The aim of this study was to determine if training age – rugby league training age, resistance training age and cardiovascular training age – was predictive of changes in physiological performance in developmental rugby league players. Developmental rugby league players from one elite club (n = 147, mean age = 15.8 ± 1.1 years) playing at Under 16 and Under 18 representative levels were tracked longitudinally over two consecutive seasons. Estimated aerobic capacity, jump height, upper body strength endurance and change of direction were assessed. Mixed method random effect analysis determined relationships between training age domains and physiological change. Positive relationships were observed between rugby league training age and change in estimated V̇O2max (β = 0.13, p = 0.018), and change in strength endurance (β = 0.51, p = 0.033), and resistance training age and change in jump height (β = 0.11, p = 0.007). A negative relationship was observed between rugby league training age with change in change of direction time (β = –0.06, p = 0.026). Moderate pre-season training effect sizes were identified for change of direction (effect size = –0.42, confidence interval (CI) = –0.8 to 0.1) and jump height (effect size = 0.41, CI = 0.1–0.7), while small pre-season training effect size was apparent for strength endurance (effect size = 0.33, CI = 0.0–0.7) and estimated V̇O2max (effect size = 0.16). Small in-season performance decrements occurred in strength endurance (effect size = –0.23, CI = –0.6 to 0.1) and change of direction (effect size = 0.30, CI = –0.1 to 0.7). Higher pre-study rugby league training age was associated with greater improvements in estimated V̇O2max, strength endurance and change of direction. Additionally, higher resistance training age was associated with greater improvements in vertical jump. Overall, the magnitude of resistance training age and cardiovascular training age may have been too inadequate to meaningfully impact training adaptations in the population. Decrease in effect size for physiological performance changes during the in-season phase suggests that performance enhancements were not maintained across the competitive season.

中文翻译：

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训练年龄是否可以预测橄榄球联盟球员的生理表现变化？一项前瞻性纵向研究

本研究的目的是确定训练年龄（橄榄球联盟训练年龄、阻力训练年龄和心血管训练年龄）是否可以预测橄榄球联盟球员的生理表现变化。来自一个精英俱乐部（n = 147，平均年龄 = 15.8 ± 1.1 岁）在 16 岁以下和 18 岁以下代表性水平上的发展橄榄球联盟球员在连续两个赛季中进行了纵向跟踪。评估了估计的有氧能力、跳跃高度、上身力量耐力和方向变化。混合方法随机效应分析确定了训练年龄域与生理变化之间的关系。观察到橄榄球联盟训练年龄与估计的 V̇O2max 变化（β = 0.13，p = 0.018）和力量耐力变化（β = 0.51，p = 0.033）之间存在正相关关系，和阻力训练年龄和跳跃高度的变化（β = 0.11，p = 0.007）。观察到橄榄球联盟训练年龄与方向变化时间的变化呈负相关（β = –0.06，p = 0.026）。对于方向变化（效果大小 = –0.42，置信区间 (CI) = –0.8 到 0.1）和跳跃高度（效果大小 = 0.41，CI = 0.1–0.7），确定了中等的季前训练效果大小，而小赛季训练对力量耐力（效果大小 = 0.33，CI = 0.0–0.7）和估计的 V̇O2max（效果大小 = 0.16）的影响大小很明显。力量耐力（效应值 = –0.23，CI = –0.6 至 0.1）和方向改变（效应值 = 0.30，CI = –0.1 至 0.7）在赛季中出现小幅下降。较高的研究前橄榄球联盟训练年龄与估计 V̇O2max 的更大改善相关，力量耐力和方向改变。此外，更高的阻力训练年龄与垂直跳跃的更大改善有关。总体而言，阻力训练年龄和心血管训练年龄的大小可能不足以对人群的训练适应产生有意义的影响。在赛季阶段生理表现变化的影响大小的减少表明，在整个竞争赛季中并未保持表现的增强。