Plyometric Exercises During the Winter Pre-season in Sprinters

Association Between a Winter Pre-season Plyometric Exercise Programme and Performance and Health-related Outcomes in Sprinters: a Prospective Cohort Study

Background. Plyometric training is an effective strategy to improve power and performance in sprint-based sports; however, evidence regarding its actual effects in athletes during the winter season and its potential influence on the occurrence of health problems remains limited.

Objective. To analyse the association between participation in a plyometric exercise programme during the winter pre-season and competitive performance, as well as the occurrence of lower-limb health problems in sprinters.

Methods. This will be a prospective observational cohort study with fully online data collection. Federated sprinters or athletes affiliated with athletics clubs will be included. The main exposure will be participation in a plyometric exercise programme (≥2 sessions per week in January). Outcomes will be winter competitive performance (best official time) and lower-limb health problems assessed using the OSTRC-H2 questionnaire. Control variables will include sleep quality (PSQI), internal training load (session-RPE), injury history, and competitive level. Statistical analyses will include linear and logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders.

Expected results. A positive association is expected between engagement in plyometric training and competitive performance, along with a lower frequency of lower-limb health problems, particularly among athletes with adequate sleep quality and a well-balanced training load.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Running
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Plyometric training; Other: Training without plyometric exercises

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 42

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Principality of Asturias
    • Murcia, Principality of Asturias, Spain, 33006
      • Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Athletes meeting all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria will be recruited through the Athletics Federation of the Region of Murcia.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥16 years
• Regular participation in sprint events (60-400 m)
• Planned participation in winter competitions
• Membership of an athletics club
• Provision of digital informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Recent acute lower-limb injury preventing training
• Medical contraindication to plyometric training
• Inability to complete follow-up
• Low questionnaire completion rate (<70%).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Observational group with intervention; Athletes undertaking plyometric training	Other: Plyometric training; Participation in a structured plyometric exercise programme during the winter pre-season (≥2 sessions per week)
Observational group without intervention; Athletes not undertaking plyometric training	Other: Training without plyometric exercises; Winter pre-season training programme without plyometric exercises

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of changes in winter competitive performance at baseline, after the winter pre-season, and after the competitive season	Winter competitive performance will be measured using the best official time recorded by each athlete in their main event (60, 100, 200, or 400 metres) during the winter season. The value will be expressed in seconds and will be obtained via self-report in the final questionnaire, together with the competition in which it was achieved. This continuous variable will represent the primary performance outcome.	Baseline, through study completion, an average of 1 month
Assessment of changes in the occurrence of lower-limb health problems at baseline, after the winter pre-season, and after the competitive season	The occurrence of lower-limb health problems will be assessed using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC-O), Spanish validated version. Based on the weekly reports, two indicators will be derived: the presence of at least one substantial lower-limb health problem (dichotomous variable: yes/no) and the total number of weeks with any health problem in this location (discrete variable).	Baseline, through study completion, an average of 1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of changes in sleep quality at baseline, after the winter pre-season, and after the competitive season	Sleep quality will be assessed using the Spanish version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). This scale yields a global score ranging from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. It will be administered at baseline and at the end of the season	Baseline, through study completion, an average of 1 month
Assessment of changes in the internal training load at baseline, after the winter pre-season, and after the competitive season	Internal training load will be calculated using the session-RPE method (14). This assessment is based on weekly training duration in minutes multiplied by the global perceived exertion rated on the Borg CR10 scale. From the weekly records, the mean weekly training load will be derived as a continuous variable.	Baseline, through study completion, an average of 1 month
Assessment of the previous performance at baseline	Previous performance will be defined as the best official time recorded during the previous season, expressed in seconds, and will be used as a covariate to adjust for baseline performance level.	Baseline
Assessment of lower-limb injury history at baseline	Lower-limb injury history over the previous 12 months will be recorded as a dichotomous variable (yes/no), with documentation of the primary injury location.	Baseline

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of main sprint event at baseline	Each athlete's main sprint event (60, 100, 200, or 400 metres) will be recorded. This variable will be used as an indicator of sporting context.	Baseline
Assessment of the athlete's competitive level at baseline	Competitive level will be recorded (regional or national). This variable will be used as an indicator of sporting context.	Baseline
Assessment of years of experience in sprint athletics at baseline	The number of years of experience in sprinting (number of competitive seasons) will be recorded as a continuous variable.	Baseline
Assessment of athletes' sex at baseline	Sex (male/female) will be recorded as a basic demographic variable.	Baseline
Assessment of athletes' age at baseline	Age (continuous quantitative variable) will be recorded as a basic demographic variable.	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Rubén Cuesta-Barriuso, PhD, Universidad de Oviedo

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 13, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 12, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 18, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 28, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 27, 2026
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Sleep Quality; Running; Workload; Sports Injuries; Athletic Performance; Plyometric Exercise
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Wounds and Injuries; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Athletic Injuries; 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: VelPli

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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