The role of compliance during in-season training on self-selected training intensity in Division-I FCS college football players

Seventy National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) male student-athletes from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) were observed during a lengthy in-season period to monitor the possible effects of compliance on self-selected training intensity. All subjects performed identical training focused on increasing strength, power, speed and energy-system conditioning before beginning the in-season period. All subjects completed the same training and participated in team practice sessions during the in-season. Context: Successful performance during competition in American football is dependent on the athlete’s level of strength and power development. Off-season training protocols for improving strength and power in college football players have been well documented (Brechue & Mayhew, 2012; Fry & Kraemer, 1991; Hoffman, Kraemer, Fry, Deschenes & Kemp, 1990; Newton & Dugan, 2002; Ware, Clemons, Mayhew & Johnson, 1995). Little research exists on inseason training protocol for Division-I FCS college football players to maintain or improve strength during the competition season. Objective: To determine the effect of in-season compliance on self-selected training intensity in Division-I FCS college football players. Design: Experimental in nature using retrospective data. Participants: A homogeneous sample of 70 Division-I FCS collegiate football players. Methods: Compliance and intensity were assessed during three time periods: time period one, a mandatory in-season lift (enforced by the head coach) week two of the regular season during the bye (off) week, (b) time period two, a mandatory in-season lift week eight of the regular season, and (c) time period three, an optional in-season lift during week fifteen of the regular season during the final playoff game. Measures: Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 14.0, SPSS, Inc., IL). Results: The repeated measures MANOVA indicated that there was a significant time effect (F(8,48)=2.5, p=0.03). Over the course of the season, C%BS (F(1.19)=72.8, p=0.001) and C%BP (F(1.22)=91.23, p=0.001) significantly changed. Additionally, INTBS significantly changed over time (F(2)=9.6, p=0.001) but there was no significant changes in INTBP (F(1.4)=0.31, p=0.66). The independent t-tests indicated that compliance did not have a significant effect on INTBS for the first (p=0.47) and third (p=0.15) time periods. High compliers chose significantly higher INTBS during the second time period (p=0.002). There were no differences in INTBP between high and low compliers for time period one (p=0.23), two (p=0.56) or three (p=0.60). The lack of a compliance effect prompted a secondary analysis. Subjects were rank ordered by self-selected training intensity for both exercises. Subjects that used intensities \u3e70% of their 1RM were placed into the high self-selected training intensity group and thos