Author(s): DUCA, M., DENNIS, J., BARQUERO, F., MONTE, A., MIZUGUCHI, S., STONE, M.H., Institution: EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, Country: UNITED STATES, Abstract-ID: 1781

INTRODUCTION:
Larger muscles can produce more force. In a sport like Track & Field, optimizing power to body mass ratio is critical, therefore hypertrophy should occur in the muscle groups that directly contribute to sprinting and jumping performance (1). Resistance training is a commonly employed training modality to increase muscle mass and strength, particularly when implemented with block-periodized models (2). Hypertrophy of the posterior musculature of the thigh has been associated with faster sprint times (3). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of block periodized resistance training program on task-specific muscle hypertrophy in collegiate track & field athletes.
METHODS:
Eighteen collegiate track & field athletes (6 males, 12 females, height = 1.72 ± 0.11 m, body-mass = 68.3 ± 10.8 kg) completed an 11-week off-season training program, consisting of three sequential blocks: strength-endurance (SE, 4-week), basic strength (BS, 4-week), and strength-power (3-week) phases. Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) was assessed at baseline and after each block using bioelectric impedance analysis (SECA mBCA 515 v1.1). Additionally, muscle thickness (MT) of the proximal, middle and distal portions of the vastus lateralis (VL), the biceps femoris (BF), the gastrocnemius (GC), and the soleus (SO) were measured via B-mode ultrasonography (4) (LOGIQ P6, General Electric Healthcare). Linear mixed effects models were used to assess changes over time. Effects sizes (Cohen’s d) are reported for each block relative to baseline.
RESULTS:
Total SMM consistently increased through the program (SE: d = 0.57, BS: d = 0.65, SP: d=0.29). VL MT increased only following BS at proximal (d = 0.27) and middle sites (d = 0.23). BF MT increased throughout the intervention (SE: d = 0.42, BS: d = 0.90, SP: d = 0.58). In contrast, GC MT slightly decreased relative to baseline (SE: d = 0.33, BS: d = 0.20, SP: d = 0.26), while no changes were observed for SO MT.
CONCLUSION:
Block-periodized resistance training elicited region- and muscle-specific hypertrophic adaptations. Increases were primarily observed in the quadricep and the biceps, which were the main targets of the training program and directly involved in sprint and jump actions. The largest effect sizes coincided with the end of the accumulation phase, characterized by the highest training volume. These findings support the use of block-periodized resistance training to promote task-specific hypertrophy in track & field athletes, potentially improving force production without unnecessary increases in non-task-relevant muscle mass.
References: [1] Suchomel 2018, [2] Travis 2020, [3] Kawama 2024, [4] Wagle 2017