Long Conjugate Sequence Resistance Training to Improve Strength, Power and Competition Performance in Speed Skaters

Background: Long conjugate sequence (LCS) resistance training aims to maintain and increase strength and power to enhance sport-specific performance. This study examined (1) how strength and power change during alternating periods of an LCS program, and (2) the relationship between strength, power, and performance in long-track (LT) and short-track (ST) speed skating. Methods: Twenty-three speed skaters (sixteen men, seven women; age = 18.0 [17.0, 19.0], sub-elite to elite performance level) followed a 39-week LCS program alternating strength and power periods. Strength (Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull) and power (Squat Jump) were assessed after each period. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the effects of time (baseline and four follow-up assessments), sport (long-track vs. short-track), and sex (male vs. female) on absolute and relative measures of strength and power. Models included fixed effects for time, sport, and sex with all two-way interactions, a random intercept for participants, and a first-order autoregressive covariance structure to account for repeated measures. Model selection followed backward elimination guided primarily by the corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc). Kendall's tau correlations tested associations between strength, power, and competition performances closest to assessments. Results: Change in absolute and relative strength across the season differed by sex (F_{(4, 33.57)} = 2.72, p = 0.046; F_{(4, 31.86)} = 3.50, p = 0.02), with an increase only in male skaters (baseline to Test 4: +406 N ± 115, p = 0.01; +4.37 N/kg ± 1.41, p = 0.03). Absolute power changed (F_{(4, 33.74)} = 3.81, p = 0.01) specifically in the early season (baseline to Test 1: +151 N ± 40, p < 0.01), while relative power remained stable (F_{(4, 53.05)} = 1.94, p = 0.12). Higher absolute strength and power correlated with better LT (n = 12, τ = -0.58-0.67) and ST (n = 9, τ = -0.56-0.89) performance. Yet, relative strength related only to ST performance (n = 9, τ = -0.78-0.89), and relative power chiefly to the first 100 m of a LT performance (n = 12, τ = -0.49). Conclusions: The LCS method is associated with strength development without compromising power. The findings highlight the relationship between resistance training-induced outcomes and speed skating performance.