The effects of 10-week plyometric training program on athletic performance in youth female handball players

Nawel Gaamouri; Mehrez Hammami; Yosser Cherni; Thomas Rosemann; Beat Knechtle; Mohamed Souhaiel Chelly; Roland van den Tillaar

doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1193026

The effects of 10-week plyometric training program on athletic performance in youth female handball players

Front Sports Act Living. 2023 Jul 14:5:1193026. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1193026. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Nawel Gaamouri^{1

2}, Mehrez Hammami^{1

2}, Yosser Cherni^{1

2}, Thomas Rosemann³, Beat Knechtle^{3

4}, Mohamed Souhaiel Chelly^{1

2}, Roland van den Tillaar⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research Laboratory (LR23JS01) "Sport Performance, Health and Society", Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saîd, University of Manouba, Tunis, Tunisia.
² Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, University of Manouba, Tunis, Tunisia.
³ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Nord University, Levanger, Norway.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a 10-week plyometric training (PT) on changes of direction, jumping ability, repeated sprint ability, and both muscular strength and power in youth female handball players.

Methods: Twenty-eight participants (age: 15.8 ± 0.2 years) were randomly divided into a plyometric group (PG; n = 14) or a control group (CG; n = 14). Significant (group × time) interaction was noted for change of direction (COD) [Modified agility T-test (T-half)], three jumping tests [squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ) and standing long jump (SLJ)], repeated sprint ability (RSA), muscular strength (1-RM bench press and 1-RM half squat) and muscular power (force-velocity test for both upper and lower limb).

Results: With a group × time interaction, the PG enhanced the T-half performance [p < 0.001, Δ = 10.4, d = 1.95 (large)] compared to the CG. The PG enhanced the jump performance over SJ [p = 0.009, Δ = 18.3, d = 0.72 (medium)], CMJ [p = 0.005, Δ = 20.7, d = 0.79 (medium)] and SLJ [p < 0.001, Δ = 24.5, d = 2.25 (large)]. Three of four RSA scores increased significantly in the PG compared to the CG [p < 0.001, Δ = 2.76, d = 1.11 (large); p < 0.001, Δ = 2.72, d = 1.23 (large); and p < 0.001, Δ = 2.75, d = 1.21 (large), in best time (RSA-BT), mean time (RSA-MT) and total time (RSA-TT), respectively]. In contrast, group × time interactions revealed no significant differences in both 1-RM bench press and 1-RM half squat performance between PG and CG. Regarding the force velocity performance, the PG enhanced 3 of 4 force velocity scores for the upper limb performance [p < 0.001, d = 1 (large); p < 0.001, d = 1.13 (large) and p = 0.012, d = 0.72 (medium) for the peak power in these two forms (W and W·kg-1), and maximal pedalling velocity, respectively], and 2 of 4 force velocity scores for the lower limb performance [p = 0.045, d = 0.56 (medium); and p = 0.021, d = 0.65 (medium) for the peak power in these two forms (W and W·kg-1), respectively].

Conclusion: It was concluded that additional PT performed two times per week during 10 weeks enhances measures related to game performance, such as COD, jump ability, RSA, and power in youth female handball players.

Keywords: 1-RM; lower limb; peak power; stretch shortening cycle; upper limb.