Effects of Complex Training in Cricket Fast Bowlers

Effects of Complex Training on Physical Fitness, Bowling Performance, Work Capacity, Muscle Strength and Bone Density in Cricket Fast Bowlers

This study will be a randomized controlled trial and the data will be collected from National Cricket Academy and domestic cricket clubs. The sample size will be calculated by conducting a pilot study. There will be three groups. Group-A will be receiving Complex training, Group-B will be receiving Conventional training and Group C as a Control Group. Athletes with same physical fitness level will be recruited. There will be parallel assignment of the participants. Assessor will be kept blinded. All the parameters would be assessed at Baseline, 6 Weeks, 12 Weeks. Physical fitness will be assessed through Field Testing. Bowling performance will be assessed through speed machine and Kinovea Software. Work capacity will be assessed through step testing. Muscle strength will be assessed through Dynamometer. Lastly, BMD will be assessed though Bone Densitometer.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Sports Physical Therapy; Resistance Training; Plyometric Exercise
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Complex Training; Other: Conventional Training; Other: Control Group

Detailed Description

Cricket fast bowlers require a unique blend of speed, strength, power, and agility to excel in their role on the field. In recent years, Complex training has emerged as a popular training method to enhance these critical qualities among fast bowlers. Complex training involves combining strength exercises with explosive, sport-specific movements in a single training session, aiming to improve overall athletic performance. This study will be a randomized controlled trial and the data will be collected from National Cricket Academy and domestic cricket clubs. The sample size will be calculated by conducting a pilot study. There will be three groups. Group-A will be receiving Complex training, Group-B will be receiving Conventional training and Group C as a Control Group. Athletes with same physical fitness level will be recruited. There will be parallel assignment of the participants. Assessor will be kept blinded. All the parameters would be assessed at Baseline, 6 Weeks, 12 Weeks. Physical fitness will be assessed through Field Testing. Bowling performance will be assessed through speed machine and Kinovea Software. Work capacity will be assessed through step testing. Muscle strength will be assessed through Dynamometer. Lastly, BMD will be assessed though Bone Densitometer.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Muhammad Atif Javed, PP-DPT; Phone Number: +923317491071; Email: atifjaved2k@hotmail.com

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab
    • Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, 54000
      • Recruiting
      • Pakistan Sports Board Coaching Center
      • Contact: Nasrullah Rana; Phone Number: +92 334 5492964
      • Principal Investigator: Muhammad Atif Javed, PP-DPT
      • Sub-Investigator: Syed Asadullah Arslan, Ph.D.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male bowlers between 18 - 25 years
• Bowling speed 115-130 km/h
• Same Run-up speed (20-25 km/h)
• domestic teams
• Active in game from last 6 months
• Athletes with same 1 Repetition Maximum (Bench press and Leg press)
• Athletes with same BMI category (18.5 - 24.9)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Red flags
• Resistance training from last 6 months
• Any disabling musculoskeletal injury
• Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit
• Scapular Dyskinesia
• Athletes taking prohibited drugs, Ergogenic aids
• Any cardiovascular issue . Any systemic disease

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Control Group	Other: Control Group; No intervention given
Active Comparator: Conventional Training	Other: Conventional Training; Week 0-4 Session 1 Rotator cuff wall compression Forearm flexor compression Alpha ball tricep scrape Band assisted pushups Session 2 Soft ball thoracic breathing Neck ball arm rotations ITb compressions Middle quard compressions Week 4-8 Session 1 Kneeling pall of band hold Kneeling pall of partner proturbations Leg lower with mediball neutral Half lying arm speed and swing drill Session 2 Single leg band hold Trunk activated psoas lowers Split clam Bulgarian split iso hold Week 8-12 Session 1 Point kneel thoracic rotations Side lying single arm thoracic abduction Banded side lying clams Side lying abduction from glute Session 2 Low back mobility Kneeling pall off band hold Clean and jerks power drill movements Weighted bench press Session 3 Standing band rotations thoracic only Band pull aparts Tennis ball in trap arm flexion ext thumb to floor Bulgarian weighted
Experimental: Complex Training	Other: Complex Training; Week 1-4: Foundation Phase Lower Body Resistance Training Squats (Back Squats or Goblet Squats) Deadlifts Lunges Paired with: Box Jumps Depth Jumps Upper Body Resistance Training Bench Press Overhead Press Paired with: Medicine Ball Chest Pass Medicine Ball Overhead Throw Rows (Barbell or Dumbbell) Week 5-8: Strength and Power Phase Lower Body Resistance Training Power Cleans Front Squats Romanian Deadlifts Paired with: Box Jumps with Barbell Depth Jumps with Medicine Ball Upper Body Resistance Training Push Press Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldowns Bent Over Rows Paired with: Plyometric Push-Ups Medicine Ball Slam Week 9-12: Power and Speed Phase Lower Body Resistance Training Snatch Split Squats Jumping Lunges Paired with: Box Jumps with Barbell Depth Jumps with Medicine Ball Upper Body Resistance Training Speed Bench Press Face Pulls Plyometric Pull-Ups Paired with: Medicine Ball Chest Pass Medicine Ball Overhead Throw

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical fitness (linear speed capability)	will be assessed by lower body vertical jump test	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Physical fitness (lower limb explosive power)	will be assessed by 20-m sprint test	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Physical fitness (upper body strength test)	will be assessed by bench press & bent over row	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Physical fitness (lower body strength test)	will be assessed by hex-bar deadlift	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Physical fitness (upper body muscular endurance)	will be assessed by horizontal pull	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Physical fitness (aerobic capacity)	will be assessed by Yo-Yo intermittent recovery Level 1 test	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Bowling performance (Ball speed)	will be measured by Pocket Radar	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Bowling performance (run-up time)	will be measured by Dartfish software	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Bowling performance (accuracy)	will be measured by Dartfish software	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Bowling performance (RPE)	will be measured by Borg scale	0 week, 6 week, 12 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Work capacity	will be assessed by Step Testing	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Muscle Strength	will be assessed by Hand-held Dynamometer	0 week, 6 week, 12 week
Bone Density	will be assessed by Bone Densitometer	0 week, 6 week, 12 week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Muhammad Atif Javed, PP-DPT, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Feros SA, Young WB, O'Brien BJ. Efficacy of Combined General, Special, and Specific Resistance Training on Pace Bowling Skill in Club-Standard Cricketers. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 Sep;34(9):2596-2607. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002940.
• Harrison DC, Doma K, Leicht AS, McGuckin TA, Woods CT, Connor JD. Repeated Bout Effect of Two Resistance Training Bouts on Bowling-Specific Performance in Male Cricketers. Sports (Basel). 2022 Aug 24;10(9):126. doi: 10.3390/sports10090126.
• Phillips E, Portus M, Davids K, Renshaw I. Performance accuracy and functional variability in elite and developing fast bowlers. J Sci Med Sport. 2012 Mar;15(2):182-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2011.07.006. Epub 2011 Sep 9.
• Feros SA, Young WB, O'Brien BJ. The Reliability and Sensitivity of Performance Measures in a Novel Pace-Bowling Test. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2018 Feb 1;13(2):151-155. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2017-0140. Epub 2018 Feb 12.
• Maker R, Taliep MS. The effects of a four weeks combined resistance training programme on cricket bowling velocity. S Afr J Sports Med. 2021 Jun 10;33(1):v33i1a9002. doi: 10.17159/2078-516X/2021/v33i1a9002. eCollection 2021.
• Callaghan SJ, Govus AD, Lockie RG, Middleton KJ, Nimphius S. Not as simple as it seems: Front foot contact kinetics, muscle function and ball release speed in cricket pace bowlers. J Sports Sci. 2021 Aug;39(16):1807-1815. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2021.1898192. Epub 2021 Mar 9.
• Ali K, Gupta S, Hussain ME, Alzhrani M, Manzar MD, Khan M, Alghadir AH. Effect of plyometric versus complex training on core strength, lower limb, and upper limb power in male cricketers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023 Nov 27;15(1):160. doi: 10.1186/s13102-023-00771-8.
• Boudreau SL, Mattes LL, Lowenstein NA, Matzkin EG, Wilcox RB 3rd. Customizing Functional Rehabilitation and Return to Sport in the Female Overhead Athlete. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2022 Jan 28;4(1):e271-e285. doi: 10.1016/j.asmr.2021.09.041. eCollection 2022 Jan.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 16, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): March 5, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 5, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2024
• Last Verified: March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Complex Training; Cricket Fast Bowlers
• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/RCR & AHS/23/1104

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No