Comparative Effectiveness of Isolated and Integrated Core Strength and Speed–Agility–Quickness Training on Multidimensional Athletic Performance in Male Inter-Collegiate Kabaddi Players
Author : Varre Prabhukaruna, Dr. PK Kavitha Shri, Dr. S Ramesh Kumar and Dr. P Natarajan
Abstract :
Kabaddi is an intermittent, high-intensity team sport that requires a well-developed combination of core stability, speed, agility, quickness and sport-specific movement efficiency to achieve optimal competitive performance. Although Core Strength Training (CST) and Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) Training are independently recognized as effective conditioning strategies for improving athletic performance, evidence comparing their individual and combined effects among inter-collegiate kabaddi players remains limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of isolated Core Strength Training, isolated Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) Training and an integrated Core Strength plus SAQ Training programme on the Illinois Agility Test among male inter-collegiate kabaddi players. The independent variables comprised Core Strength Training, SAQ Training and Integrated Core Strength with SAQ Training, whereas the dependent variable was agility, assessed using the Illinois Agility Test. Eighty male inter-collegiate kabaddi players, aged 18–25 years, were randomly selected and allocated equally into four groups of twenty participants each. Group I underwent Core Strength Training, Group II completed SAQ Training, Group III participated in the integrated Core Strength and SAQ Training programme, and Group IV served as the control group without any structured training intervention. The intervention was implemented over a period of twelve weeks, with training sessions conducted for 60 minutes on three alternate days each week. A randomized pre-test–post-test control group design was employed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the dependent sample t-test, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe's post hoc test, with the level of statistical significance established at 0.05. The results demonstrated significant improvements in agility among all experimental groups when compared with the control group. Furthermore, the integrated Core Strength and SAQ Training programme produced the greatest enhancement in Illinois Agility Test performance, indicating that the combined training approach is more effective than either isolated Core Strength Training or SAQ Training for improving agility in male inter-collegiate kabaddi players.
Keywords :
Core Strength Training, Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) Training, Integrated Training, Multidimensional Athletic Performance, Kabaddi Players.
