Effects of plyometric training on speed and agility among recreational football players

Abstract

Plyometrics are exercises that involved the enhancement of muscle performance. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of 6-weeks plyometric training on speed and agility performance among recreational football players. This study was conducted following the pre-post test model of quasi-experimental method. Twenty-two recreational football players were chosen for this study (aged between 19 to 26 years old) and randomly assigned into control (N=11) and intervention group (N=11) for six weeks. Subjects in the control group did not undergo any plyometric training. In contrast, the intervention group performed plyometric training for six weeks. All subjects participated in two tests; 1) Sprint test of 20 m distance for speed performance and; 2) Agility test using Agility T-test for agility performance before (pre) and after (post) training. For the intervention group, significant improvement in the difference of sprint time before and after six weeks of training were discovered (t = 3.76, p = 0.001) when compared to the control group. The agility performance of the intervention group also showed a significant difference when compared to the control group (t = 2.53, p = 0.01). Therefore, this will help players to improve their performance during a football match and prevent injury among recreational football players.