The Effects of Increased vs. Traditional Squat Stance Width on Performance Indices in Elite Rugby League Players

University of Central Lancashire

Status: Completed

Conditions: Sports Performance

Treatments: Behavioral: Normal stance width; Behavioral: Wide stance width

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05505786

Squat stance width

Details and patient eligibility

About

The back squat is a commonly utilized resistance training exercise for the promotion of both performance and musculoskeletal health. There are a range of manipulations that can be made to the setup of this resistance exercise, with once such adaptation being the stance width when performing the exercise. This intervention aims to explore the effects of increasing the stance with on performance indices in elite rugby league players.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Rugby league player contracted to a professional Super League team
• 5-years minimum of back squat experience
• Male
• Injury free for 6-months

Exclusion criteria

• Female
• Any injury at baseline
• Any international matches played during the between season break

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Normal stance width

Active Comparator group

Description:

Those assigned to this group will complete their pre-season training as normal i.e. when performing their squat exercises they will do so using their habitual (self-selected) stance width.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Normal stance width

Wide stance width

Experimental group

Description:

Those assigned to this (i.e. experimental) group will also complete their pre-season training as normal, the only exception will be that when performing their squat exercises they will increase their stance width by 20% compared to their self-selected stance width.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Wide stance width