Plyometric Training in Prepubertal Soccer Players: Is It Really Effective for Soccer Performance?
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants
2.2. Study Design
2.3. Plyometric Training Program
- Mesocycle 1 included squats, hip hinges, hurdle sprints, snap-downs, and drop squats.
- Mesocycle 2 introduced countermovement jumps, hurdle jumps, and hurdle squats.
- Mesocycle 3 added bounding jumps, hop jumps, pogo jumps, and pogo hopping.
2.4. Physical Performance Test
- -
- Height and sitting height were measured to the nearest 0.1 cm using a stadiometer (SECA® 240, Hamburg, Germany), and weight was recorded to the nearest 0.1 kg using calibrated scales (SECA® 877, Hamburg, Germany). Biological age was calculated using the Mirwald [16] formula based on anthropometric and chronological data.
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- Sit-and-reach test: Athletes sat on the floor with extended legs, reaching forward without knees flexion. The distance from the fingertips to the toes was measured in centimeters. Positive values indicating greater torso flexion and posterior leg muscle flexibility [17].
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- Standing Long Jump Test: Athletes jumped as far as possible from a standing static position, aiming to land with both feet together. They started with feet shoulder width apart, with no restriction on arm movement. The jump distance was measured from the last heel strike to the take-of line.
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- Triple Jump: Athletes began at the starting line and performed three consecutive maximal forward jumps, alternating the supporting leg. No run-up was allowed, but arm swing was permitted. Total distance was measured from the start point to the final landing.
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- The t agility test: Athletes ran a forward, lateral, and backward course, maintaining a forward-facing posture without crossing their feet. Completion time was recorded in seconds measured using dual-beam photocells (Witty Gate, Microgate Srl, Bolzano, Italy) [18].
2.5. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Anthropometric Parameters
3.2. Physical Performance Parameters
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- Flexibility (Sit-and-Reach Test): a significant main effect of time was found (p < 0.001, η2p = 0.61), indicating overall improvement across both groups. The interaction effect was not significant (p = 0.87), and post hoc comparisons revealed no difference in the magnitude of change between groups.
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- Lower Limb Strength (Standing Long Jump and Triple Jump): for both tests, significant main effects of time were observed (p < 0.001), with large effect sizes (η2p = 0.95 for Standing Long Jump; η2p = 0.92 for Triple Jump), indicating meaningful improvements. Significant interaction effects were detected for both tests (p < 0.001), with post hoc analyses showing a significantly greater increase in the PLYO.
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- Agility (T-agility Test): the main effect of time was significant (p < 0.001, η2p = 0.45), confirming overall improvement. However, the interaction effect was not significant (p = 0.49), and post hoc comparisons showed no statistically significant difference between groups, although the control group exhibited slightly higher Δ% values.
Test | Group | T0 | T1 | Δ% | Time Effect (p, η2p) | Interaction (p, η2p) | Post Hoc |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sit-and-Reach (cm) | PLYO | 42.5 ± 5.6 | 43.7 ± 4.9 | +2.9 | <0.001, 0.61 | 0.87, 0.001 | n.s. |
CON | 40.7 ± 7.1 | 41.9 ± 6.5 | +2.8 | ||||
Standing Long Jump (cm) | PLYO | 185.4 ± 17.0 | 207.6 ± 19.0 | +10.7 | <0.001, 0.95 | <0.001, 0.65 | <0.001 |
CON | 189.5 ± 17.9 | 201.6 ± 18.8 | +6.0 | ||||
Triple Jump (cm) | PLYO | 218.2 ± 47.2 | 244.3 ± 54.0 | +10.8 | <0.001, 0.92 | <0.001, 0.48 | <0.001 |
CON | 241.8 ± 52.8 | 256.3 ± 55.9 | +5.6 | ||||
T-agility test (s) | PLYO | 11.8 ± 0.5 | 10.9 ± 0.6 | –8.6 | <0.001, 0.45 | 0.49, 0.02 | n.s. |
CON | 11.8 ± 0.8 | 10.5 ± 2.4 | –12.4 |
4. Discussion
Strength and Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Plyometric Training Program | ||||||||||||
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Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | ||||||||||
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | |
Squat | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 3 | 4 × 3 | |||||||
Hip Hinge | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 3 | 4 × 3 | |||||||
T.U.T. Squat | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | ||||||||||
Hurdle Sprint | 4 × 6 | 4 × 3 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 10 | 4 × 10 | |||||||
Snap Down | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | |||||||
Hurdle Squat | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | ||||||||||
Drop Squat | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | ||||||||
Box Jump | 4 × 10 | 4 × 6 | ||||||||||
Hurdle Jump | 4 × 10 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 10 | 4 × 10 | 4 × 10 | |||||||
Countermovement Jump | 4 × 10 | 4 × 10 | ||||||||||
Pogo Jump | 5 × 12 | 4 × 10 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | |||||||
Bound Jump | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | ||||||||
Hop Jump | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | ||||||||
Pogo Hopping | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | 4 × 6 | ||||||||
Depth Squat | 4 × 10 | 4 × 10 | ||||||||||
Sprint | 4 × 10 |
Variable | Group | T0 | T1 | Time Effect (p) | Group Effect (p) | Interaction (p) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Height (cm) | PLYO | 152.8 ± 6.4 | 156.8 ± 6.2 | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. |
CON | 155.9 ± 7.3 | 160.5 ± 6.8 | ||||
Mass (kg) | PLYO | 43.6 ± 7.3 | 44.9 ± 7.9 | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. |
CON | 46.1 ± 6.8 | 48.1 ± 7.2 | ||||
Sitting height (cm) | PLYO | 79.3 ± 3.5 | 81.6 ± 4.3 | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. |
CON | 79.9 ± 3.6 | 81.9 ± 3.4 | ||||
Chronological age (yrs) | PLYO | 9.4 ± 0.3 | 10.2 ± 0.2 | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. |
CON | 9.3 ± 0.2 | 10.0 ± 0.4 | ||||
Biological age (yrs) | PLYO | 9.2 ± 0.5 | 10.0 ± 0.6 | <0.001 | n.s. | n.s. |
CON | 9.3 ± 0.7 | 10.0 ± 0.7 |
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Lo Russo, E.; Micheli, M.L.; Vieri, A.; Izzicupo, P.; Mascherini, G. Plyometric Training in Prepubertal Soccer Players: Is It Really Effective for Soccer Performance? Biomechanics 2025, 5, 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5030050
Lo Russo E, Micheli ML, Vieri A, Izzicupo P, Mascherini G. Plyometric Training in Prepubertal Soccer Players: Is It Really Effective for Soccer Performance? Biomechanics. 2025; 5(3):50. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5030050
Chicago/Turabian StyleLo Russo, Edoardo, Matteo Levi Micheli, Andrea Vieri, Pascal Izzicupo, and Gabriele Mascherini. 2025. "Plyometric Training in Prepubertal Soccer Players: Is It Really Effective for Soccer Performance?" Biomechanics 5, no. 3: 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5030050
APA StyleLo Russo, E., Micheli, M. L., Vieri, A., Izzicupo, P., & Mascherini, G. (2025). Plyometric Training in Prepubertal Soccer Players: Is It Really Effective for Soccer Performance? Biomechanics, 5(3), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5030050