Which periodization is better (traditional vs undulating) to induce changes in body composition and strength of healthy young adults?

Abstract

The present study intends to investigate which type of programming is most effective for improving strength and body composition in untrained young men. A total of 41 men participated (22.5 ± 2.8 years old, 75.6 ± 5.5 kg, 175.3 ± 8.4 cm, 24.6 ± 1.8 kg · m-2) which were divided into two groups; Traditional Periodization and Undulating Periodization. A program of eight weeks of training including back and chest exercises were applied twice a week for the two groups. Both fat mass and fat-free mass were measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, as well as the maximum repetition (RM) of the bench press and row by measuring the speed of execution with a linear encoder and the resting heart rate before and after the program. Data were analyzed using magnitude-based inference. Changes in athletes’ scores were assessed by using effect sizes and 90% confidence intervals. The differences within the group in pre-training and post-training were evaluated using the standardized effect size. Improvements in 1RM row, heart rate and lean body mass were observed not possible to determine which training periodization produces greater adaptations in both groups with a possible and probable inference.