Effects of Six Weeks Plyometric Training in Comparison to Bent Leg Raise (BLR) plus Strength Training on Vertical Jump Height and Agility in Young Basketball Players

Background and Objective: Basketball player needs good fitness, flexibility, power, agility, endurance, strength & vertical jump ability. The aim of this study was to compare and determine the effects of six weeks Plyometric training and Bent Leg Raise (BLR) stretching plus Strength training on vertical jump height (VJH) and agility by Illinois agility test (IAT) in young Basketball Players. Method: 60 participants age between 17-25 years from different Colleges and school were assigned randomly into three groups using quasi randomization procedure. All groups included 20 participants. Group A, B and C performed Plyometric training, BLR stretching plus Strength training and as control group, respectively. Each participant was given training for six weeks with 3 days exercise protocol each week for each group. Outcome measures used were VJH and IAT. Measurements were taken first day prior to the training and at the end of the 3 rd and 6 th week of the training. Results: ANOVA and repeated measure ANOVA were used. Results were considered to be significant at p<0.05. Significant difference in IAT at the end of 3 rd and 6 th week of the study between groups. Post Hoc analysis revealed plyometric group to be effective in improving agility. Within group, there was significant difference was found in VJH and IAT in group A and B with p=0.000. Conclusion: Plyometrics and BLR plus strength training for a period of 6-weeks can improve VJH and agility in young basketball players. Key-Words: Basketball, Plyometric training, Strength training, Vertical jump, Agility, Bent Leg Raise INTRODUCTION Basketball is one of the most popular team sport extensively played and viewed all over the world. It is one of the sports characterized by many of the basic and variable skills. [1] Basketball has developed to involve common techniques of shooting, passing, dribbling, including player‟s positioning as well as offensive and defensive structures. In basketball, the ability to generate maximal strength levels in the shortest period of time (muscular power) has been considered as essential to obtain high sport performance level. [2-4] Special physical preparation in basketball is the main pillar for the players to carry out the special requirements (physical, skillful and tactical). Physical adaptation of the player to perform the sport activities is one of the practical functions of the training which improve the training of the player to reach to higher levels in the sport activities. [5] Moreover, strength training is part of basketball preseason programs [6-7] with a Rajal B. Sukhiyaji et.al. Effects of Six Weeks Plyometric Training in Comparison to Bent Leg Raise (BLR) Plus Strength Training on Vertical Jump Height and Agility in Young Basketball Players International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 206 Vol.9; Issue: 8; August 2019 background of related benefits that improve sports performance, reduce injury rate, and provide higher motivation levels for the athletes. [8] In basketball, the necessity of vertical jumps is due to the need for a successful performance of the various skills. [4,9-10] An important part that must be emphasized is the verticality of the jump so that the athlete can achieve maximum height and keep the balance of his/her body [11,12] A competent basketball player needs the ability to rapidly switch between forward, backward, lateral and vertical movement possibly through basic training or some enhanced training programs. Agility has been considered a physiological prerequisite in basketball, because players are frequently involved in a variety of sudden directional changes during the game. In view of the above, basketball player needs good fitness, flexibility, power, strength, agility, endurance and vertical jumping ability to achieve sporting targets. [13] Strength and conditioning professionals have long relied on plyometrics as one of the primary tools for developing athletic power and speed. The eastern Europeans first used plyometrics in 1970‟s to develop greater strength and power in Olympic athletes. The term plyometrics was first coined by “Fred Wilt” in 1975. Plyometrics Training is also known as “Shock Training”. It was developed by Yuriverkhoshansky in 1977. [14] Plyometric exercises are those that describe any type of explosive movement being done for a series of repetitions at high speeds and high levels of intensity. Plyometric Training refers to performance of “Stretch‐Shortening Cycle” (SSC) movements that involve a high‐intensity eccentric contraction immediately after a rapid and powerful concentric contraction. [6] It is a form of exercise which links strength with speed of movement. Benefits from this type of training include improved measures of muscular strength and power, [15-22] joint function and stability, [17,21,23] reduced incidence of serious knee injuries [17,24] and running economy. [25] Plyometric exercises constitute a natural part of most sport movements because they involve jumping, hopping, and skipping (i.e., such as high jumping, throwing, or kicking). [2628] Typical plyometric exercises include the countermovement jump (CMJ), the drop jump (DJ), and the squat jump (SJ). Plyometrics involve stretching the muscles before quickly contracting them to generate power. Plyometrics for basketball can help to develop a solid strength base, increase vertical jump, improve speed on the court and hone ability to decelerate. Plyometric training has been advocated for sports that require explosiveness and increased vertical jumping ability by the athletes. Plyometric drills usually involve stopping, starting, and changing directions in an explosive manner. These movements are components that can assist in developing agility. [29] Agility has been defined as the ability to maintain a controlled body position and rapidly change direction without a loss of balance, body control, or speed. [30] The components of agility have been defined as balance, coordination, power, and speed. [31] The majority of tests supported to assess agility are tests based on change of direction speed [e.g., the T-test, [32] the Illinois agility test, [33] the 505 test, [34] the L-run test, [35] and the zigzag test. [36] Although plyometric training has been shown to increase performance variables, little scientific information is available to determine if plyometric training actually enhances agility. [37] Strength training increases muscular strength and power and is an integral part of competitive athletics. Flexibility is often overlooked as a factor in leaping ability of a player; jumping high is based on the elasticity of muscles and tendons. Without extreme flexibility, one can never jump as high as he can with proper training. Flexibility can be attained by proper stretching, it is a technique to elongate the muscle. In this study, Bent Leg Raise (BLR) Mulligan stretching technique is used with Rajal B. Sukhiyaji et.al. Effects of Six Weeks Plyometric Training in Comparison to Bent Leg Raise (BLR) Plus Strength Training on Vertical Jump Height and Agility in Young Basketball Players International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 207 Vol.9; Issue: 8; August 2019 strength training program. BLR [38] is a Mulligan stretching technique which is a recent advancement in the management of hamstrings tightness. Weight training has been able to improve vertical jumping performance in most cases by 2–8 cm (or by 5–15%), [39,26,40] with lighter more explosive lifts being more effective than the heavier and slower lifts. The comparison of plyometric exercises and weight-training protocols has produced controversial results. Plyometric protocols have been shown to be more effective, [41] equally effective, [39,26] or less effective, [41,42] than weight training in improving vertical jumping ability. Furthermore, two other studies showed that plyometric training was no more effective than isokinetic training [40] or flexibility training alone. [43] The combination of plyometric exercises and weight training increased [39,40] or maintained unaffected vertical jumping performance. [42] Adams et al. [39] suggested that this combination may provide a more powerful training stimulus to vertical jumping performance than either weight training or plyometric training alone. However, Clutch et al. [44] did not reach similar conclusions. It seems that researchers have not come to an agreement about the relative effectiveness of plyometric training compared with strength training or the combination of both in the development of vertical jumping ability and agility. Hence, the present study aimed to compare and determine the effects of six weeks Plyometric training and Bent Leg Raise (BLR) stretching plus Strength training on vertical jump height and agility by Illinois agility test in the young Basketball Players. Significance of the Study: Basketball players require good amount of jumping ability, strength and flexibility for the good performance. There are many studies that show the effect of plyometric and strength training in basketball players but less literature has been found whether plyometric training and BLR stretching plus strength training improve vertical jump and agility in young basketball players. The results of the study would be of significant to form a training protocol to improve playing skills in basketball players. METHODS This repeated measure experimental study conducted by collecting data from Surat Mahanagarpalika – Sports Sankul, Sports center– Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) CampusSurat, Sir K.P. College of CommerceSurat, Sir V. D. T. Girls high school, Vanita Vishram SchoolSurat. Sample size was calculated using GPower version 3.1. 9.2. At effect size 0.6, power 0.80 and α 0.05, the required sample size was 54. Assuming 10% as drop out chances the final sample size was adjusted to 60. 60 basketball players (30 males and 30 females) participa