The aim of this study was to determine the effects of 14 wk of plyometric training on mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon. Nineteen subjects were randomly assigned to trained or control group. Cross-sectional area (CSA), stiffness, and dissipation coefficient of the Achilles tendon were measured before and after the training period. In the trained group, a decrease in dissipation coeff...

The purpose of the present study was to identify the effects of a strength training program combined with specific plyometric exercises on body composition, vertical jump (VJ) height and strength development of lower limbs in elite male handball players. A 12-week program with combined strength and specific plyometric exercises was carried out for 7 weeks. Twelve elite male handball players (ag...

There is an evident lack of studies on the effectiveness of plyometricand skill-based-conditioning in volleyball. This study aimed to evaluate effects of 12-week plyometricand volleyball-skill-based training on specific conditioning abilities in female volleyball players. The sample included 41 high-level female volleyball players (21.8 ± 2.1 years of age; 1.76 ± 0.06 cm; 60.8 ± 7.0 kg), who pa...

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease associated with high morbidity, mortality and increased economic costs. Early prevention during adolescence appears to be one of the most beneficial practices. Exercise is an effective approach for developing bone mass during puberty, but some sports may have a positive or negative impact on bone mass accrual. Plyometric jump training has been sugge...

The prevalence of sports injuries in martial arts is high. Most Taekwondo injuries also occur in the lower extremities. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of a period of plyometric exercises, with and without stretching exercises, on knee valgus dynamics, flexibility and functional variables of elite female taekwondo athletes at risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries.  45 elite...

Plyometric training (PT) is a very popular form of physical conditioning of healthy individuals that has been extensively studied over the last decades. In this article, we critically review the available literature related to PT and its effects on physical fitness in team sport athletes. We also considered studies that combined PT with other popular training modalities (e.g. strength/sprint tr...

Our hypothesis was that the addition of an 8-week lower limb plyometric training program (hurdle and depth jumping) to normal in-season conditioning would enhance measures of competitive potential (peak power output [PP], jump force, jump height, and lower limb muscle volume) in junior soccer players. The subjects (23 men, age 19 ± 0.7 years, body mass 70.5 ± 4.7 kg, height 1.75 ± 0.06 m, body ...