Effect of an eight-week plyometric exercise training on athletes’ muscular strength in selected ball games in Nigeria

This study investigated how an eight-week plyometric exercise training program modifies the muscular strength characteristic of ball game athletes in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and also determined differences effect by sports. The adopted a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Pre-test (baseline) data were recorded before intervention was administered. Post-test within 24hrs completion intervention. population Ile-Ife. One hundred active drawn from four games; football (n=25), volleyball basketball handball using purposive sampling technique. Six instruments used for collection. Participants’ weight, height, BMI estimated with digital scale, blood pressure aneroid sphygmomanometer skinfold thickness measured Lange caliper, conducted Plyo-Box, weight exercises performed multi-station machine, 8-week guided structured program. Data analyzed mean standard deviation, Student t-Test, Two-way ANOVA to compare pre-test post-test among athletes, significance set at P < 0.05. results showed that University possessed 1RM 67.36 ± 8.31kg, their upper-torso muscle 32.68 13.46kg lower-torso 160.45 170.01kg strong. There marked improvements targeted muscles after as significant gains noticed t= -3.59, p< 0.05, upper torso t=-18.2, p