EFFECT OF EIGHT WEEKS HIHG INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING ON PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES IN UNDER- 17 MALE FOOTBALL PROJECT TRAINEES IN KOREM HAWASSA CITY ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to assess the effects of eight weeks high intensity interval training on physical fitness variables in U-17 male football project trainees in Korem Hawasa city administration. For this study, the experimental research design was employed and the researcher randomly assigned a total of 30 U-17 football players in both control and experimental groups of study. A total of 15 players were assigned to each of the groups. To achieve the objective of assessing the effect of interval training on physical fitness, players were regularly participated in the training program for eight consecutive weeks of time working for three days per week. The researcher used speed, agility, power and strength types of physical fitness variables. For this study the data was taken from pre-test and post-test and, which was analyzed by using SPSS software of version 25. For the method of analysis, the researcher applied a paired sample t-test, two sample independent t-test and correlation tests to assess the mean difference in pre and post-test as well as to assess the mean difference of physical fitness between control and experiment groups. Generally, the interval trainings (a 30-m run test, Illinois agility run test, vertical high jump test and Wall Squat test) that were given for eight consecutive weeks were found to significantly improves the speed, agility, power and strength of the football players who were assigned to the intervention (experiment) group (p < 0.05). The researcher would like to recommend that interval training exercises should be included in all trainings session that involve the development of physical fitness components for demanding the physical challenges of sport everywhere in order to create physically fit generation