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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.
Swimming performance can be improved not only by in-water sport-specific training but also by means of dry land-training (e.g., plyometric jump training [PJT]). This study examined the effects of an 8-week PJT on proxies of muscle power and swimming performance in prepubertal male swimmers. Participants were randomly allocated to a PJT group (PJT; n = 14; age: 10.3 +/- 0.4 years, maturity-offset = -3 +/- 0.3) or a control group (CG; n = 12; age: 10.5 +/- 0.4 years, maturity-offset = -2.8 +/- 0.3). Swimmers in PJT and CG performed 6 training sessions per week. Each training session lasted between 80 and 90 minutes. Over the 8 weeks in-season training period, PJT performed two PJT sessions per week, each lasting between 25 to 30 minutes (similar to 1 hour per week) in replacement of sport-specific swimming drills. During that time, CG followed their regular sport-specific swimming training (e.g., coordination, breathing, improving swimming strokes). Overall training volume was similar between groups. Pre- and post-training, tests were conducted to assess proxies of muscle power (countermovement-jump [CMJ]), standing-long-jump [SLJ]) and sport-specific swimming performances (15-, 25-, and 50-m front-crawl, 25-m kick without push [25-m kick WP], and 25-m front-crawl WP). No training or test-related injuries were detected over the course of the study. Between-group analyses derived from magnitude-based inferences showed trivial-to-large effects in favour of PJT for all tests (ES = 0.28 to 1.43). Within-group analyses for the PJT showed small performance improvements for CMJ (effect-size [ES] = 0.53), 25-m kick WP (ES = 0.25), and 50-m front crawl (ES = 0.56) tests. Moderate performance improvements were observed for the SLJ, 25-m front-crawl WP, 15-m and 25-m front-crawl tests (ES = 0.95, 0.60, 0.99, and 0.85, respectively). For CG, the within-group results showed trivial performance declines for the CMJ (ES=-0.13) and the 50-m front-crawl test (ES = -0.04). In addition, trivial-to-small performance improvements were observed for the SLJ (ES = 0.09), 25-m kick WP (ES = 0.02), 25-m front-crawl WP (ES = 0.19), 25-m front-crawl (ES = 0.2), (SLJ [ES = 0.09, and 15-m front crawl (ES = 0.36). Short-term in-season PJT, integrated into the regular swimming training, was more effective than regular swimming training alone in improving jump and sport-specific swimming performances in prepubertal male swimmers.