Effects of a six-week speed, agility and quickness training program on EMG activation during jumping performance in female soccer players

Abstract

Female participation in soccer has grown markedly in recent years; however, this increase is not yet supported by training programs specifically aimed at enhancing performance in women athletes.To address this gap, the effects of a speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) training protocol on muscle activation among female soccer players has been investigated. Twenty amateur female players were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG; n = 10), which underwent a 6-week SAQ training, or a control group (CG; n = 10), which maintained their regular routines. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius was recorded during squat jumps (SJ) and drop jumps (DJ), both pre and post the intervention. The aim of the study was to determine whether SAQ-focused training could enhance neuromuscular activation— specifically, whether such training would increase EMG signals during SJ and DJ performance among female soccer players. Post-training ANOVA analyses revealed that the EG exhibited significantly increased activation of the rectus femoris during both SJ and DJ compared to baseline (p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, gastrocnemius activation during the concentric phase of the DJ has significantly increased after the intervention in the EG (p ≤ 0.05). No significant changes were detected in the biceps femoris of the EG (p ≥ 0.05), nor were there any significant EMG alterations in the CG (p ≥ 0.05). These findings suggest that a 6-week SAQ training program is effective in enhancing muscle activation—particularly in the rectus femoris and gastrocnemius—during explosive movement tasks. This neuromuscular improvement may translate into better on-field performance for female soccer players. The results support the design and implementation of gender-specific SAQ interventions to optimize training outcomes in women’s soccer.