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Institute
Biological maturation has been shown to affect male youths' responses to plyometric training (PT). However, to date, no researcher has examined the effect of maturation on the effects of PT in female youth. We undertook the first controlled intervention study to examine this, focusing on adaptive responses to countermovement jump (CMJ), reactive strength index (RSI), and change of direction (COD) performance in groups of female youth divided by maturation status (years from peak height velocity [PHV]). The training program lasted 7 weeks with subjects undertaking 2 sessions of PT per week. In the mid-PHV group, there was a small increase (effect size; 90% confidence interval = 0.40; -0.23 to 1.03) in CMJ performance. No changes were observed in the post-PHV group (0.02; -0.68 to 0.72). For RSI, there was a moderate increase in the mid-PHV group (0.94; 0.29-1.59) with only a trivial increase in the post-PHV group (0.06; -0.65 to 0.76). The intervention exerted no positive effect on COD performance in any group. Plyometric training seems to enhance CMJ and RSI in female youth, although the magnitude of adaptation could be affected by maturation status. A twice-per-week program of multidirectional jumping and hopping, with bilateral and unilateral components, can be used as a preparatory precursor to physical education classes or recreational sport.
Postural balance represents a fundamental movement skill for the successful performance of everyday and sport-related activities. There is ample evidence on the effectiveness of balance training on balance performance in athletic and non-athletic population. However, less is known on potential transfer effects of other training types, such as plyometric jump training (PJT) on measures of balance. Given that PJT is a highly dynamic exercise mode with various forms of jump-landing tasks, high levels of postural control are needed to successfully perform PJT exercises. Accordingly, PJT has the potential to not only improve measures of muscle strength and power but also balance. To systematically review and synthetize evidence from randomized and non-randomized controlled trials regarding the effects of PJT on measures of balance in apparently healthy participants. Systematic literature searches were performed in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. A PICOS approach was applied to define inclusion criteria, (i) apparently healthy participants, with no restrictions on their fitness level, sex, or age, (ii) a PJT program, (iii) active controls (any sport-related activity) or specific active controls (a specific exercise type such as balance training), (iv) assessment of dynamic, static balance pre- and post-PJT, (v) randomized controlled trials and controlled trials. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. This meta-analysis was computed using the inverse variance random-effects model. The significance level was set at p <0.05. The initial search retrieved 8,251 plus 23 records identified through other sources. Forty-two articles met our inclusion criteria for qualitative and 38 for quantitative analysis (1,806 participants [990 males, 816 females], age range 9–63 years). PJT interventions lasted between 4 and 36 weeks. The median PEDro score was 6 and no study had low methodological quality (≤3). The analysis revealed significant small effects of PJT on overall (dynamic and static) balance (ES = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.32–0.61; p < 0.001), dynamic (e.g., Y-balance test) balance (ES = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.30–0.71; p < 0.001), and static (e.g., flamingo balance test) balance (ES = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.31–0.67; p < 0.001). The moderator analyses revealed that sex and/or age did not moderate balance performance outcomes. When PJT was compared to specific active controls (i.e., participants undergoing balance training, whole body vibration training, resistance training), both PJT and alternative training methods showed similar effects on overall (dynamic and static) balance (p = 0.534). Specifically, when PJT was compared to balance training, both training types showed similar effects on overall (dynamic and static) balance (p = 0.514). Conclusion: Compared to active controls, PJT showed small effects on overall balance, dynamic and static balance. Additionally, PJT produced similar balance improvements compared to other training types (i.e., balance training). Although PJT is widely used in athletic and recreational sport settings to improve athletes' physical fitness (e.g., jumping; sprinting), our systematic review with meta-analysis is novel in as much as it indicates that PJT also improves balance performance. The observed PJT-related balance enhancements were irrespective of sex and participants' age. Therefore, PJT appears to be an adequate training regime to improve balance in both, athletic and recreational settings.
This study examined the effects of an 8-week plyometric training (PT) program on components of physical fitness in young female handball players. Twenty-one female adolescent handball players were assigned to an experimental group (EG, n = 12; age = 15.9 +/- 0.2 years) or an active control group (CG, n = 9, age = 15.9 +/- 0.3 years). While EG performed plyometric exercises in replacement of some handball-specific drills, CG maintained the regular training schedule. Baseline and follow-up tests were performed for the assessment of linear speed (i.e., 5-, 10-, and 20-m time), change-of-direction (CoD) speed (i.e., T-test time), muscle power (i.e., countermovement jump [CMJ] height and reactive strength index [RSI]), and repeated sprint ability (RSA) (RSA total time [RSA(total)], RSA best time [RSA(best)], and RSA fatigue index [RSA(FI)]). Data were analyzed using magnitude-based inferences. Within-group analyses for the EG revealed moderate-to-large improvements for the 5-m (effect size [ES] = 0.81 [0.1-1.5]), 10-m sprint time (ES = 0.84 [0.1-1.5]), RSI (ES = 0.75 [0.1-1.4]), RSA(FI) (ES = 0.65 [0.0-1.3]), and T-test time (ES = 1.46 [0.7-2.2]). Trivial-to-small ES was observed for RSA(best) (ES = 0.18 [-0.5 to 0.9]), RSA(total) (ES = 0.45 [-0.2 to 1.1]), 20-m sprint time (ES = 0.56 [-0.1 to 1.2]), and CMJ height (ES = 0.57 [-0.1 to 1.3]). For the CG, within-group analyses showed a moderate performance decline for T-test time (ES = -0.71 [-1.5 to 0.1]), small decreases for 5-m sprint time (ES = -0.46 [-1.2 to 0.3]), and a trivial decline for 10-m (ES = -0.10 [-0.9 to 0.7]) and 20-m sprint times (ES = -0.16 [-0.9 to 0.6]), RSA(total) (ES = 0.0 [-0.8 to 0.8]), and RSA(best) (ES = -0.20 [-0.9 to 0.6]). The control group achieved trivial-to-small improvements for CMJ height (ES = 0.10 [-0.68 to 0.87]) and RSI (ES = 0.30 [-0.5 to 1.1]). In conclusion, a short-term in-season PT program, in replacement of handball-specific drills, is effective in improving measures of physical fitness (i.e., linear/CoD speed, jumping, and RSA) in young female handball players.