Effects of Elastic Band Based Plyometric Exercise on Explosive Muscular Performance and Change of Direction Abilities of Male Team Handball Players

Ghaith Aloui; Souhail Hermassi; Mehrez Hammami; Yosser Cherni; Nawel Gaamouri; Roy J Shephard; Roland van den Tillaar; Mohamed Souhaiel Chelly

doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.604983

Effects of Elastic Band Based Plyometric Exercise on Explosive Muscular Performance and Change of Direction Abilities of Male Team Handball Players

Front Physiol. 2020 Dec 16:11:604983. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.604983. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Ghaith Aloui¹, Souhail Hermassi², Mehrez Hammami³, Yosser Cherni^{1

3}, Nawel Gaamouri¹, Roy J Shephard⁴, Roland van den Tillaar^{5

6}, Mohamed Souhaiel Chelly^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Research Unit (UR17JS01) «Sport Performance, Health and Society», Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saîd, University of "La Manouba", Tunis, Tunisia.
² Sport Science Program, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
³ Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, University of "La Manouba", Tunis, Tunisia.
⁴ Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Nord University, Levanger, Norway.
⁶ Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.

Abstract

This study examined the effects of incorporating 8 weeks of bi-weekly lower limb elastic band based loaded plyometric training into the in-season regimen of junior handball players. Participants were assigned between control (n = 15, age: 18.1 ± 0.5 years, body mass: 73.7 ± 13.9 kg, height: 1.82 ± 0.06 m, body fat: 14.4 ± 6.0%) and experimental groups (n = 14, age: 17.7 ± 0.3 years, body mass: 76.8 ± 10.7 kg, height: 1.83 ± 0.04 m, body fat: 13.4 ± 3.8%). Measures obtained before and after the intervention included a cycle ergometer force-velocity test, squat and countermovement jump characteristics, sprints times, repeated change of direction and change of direction tests (COD), a 1-RM half-back squat, and anthropometric estimates of limb volumes. Gains in the experimental group relative to controls included absolute muscle power (W) (Δ 23.1%; p < 0.05; ES = 0.565), relative muscle power (W.kg^-1) (Δ 22.1%; p < 0.05; ES = 0.573), sprint times over 5 and 30 m (Δ-8.7%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.921 and Δ-7.2%; p < 0.05; ES = 0.573, respectively), COD times (Δ-9.2%; p < 0.05; ES = 0.561) and all repeated COD parameters except the fatigue index. However, a significant improvement by time interaction was observed in both groups on some anthropometric parameters (leg muscle volume and surface section thigh max), 1-RM half- back squat and vertical jump performance. We conclude that bi-weekly elastic band-loaded plyometric training improves the ability to sprint, COD and repeated COD relative to regular training, and thus it can be recommended to young male team handball players as a new method of plyometric training to improve important elements of their physical performance.

Keywords: peak power; sprinting; stretch-shortening cycle; team sports; turning.