Changes in leg strength and kinematics with uphill-downhill training

This study examined the effects of an 8-week uphill-downhill sprint training programme on the force generation capacity of leg muscles. Twenty-four university students were randomly allocated to one of two training groups (combined uphill–downhill and horizontal) and a control group. The combined training method produced significant improvements in maximal isometric force (7.1%) and rate of force production (≈ 25%) of the knee flexor muscles (p<0.05). The combined training was also significantly more effective in improving the maximum sprinting speed (5.9%, p<0.05) and associated kinematic variables. In particular, the propulsive phase of contact decreased significantly by 17% (p