Resistance and Endurance Training Are Similarly Effective When Delivered in Separate Versus Combined Formats in Female Rugby Players

With women’s club rugby in England now played on a semi-professional basis, coaches face new challenges in structuring training programmes. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of two different training configurations on strength, speed and endurance in elite female rugby players (n = 20) who undertook six weeks of resistance training (RT) and endurance and technical training (ETT), twice per week. Participants were divided equally between a group that performed RT in the morning and ETT in the evening, separately (SEP); and a group which performed each training type combined (COMB) within one continuous session. In both groups, the intensity and volume of the applied training programmes were the same. Tests for one repetition maximum squat and bench press, 10 m sprint and maximum aerobic speed (MAS) were conducted. Repeated measures ANOVAs (Baseline – Follow-up), showed a significant effect of time for lower body strength (Squat: SEP 93.1-98.5 [+6.2%] vs. COMB 97.5-101.5 kg [+5.5%]), upper body strength (Bench press: SEP 61.0-65.0 [+6.9%] vs. COMB 60.7-63.1 kg [+4.1%]), 10 m (SEP 1.93-1.90 [+1.4%] vs. COMB 1.98-1.95 s [+1.6%]) and MAS (SEP 3.5-3.7 [4.2%] vs. COMB 3.5-3.7 m/s [5.9%]). After the intervention, no significant group x time interactions were detected for any of the utilised performance tests. For elite female rugby players, the combination of RT and ETT training types into the same session does not seem to be detrimental to overall physical fitness. Based on these results, coaches can programme RT and ETT separately, or in the same session, in female rugby players, based on their specific daily commitments