differences; a nonsignificant comparison does not establish equivalence. Without a non-HIIT control, improvements cannot be separated fully from usual soccer training or maturation. Results do not establish an optimal intensity or effects on match performance.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Adaptations to a 6-Week High-Intensity Interval Training Program at Different Intensities in Young Soccer Players
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42842395DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2026.2734449Reader discussion
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