Unilateral flywheel resistance training versus traditional resistance training for change-of-direction performance in elite soccer players: a randomised controlled trial.
4 affiliations
- 1China Football College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
- 2Beijing Jianhua Experimental Yizhuang School, Beijing, China.
- 3China Football College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
- 4China Football College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Soccer requires frequent high-intensity decelerations, braking actions, and multidirectional re-accelerations. Flywheel resistance training may provide a braking-oriented inertial stimulus that is relevant to change-of-direction (COD) performance. However, randomised controlled evidence directly comparing unilateral flywheel resistance training with unilateral traditional resistance training in high-level soccer players remains limited. This study compared the effects of unilateral flywheel resistance training and unilateral traditional resistance training on COD-related performance in high-level male soccer players.Methods
Twenty-six high-level male soccer players were randomly allocated to a flywheel resistance training group (FRT, n = 13) or a traditional resistance training group (TRT, n = 13), and 22 players completed the study and were included in the final analysis (FRT, n = 11; TRT, n = 11). Both groups completed an 8-week intervention twice per week in addition to regular soccer training. The unilateral Bulgarian split squat was used in both groups, with training structure and movement pattern matched between conditions. Performance was assessed before and after the intervention using 10-m and 30-m linear sprint tests, the T-test, Pro-agility test, Arrowhead change-of-direction test, and AFL-derived change-of-direction tasks performed without and with the ball. Intervention effects were analysed using Bayesian repeated-measures analysis of variance, with evidence for the group × time interaction quantified using inclusion Bayes factors (BFincl).Results
The FRT group showed greater improvements than the TRT group in the T-test (BFincl = 135.96), Pro-agility test (BFincl = 107.01), Arrowhead-L (BFincl = 34.55), Arrowhead-R (BFincl = 25.63), and AFL-derived COD task without the ball (BFincl = 17.33). Evidence for an interaction was moderate for the AFL-derived COD task with the ball (BFincl = 3.24), anecdotal for the 10-m sprint (BFincl = 2.52), and favoured no interaction for the 30-m sprint (BFincl = 0.64).Conclusions
Under matched unilateral movement conditions, flywheel resistance training was associated with greater reductions in completion time than traditional resistance training across several pre-planned COD tasks in high-level male soccer players. However, this pattern was less consistent for linear sprinting and the ball-constrained AFL-derived COD task, suggesting task-specific transfer of training adaptation.Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07567677. Retrospectively registered on 28 April 2026.
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BibTeX
@article{han2026unilateral,
title = {{Unilateral flywheel resistance training versus traditional resistance training for change-of-direction performance in elite soccer players: a randomised controlled trial.}},
author = {Ziqi Han and TianLiang Zhao and ZhiWei Wen and Tao Yang and Yue Dou and JiaHui Hu and Bo Zhang and DingMeng Ren},
journal = {BMC sports science, medicine \& rehabilitation},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s13102-026-01909-0},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894197},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Unilateral flywheel resistance training versus traditional resistance training for change-of-direction performance in elite soccer players: a randomised controlled trial.
AU - Ziqi Han
AU - TianLiang Zhao
AU - ZhiWei Wen
AU - Tao Yang
AU - Yue Dou
AU - JiaHui Hu
AU - Bo Zhang
AU - DingMeng Ren
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation
DO - 10.1186/s13102-026-01909-0
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894197
AB - Background Soccer requires frequent high-intensity decelerations, braking actions, and multidirectional re-accelerations. Flywheel resistance training may provide a braking-oriented inertial stimulus that is relevant to change-of-direction (COD) performance. However, randomised controlled evidence directly comparing unilateral flywheel resistance training with unilateral traditional resistance training in high-level soccer players remains limited. This study compared the effects of unilateral flywheel resistance training and unilateral traditional resistance training on COD-related performance in high-level male soccer players.Methods Twenty-six high-level male soccer players were randomly allocated to a flywheel resistance training group (FRT, n = 13) or a traditional resistance training group (TRT, n = 13), and 22 players completed the study and were included in the final analysis (FRT, n = 11; TRT, n = 11). Both groups completed an 8-week intervention twice per week in addition to regular soccer training. The unilateral Bulgarian split squat was used in both groups, with training structure and movement pattern matched between conditions. Performance was assessed before and after the intervention using 10-m and 30-m linear sprint tests, the T-test, Pro-agility test, Arrowhead change-of-direction test, and AFL-derived change-of-direction tasks performed without and with the ball. Intervention effects were analysed using Bayesian repeated-measures analysis of variance, with evidence for the group × time interaction quantified using inclusion Bayes factors (BFincl).Results The FRT group showed greater improvements than the TRT group in the T-test (BFincl = 135.96), Pro-agility test (BFincl = 107.01), Arrowhead-L (BFincl = 34.55), Arrowhead-R (BFincl = 25.63), and AFL-derived COD task without the ball (BFincl = 17.33). Evidence for an interaction was moderate for the AFL-derived COD task with the ball (BFincl = 3.24), anecdotal for the 10-m sprint (BFincl = 2.52), and favoured no interaction for the 30-m sprint (BFincl = 0.64).Conclusions Under matched unilateral movement conditions, flywheel resistance training was associated with greater reductions in completion time than traditional resistance training across several pre-planned COD tasks in high-level male soccer players. However, this pattern was less consistent for linear sprinting and the ball-constrained AFL-derived COD task, suggesting task-specific transfer of training adaptation.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07567677. Retrospectively registered on 28 April 2026.
SN - 2052-1847
ER -