Impact of Field training with and without Yogic practice on selected Physical, Physiological, Psychological and performance variables among Cricket Players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of field training with and without yogic practice on selected physical, physiological, psychological and performance variables among the Cricket players. To achieve the purpose of the study, forty eight male interand#8208;collegiate Cricket players studying in various colleges affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai were randomly selected as subjects. Their age ranges from 18 to 25 years. The subjects had past playing experience of at least three years in Cricket and only those who represented their respective college teams were taken as subjects. By using the matching procedure on the basis their initial test performance scores on Cricket playing ability, the subjects were divided into three equal groups in which each group consisted of sixteen subjects and named Groupand#8208;I as field training group, Groupand#8208;II as field training combined with yogic practice group, Groupand#8208;III as Control group. The Cricketers in Group and#8208; I underwent the field training, Cricketers in Group and#8208; II underwent the field training combined with yogic practice, Cricketers in Group and#8208; III (control) was not exposed to any training/conditioning other than their daily routines activities. The field training package was specifically designed to improve the Cricket playing ability and fitness levels of the Cricketers. The field training packages designed by the investigator was administered for a period of twelve weeks, five days a week, two sessions each day each session lasted 90 minutes. The Yogic practices were meted out for 45minutes to group II either before or after the field training. The yogic practice includes selected asanas, pranayamas and meditation techniques. The selected variables for the present study are Physical Fitness variables namely speed, endurance, explosive strength and flexibility; Physiological variables namely resting heart rate, aerobic power, anaerobic power and breath holding time