Table 1_Effects of an eight-week French contrast training program on lower-limb explosive power, acceleration, and muscle strength in male college badminton players.docx

BackgroundBadminton is a high-intensity sport that demands lower-limb athletic performance. French Contrast Training (FCT), which combines heavy compound exercises, plyometrics, light to moderate loads, and assisted plyometric movements in one session, has been suggested to enhance neuromuscular adaptations more effectively. However, the efficacy of FCT on lower-limb explosive power, acceleration, and muscle strength compared to equal-load training (ELT) in badminton players remains unclear.
ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effects of an eight-week FCT program on lower-limb explosive power, acceleration, and muscle strength compared to ELT in college badminton players.
MethodsThirty male college badminton players were randomly assigned to the FCT group (n=15) or the ELT group (n=15). Both groups completed an eight-week (twice a week) training program. The FCT protocol consisted of four sequential exercises per session: 80% 1RM back squat, 30cm hurdle jump, 30% 1RM barbell squat jump, and band-assisted jump. The control group performed ELT, an isolated method that involved exercises with loads aligned to FCT. Outcomes measurement before and after training included countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), 10-meter sprint time, maximal velocity (Vmax), maximal acceleration (Amax), 1RM back squat, and mean concentric velocity (MCV) from 20% to 80%1RM. We used two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) (time × group) with Bonferroni post hoc tests, and effect sizes were reported as partial eta squared (ηp2). p< 0.05 was statistically significant.
ResultsFCT yielded greater improvements than ELT in CMJ (p< 0.001, ηp2 = 0.621), SJ (p< 0.001, ηp2 = 0.849), 10-meter sprint time (p< 0.001, ηp2 = 0.853), Vmax (p< 0.001, ηp2 = 0.638), Amax (p< 0.001, ηp2 = 0.820), and MCV from 20 to 40% 1RM (p< 0.001, ηp2 = 0.615; p< 0.001, ηp2 = 0.697). However, no significant differences were found between the groups for the 1RM back squat (p = 0.218, ηp2 = 0.054), and MCV from 60 to 80%1RM (p = 0.579, ηp2 = 0.011; p = 0.900, ηp2 = 0.001).
ConclusionThis study suggests that French Contrast Training is an effective strategy for improving lower-limb explosive power and rapid acceleration in male college badminton players, but it does not further improve muscle strength.