Effects of resisted sled training on sprint performance in team sports. A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effects of resistance sled training (RST) on sprint performance in team sport athletes.

A systematic search was conducted in the electronic databases MEDLINE, Sportdiscus, Scopus and Web of Science from inception until October 2023. Randomized or non-randomized controlled clinical trials that included collective field sports athletes who were trained with sled drag were included to evaluate the effectiveness of the training on performance in speed tests. Independent reviewer selected the studies with www.rayyan.ai, extracted the data, performed the risk-of-bias assessment, and methodological quality. The sprint time at distances of 5, 10 and 20 m were included for the meta-analysis. A random-effects model, standardized mean difference, and standard deviation were used for meta-analysis.

Fourteen studies involving 344 participants were selected (overall risk: high risk; methodological quality: moderate quality). Meta-analysis revealed statistically significant effects in favor of RST on 5 m (SMD = -0.87; 95% CI = -1.58 to -0.16; p = 0.02) and 10 m (SMD = -0.40; 95% CI = -0.78 to -0.03; p = 0.04). However, there are no significant effects on 20 m (SMD = -0.34; 95% CI = -0.73 to 0.06 p = 0.1).

These results indicate that RST improves performance mainly in the short distance, suggesting that RST is a viable training method to improve athletic performance in team sports.