Effects of a Plyometric Training Program on Youths With Different Biological Maturity in Sport

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effect of Plyometric Training on Power, Speed, and Agility in Sport-active Boys With Different Biological Maturity

This randomized controlled trial aims to assess the effectiveness of a 12-week plyometric training regimen on improving power, speed, and agility among boys aged 10 to 18 years who are actively engaged in sports and exhibit differing levels of biological maturity. The study seeks to determine how maturation affects the responsiveness to the training program, potentially influencing future sports training approaches for young athletes.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Athletic Performance; Muscle Fatigue; Plyometric Exercise
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Plyometric training; Other: Control training

Detailed Description

The main objective of this project is to assess the impact of a plyometric program on power, speed, agility, reactive strength index and stiffness in male athletes of different levels of maturation. The study takes the form of a short-term experiment (12 weeks), involving 30 young athletes with a minimum of two years of experience in systematic sports training. Participants are divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group undergoes a 12-week plyometric training program, implemented twice a week within training sessions immediately following warm-ups. The control group engages in technical-tactical exercises. The program is developed by the authors of the research project based on current knowledge and requirements for creating an effective and safe plyometric program. Randomization is performed using a computer random generator. Participants undergo two testing sessions: one prior to the training intervention and the other one week after its completion. Age, height, weight, and body composition are measured using a personal scale with an integrated stadiometer. Tests include a 30-m sprint, countermovement jump, broad jump, unilateral triple jump, drop jump (reactive strength index), 20 submaximal vertical jumps (lower limb stiffness), BlazePod reaction test, and 505 agility test. The maturity status of the participants is evaluated using the Mirwald method and is used as a covariate in the subsequent statistical analysis. Findings of this research may provide crucial insights for targeted integration of plyometric methods during the developmental and maturation phases of young athletes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 38
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Czechia
  • Olomouc, Czechia, 77111
    • Palacky University, Faculty of Physical Culture

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Minimum of 2 years of organized sports participation.
• Good health as confirmed by a pre-study medical screening.
• Signed informed consent from the legal representative and verbal assent from the participant.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any serious lower limb injury in the past 6 months.
• Any current or historical mental health disorders.
• Any condition deemed by the medical screener as a contraindication to vigorous physical activity.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Plyometric training; Plyometric training program for 12 weeks.	Other: Plyometric training; Participants undergo a plyometric training program. The plyometric training consists of exercises in the horizontal, lateral, and vertical directions of movement. Exercises are progressively focused on maximal performance with short ground contact (<250 ms). The training sessions are twice per week.
Active Comparator: Control training; Regular training program for 12 weeks.	Other: Control training; Participants continues their regular sports activities without additional plyometric training. The training sessions are twice per week.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Vertical jump height	The vertical jump is performed on AMTI OR6-7-1000 force platform (Advanced Mechanical Technology, Watertown, USA). Participants stand on the force platform in an upright position and on command, perform a maximum height jump with a countermovement and use of arms. Participants perform three attempts, with a 1-min rest between each. The best attempt is evaluated.	12 weeks
Broad jump distance	The distance in the broad jump is measured with a tape. Participants stand on a pre-marked line with legs approximately shoulder-width apart. From standing, they jump as far forward as possible using a countermovement and land on both feet. The landing spot closest to the starting line is considered for scoring. Participants perform two attempts, with the better attempt being recorded. There is a 1-min rest between attempts.	12 weeks
Unilateral triple jump length	The length of the unilateral triple jump test is measured with a tape. Participants start on one leg on a pre-marked line. Then using a countermovement from knee flexion, they perform a triple jump with the dominant and subsequently the non-dominant lower limb. After the final jump, they must land on both limbs and maintain their position at the landing spot for at least 2 seconds.	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Linear speed	A 20-m sprint test is used to assess linear speed. The final time is recorded using photoelectric cells (Brower Timing System, Draper, USA) with accuracy of 0.01 s. Photocells are placed at the start and 20-m mark. Participants start on command, with timing starting as soon as the player begins to move.	12 weeks
Agility test	For the 505 agility test, photoelectric cells (PR1aW, ALGE-TIMING, Lustenau, Austria) are used, placed at the 10-m mark. Cones are placed at the 0, 10, and 15-m marks. Participants sprint 10 meters and are instructed to reach maximum speed by the 10-m mark. At the 15-m mark, they perform a 180-degree turn and sprint back to the 10-m mark at maximum speed. Each participant have one attempt on the dominant and one attempt on the non-dominant leg for the 180-degree turn.	12 weeks
Reaction test	In the BlazePod reaction test (Play Coyotta, Tel Aviv, Israel), 5 sensors are placed parallel, 1 m apart from each other. The participant stand 3 m in front of the middle sensor. When any sensor lights up, the participant must press it as quickly as possible and return to the starting position, waiting for the next sensor to light up. Sensors light up in a random order. The test lasts after 10 attempts.	12 weeks
Lower limb stiffness	Lower limb stiffness is measured using the repeated submaximal jumps test (Optojump Next, Microgate, Italy). Participants perform 20 repeated jumps at a frequency of 2.5 Hz (mechanical metronome Wittner, Isny, Germany). Participants stand approximately shoulder-width apart with their hands on their sides throughout the test. Participants undergo three attempts with 2-min rest in between.	12 weeks
Reactive strength index	Reactive strength index is measured using the drop jump on AMTI OR6-7-1000 force platform (Advanced Mechanical Technology, Watertown, USA). Participants stand with feet shoulder-width apart on a platform 30 cm above the floor and have their hands on their sides. Then they step off the platform with one foot and upon landing, rebound as quickly as possible and with maximum effort. Reactive strength index is calculated from the ratio of jump height to the duration of contact with the platform.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Palacky University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Roman Holik, Mgr, Palacky University, Faculty of Physical Culture

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Holik R, Krejci J, De Ste Croix M, Lehnert M. The effect of plyometric training on physical performance in youth soccer players: A randomized controlled trial with maturation status as a covariate. PLoS One. 2026 May 13;21(5):e0349011. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0349011. eCollection 2026.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 13, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 16, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): August 16, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 9, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 2, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 29, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Fatigue; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Patient Care; Exercise Therapy; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Plyometric Exercise
• Other Study ID Numbers: FTK_2024_10

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Anonymised raw data will be made available.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: The data will be available once the results are published in a scientific journal.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: For everybody.

Study Data/Documents

1. Individual Participant Data Set
   Information comments: Holík R, Krejčí J, Lehnert M. Dataset for: "The effect of plyometric training on physical performance in youth soccer players: A randomized controlled trial with maturation status as a covariate". Zenodo; 2025.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No