Effects of Maximal and Submaximal Anaerobic and Aerobic Running on Subsequent Change-of-Direction Speed Performance among Police Students

Simple Summary Change-of-direction maneuvers are frequently performed by police officers and athletes. These maneuvers are typically performed with the intention of being maximally fast. Often, an officer or an athlete will run at a certain pace before commencing a change-of-direction speed maneuver. Depending on the duration and intensity of this running activity, their performance of the change-of-direction speed maneuver may be reduced. This study determined the degree to which the preceding maximal and submaximal anaerobic and aerobic activity affect the subsequent performance of the change-of-direction speed maneuver. We found that both anaerobic and aerobic running activities decreased the speed of the subsequent performance on the Illinois Agility Test. We also found that anaerobic running at 85% and 90% had a greater impact on change-of-direction speed performance than did aerobic running at these intensities. Above 90% intensity, anaerobic and aerobic performance similarly impacted the change-of-direction speed. As such, given the requirement for tactical personnel and intermittent, multidirectional sports athletes to perform a change-of-direction speed maneuver following a period of submaximal anaerobic or aerobic activity, increasing fitness may be a means of reducing the negative impacts of preceding submaximal impacts on change-of-direction speed performance. Change-of-direction speed (CODS) directly impacts success in sports, police, and military performance. Movements requiring CODS are often preceded by aerobic or anaerobic running. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of maximal and submaximal anaerobic and aerobic running on subsequent CODS performance. A sample of 50 police students (42% female and 58% male) performed a maximal 300-yard shuttle run test (SR300y) and a 2.4-km Cooper test (CT2.4km) at maximal effort and also at 95, 90, 85, 80, and 75% of maximal effort. CODS was assessed using the Illinois Agility Test (IAT) immediately following each intensity level of each test at 12 separate testing sessions. To avoid fatigue, the period between each consecutive session was a minimum of 3 days. Paired samples t-tests were used to determine the differences between the two conditions (anaerobic lactic and aerobic) and for the IAT. A repeated measure analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post hoc test was used to analyze partial effects of different running intensities on the IAT. A significant reduction in speed was observed between the initial IATmax time and the IATmax time after performing the SR300y at intensities of 95, 90, 85, and 80% of maximal speed on this test. IAT performance was significantly slower when performed after the CT2.4km at 95 and 90% of maximal aerobic speed. The effects of the SR300y on the IAT were significantly greater than the effects of the CT2.4km. No significant differences were found by sex. Building up to 90% intensity, anaerobic running has a greater negative impact on subsequent CODS performance than does aerobic running.