Weighted vs Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning on Vertical Jump Performance in Young Male Soccer Players (PAPE-JUMP)

August 11, 2026 updated by: Görkem Açar, Istanbul Gelisim University

Differential Time-Course Effects of Weighted and Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning on Vertical Jump Performance in Young Male Soccer Players

Explosive lower-limb power is essential for soccer performance and contributes to jumping, sprinting, and rapid changes of direction. Plyometric exercises are commonly used during warm-up to improve neuromuscular readiness and may enhance subsequent athletic performance through post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE). However, it remains unclear whether adding external load during plyometric conditioning provides greater benefits than performing the same exercises without additional load.

The purpose of this study is to compare the acute effects of weighted and unweighted plyometric conditioning on vertical jump performance in young male soccer players. Participants complete two experimental sessions separated by 48 hours. In one session, they perform a standardized single-leg plyometric protocol without external load, and in the other session they perform the same protocol while wearing a weighted vest equivalent to 10% of their body mass. Vertical jump height is assessed before exercise and at several time points after the conditioning activity to examine the time course of performance changes.

The findings of this study are expected to improve understanding of the optimal use of weighted plyometric conditioning during warm-up and provide practical guidance for coaches and sports practitioners seeking to maximize explosive performance before training and competition.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

24

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34290
        • Istanbul Gelisim University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy male soccer players aged 18 to 30 years.
  • Actively participating in organized soccer training.
  • Minimum of 2 years of structured plyometric training experience.
  • Competing at the regional development league level.
  • Free from lower-limb musculoskeletal injury during the previous 4 months.
  • Able to perform maximal jumping tasks.
  • Provided written informed consent prior to participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of lower-extremity surgery within the previous year.
  • Current lower-limb pain or discomfort during jumping activities.
  • Neurological, cardiovascular, or orthopedic disorders affecting neuromuscular performance.
  • Use of performance-enhancing substances.
  • Failure to comply with study procedures or testing instructions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Weighted Plyometric Conditioning
Participants performed a standardized single-leg plyometric conditioning protocol while wearing a weighted vest equivalent to 10% of their body mass. Vertical jump performance was assessed at baseline and at 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after the conditioning activity.
Behavioral: Weighted Plyometric Conditioning
Participants completed three sets of ten single-leg plyometric repetitions while wearing a weighted vest corresponding to 10% of their body mass. Sessions were separated by 48 hours, and jump performance was measured before and after the conditioning protocol.
Active Comparator: Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning
Participants performed the same standardized single-leg plyometric conditioning protocol without external load. Vertical jump performance was assessed at baseline and at 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after the conditioning activity.
Behavioral: Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning
Participants completed the identical single-leg plyometric conditioning protocol without external load. Vertical jump performance was measured before and after the conditioning protocol using the same assessment schedule.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Vertical Jump Height
Time Frame: Baseline, 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after each intervention session
Vertical jump height (cm) measured before the plyometric conditioning protocol (baseline) and at 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after weighted and unweighted plyometric conditioning.
Baseline, 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after each intervention session

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Area Under the Curve (AUC) of Vertical Jump Performance
Time Frame: Immediately after completion of each intervention session
Cumulative vertical jump performance across the post-activation period.
Immediately after completion of each intervention session
Performance Slope
Time Frame: Immediately after completion of each intervention session
Rate of change in vertical jump height across the post-activation period.
Immediately after completion of each intervention session
Peak Vertical Jump Height
Time Frame: 15 seconds to 8 minutes after each intervention session
Highest vertical jump height achieved during the post-activation assessment period.
15 seconds to 8 minutes after each intervention session
Time to Peak Performance
Time Frame: 15 seconds to 8 minutes after each intervention session
Time required to reach the highest vertical jump performance following each conditioning protocol.
15 seconds to 8 minutes after each intervention session

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul Gelisim University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

April 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 11, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PAPE-PLYO-2025-01

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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