Optimizing Football Players’ Endurance through Circuit Sprint-Based Training: A Practical Insight from High School Athletes

Abstract

Background: Endurance plays a vital role in football performance, allowing players to keep their energy and focus across a long match. Circuit sprint-based training offers a simple yet powerful way to build both speed and stamina, though little is known about its measurable impact on young football players.

Aims: This research aimed to explore how a structured circuit sprint training program could influence the aerobic endurance level, reflected through VO₂Max, among high school football athletes.

Methods: The study adopted an experimental approach using a one-group pretest–posttest design involving eighteen male students from a sports-focused high school program. Over six weeks, the players followed a circuit sprint routine three times per week. Aerobic capacity was measured before and after the intervention using the Multistage Fitness Test, and results were analyzed with a paired-sample t-test to assess statistical significance.

Results: After completing the program, the athletes showed a notable rise in their VO₂Max values, with a mean difference of 2.98 and a relative improvement of about 6.7%. Statistical testing confirmed that the increase was significant (p < 0.05), highlighting the effectiveness of the circuit sprint approach in enhancing endurance.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that circuit sprint-based training can meaningfully improve aerobic fitness in school-level football players. Regular application of such training may help young athletes strengthen cardiovascular function and sustain performance during competitive play.