The Influence of Athletic Profile on Acute Neuromuscular Response to a Repeated Sprint Protocol in Youth Females: A Pilot Study.

Abstract: Salter, J, Forsdyke, D, Dawson, Z, Rymer, J, Walsh, L, and Mundy, P. The influence of athletic profile on acute neuromuscular response to a repeated sprint protocol in youth females: A pilot study. J Strength Cond Res 39(7): 760-769, 2025-Athletic profiles influence how athletes tolerate exposure to high-intensity activities and training-induced fatigue. Current understanding of athletic profiles has been derived primarily from adult male populations that limits the application of this potentially important training knowledge to women, and in particular youth women. Therefore, this study aimed to address this bias and examine the influence of athletic profiles on acute neuromuscular response in 118 female multisport athletes aged between 8 and 22 years (age: 13.6 ± 2.9; stature: 155.9 ± 13.9; body mass: 50.2 ± 16.1). All subjects completed sprint speed (5, 40 m, and maximal sprint speed [MSS]) and strength characteristics (isometric midthigh pull) immediately before and after a repeated sprint protocol. Anaerobic Speed Reserve was calculated from performance tests (MSS and maximal aerobic speed) with subjects subsequently categorized (slow, hybrid, or fast). Excluding relative peak force, there were significant differences in all sprint speed and strength characteristics between slow and hybrid and significant differences between slow and fast profile athletes before repeated sprinting. Dependent t-tests revealed significant (p = 0.001, d = 0.58) reductions in 40 m performance for fast athletes and a significant decrease in MSS for both hybrid (p = 0.003, d = 0.47) and fast athletes (p = 0.002, d = 0.58). This suggests that female athletes with hybrid and fast athletic profiles may experience greater negative neuromuscular response after repeated sprints. Practitioners should therefore consider individualizing training and monitoring neuromuscular response to training to prevent athletic profile-related performance reductions, overreaching, or injury accumulating over time.