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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 May 23;19(5):e0295786.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295786. eCollection 2024.

Effect of vertical, horizontal, and combined plyometric training on jump, sprint and change of direction performance in male soccer players

Jason Moran  1 , Norodin Vali  2 , Anders Sand  3 , Marco Beato  4 , Raouf Hammami  5   6 , Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo  7 , Helmi Chaabene  8   9 , Gavin Sandercock  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of vertical, horizontal, and combined plyometric training on jump, sprint and change of direction performance in male soccer players

Jason Moran et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of vertical (VPT), horizontal (HPT) and combined vertical and horizontal (V+HPT) plyometric training on sprint, jump and change of direction (COD) performance in adult male soccer players.

Method: Participants were randomly allocated into VPT (n = 8), HPT (n = 8) and V+HPT (n = 8) groups which undertook eight weeks of PT, executing 100 foot contacts per session, twice weekly.

Results: Though demonstrably effective, no specific one of the three applied programmes enhanced performance to a greater extent than another with only the 40 m sprint for the HPT group (mean difference = 0.07 s [HPT] vs. 0.04 s [VPT] and 0.04 s [V+HPT]) and the vertical jump for the V+HPT group (mean difference = 4.5 cm [V+HPT] vs. 4.0 cm [VPT] and 3.25 cm [HPT]) appearing to deviate from a uniform pattern of group level adaptation across the performance tests.

Conclusion: A total volume of 100 foot contacts per session, twice per week for eight weeks was sufficient to achieve the observed changes. Though jump and changing direction performance were enhanced, linear sprint performance was largely unchanged and so a more complete and intense programme may have been warranted. No method was superior to another in eliciting changes across these tests and a directionally-specific pattern of adaptation was not apparent.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Descriptive plots for the training measures at the 10 m sprint (top row), 40 m sprint (middle row), and 505 COD test (bottom row) separate for the three training groups (columns). The VG is illustrated in turquoise, HG in orange, and VHG in violet. In the rightmost panels (panel D, H, and L) is the training improvement (pre minus post) for each individual participant (circles). The median improvement in each training group is also illustrated in the rightmost panels as a square in matching colour.
Fig 2
Fig 2
Descriptive plots for the training measures at the Standing long jump (top row) and the Vertical jump test (bottom row) separate for the three training groups (columns). The VG is illustrated in turquoise, HG in orange, and VHG in plum. In the rightmost panels (panel D and H) is the training improvement (post minus pre) for each individual participant (circles). The median improvement in each training group is also illustrated in the rightmost panels as a square in matching colour.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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