LES MILLS GRIT soccer study

Background

‍Training status - defined as lean body mass and VO2max - is correlated to performance during games; specifically in terms of ground covered, time spent at high intensity, number of sprints, and number of touches on the ball. Improving an athlete’s training status is therefore a critical component of any soccer regimen.

The Question

‍Can LES MILLS GRIT™ classes (a form of high-intensity interval training involving explosive plyometric and dynamic strength exercises) improve VO2max and body composition in elite women’s soccer players?

Method

‍Eighteen NCAA Division I women soccer players replaced their eight hours per week of traditional training with a unique five-hour-per-week training intervention over a six-week period. The intervention comprised:

Group 1
• 2 x 60 minutes of soccer-specific cardio training
• 2 x 60 minutes of strength training (Les Mills BODYPUMP™)
• 2 x 30-minute LES MILLS GRIT series

Group 2
• 3 x 60 minutes of soccer-specific cardio training
• 2 x 60 minutes of strength training

At the beginning and end of the six-week intervention, lean mass was evaluated with a body composition test and VO2max was estimated from a 2.4 km run.

Results

‍Group 1 - whose training program included an hour in the 85 - 100% heart rate zone doing LES MILLS GRIT - experienced an increase in both lean body mass (average 2 kg gain) and a 10% increase in VO2max.

Conclusion

‍LES MILLS GRIT can be an effective protocol for soccer players - and the athletic community - and may maximize competition performance while minimizing training time.