The Effects of Agility Training with Weighted Vests on Overall Agility Performance in College Students
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Maureen Dunn
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-10-2015
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of wearing a weighted vest (10-11% of lean body mass, LBM) during a four-week agility training program on overall agility performance. Fifteen participants (ages 18-22) took part in the study and were actively recruited from Hope College health dynamics classes and outof- season athletes. All participants performed a pre-test in the T-Test (TT) and Illinois Agility Run Test (IART) before being matched by initial agility score and assigned to either a control group (n=4), weighted-vest group (n=6), or non-vest group (n=5). The two experimental groups participated in the agility training program for 4 weeks while the control participants maintained habitual activity. Various supervised agility exercises were performed during 50-minute training sessions on three days of each week during the training period. We hypothesized that individuals wearing a weighted vest during agility training would improve in agility performance more than those not wearing a weighted vest. Data was collected and analyzed using a 3x2 Repeated Measures ANOVA. Results showed no significant difference between groups or over time from pre to post-test for TT (Pre: 11.30±0.38 sec, Post: 11.08±0.40 sec, p > 0.05), but all groups significantly increased pre to post-test for IART (Pre: 18.01±0.49 sec, Post: 17.81±0.54 sec, p =0.034). There was also no significant difference in heart rates or level of enjoyment between experimental groups throughout the study. According to the data, it can be concluded that weighted vests had no significant effect on agility performance during a four week agility training period in comparison to both the non-vest and control groups.
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