The Effects of Plyometric on Physical Fitness and Technical Skills of Football Players

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of plyometric exercises on the physical fitness and technical skills of football players in Quetta, Baluchistan

Detailed Description
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Football (soccer) is a popular sport that is played both competitively and recreationally. It is acknowledged as a repeated exercise involving both aerobic and anaerobic metabolic systems (Beato et al., 2018). Youth are especially passionate about the sport (Di Salvo et al., 2006), being the fourth most popular sport for females in high schools and the fifth most popular sport for men (Brown, 2014). Football players spend the most of their time on the pitch, where there is a high risk of injury because it is a contact sport. Football players need to be both physically and mentally fit to manage the tremendous demands of the game, which call for exceptional levels of memory, planning, focus, and other mental abilities. On the other hand, having good balance is necessary for both a successful sporting career and the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries. (Sheppard & Young, 2006) Plyometric, also known as jump training, has gained significant recognition as a valuable training method for enhancing physical fitness and technical skills in football players. This specialized form of exercise involves explosive movements that activate fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are essential for producing the quick bursts of power required for running, jumping, and changing directions during game-play (Slimani, Chamari, Miarka, Del Vecchio, & Chéour, 2016). Plyometric workouts promote muscular growth and boost the ability to maintain high-intensity activities throughout a match because they put the muscles through repeated, powerful contractions. Football players can sustain their optimum performance level. Plyometric workouts require precise body control and coordination, which directly translate to improved balance and agility on the pitch. These abilities are necessary for football players to move through crowded spaces, evade opponents, and perform challenging maneuvers with grace (Markovic & Mikulic, 2010). Athletes can use plyometric workouts to develop their lower-body strength, power, coordination, and agility. Examples include horizontal jumps over hurdles, standing long jumps, split squat jumps, diagonal jumps, 180-degree cone hops, and sprints while skipping. Athletes can thrive in sports that involve quick changes in direction by using these workouts, which are created to stress particular muscle groups and movement patterns. (Behm & Chaouachi, 2011)Plyometric exercise promotes agility which is crucial skill, allowing them to change direction rapidly while maintaining control and balance, by improving neuromuscular coordination and muscular power, leading to quicker and more precise movement execution. (Miller et al., 2006)Exercises such as lateral bounds, cone drills, and ladder drills are commonly used in plyometric training to enhance agility (Markovic & Mikulic, 2010). Football players are more formidable in both offensive and defensive situations because to plyometric activities that boost the legs' explosive power and vertical leap. Football players who have improved their agility, balance, and jumping skills have a competitive advantage that allows them to excel in key situations and dramatically advance their team's chances of winning. (Faude, Koch, & Meyer, 2012) Plyometric training simulates these demands by promoting the development of fast-twitch muscle fibers, increasing reactive strength, and improving the ability to produce force quickly (Slimani et al., 2016). Additionally, plyometric exercises deliver an SSTS (sport-specific training stimulus) that closely mimics the motions made on a football pitch. Rather than taking a broad view of physical fitness and technical football skills, most previous study has focused on individual physical fitness components such as power or speed(Little, Williams, & Research, 2005). More research is needed to fully comprehend the impact of plyometric training on various aspects of physical fitness and technical football ability. Previous studies did not fully comprehend the potential benefits of plyometric training on football players' overall performance. That 'why this study is conducted to evaluate the effects of plyometric on physical as well technical skill among football players.

Official Title
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The Effect of Plyometric Exercises on Physical Fitness and Technical Skills of Football Players

Conditions
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Physical Fitness and Technical Skills

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Plyometric Exercises
* Other: Conventional Exercises


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Participants falling in this category would be recruited into the study. Male football player Age between 18-32 years Exclusion Criteria: Participant failing to fall in this category would be excluded of the study. History of metabolic diseases. History of recent fractures. History of trauma / injury in last month

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 32 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Group A (Plyometrics)<br>This group will receive 8 weeks of upper and lower body plyometric exercises protocol. The session will last for 60 minutes and 3 time per week. 1-minute rest period is there between each exercise and each repetition and 3-5 minute for each set. | Other: Plyometric Exercises<br>* The group will receive plyometric exercises in a controlled environment. Following Plyometrics were performed. Horizontal jumps over hurdle. Standing long jump Front cone hops Forward-backward run Double leg horizontal jump Lateral jump over hurdle Side to side sprint Jumps over low hurdles Split squat jump Cone hops with change of sprint direction Lateral jump over hurdle Side to side slide and hops. Lateral and horizontal jump Cone hops with 180o turn Vertical, Lateral, and horizontal jump Lateral cone jump Single leg lateral jump Diagonal Jumps. Standing long jump with diagonal sprint. Single leg vertical jump Cone hop with 1800 turn Skipping over cone<br>|
| Experimental: Group B (Conventional)<br>This group will receive 8 weeks of upper and lower body strength exercises protocol. The session will last for 60 minutes and 3 times per week. | Other: Conventional Exercises<br>* The group will receive conventional exercises in a controlled environment. Following conventional exercises were performed. Single Leg Squat/ Lunges Modified Box Step Ups Press Ups Box Jumps Shoulder Press Standing Band Row Band Butterfly Pills<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anaerobic Endurance | The 300 Yard Shuttle Test is used to test of anaerobic endurance, in which the participants run 25 yards and back, repeating this for 12 runs of 25 yards (300 yard total), changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Lower Extrmity Strength | The vertical jump test is to check the strength of the lower extremity, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| 3-hop test (Lower Extrimity Power) | To test the explosive leg power, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Aerobic Fitness | The Yo-Yo Intermittent Tests the participants have a short active break (5 and 10 seconds for the intermittent endurance and intermittent recovery test, respectively), changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Speed and Agility | For speed, acceleration and agility training of the athlete The Run-a-Three Test is fitness test that assesses both speed and agility. The run-a-three involves sprinting over the actual pitch distance three times, incorporating two 180 degree turns. This test not only assesses speed, but also technique on the turn and running the bat in at the end, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Agility | The 505 Agility test is a test of 180 degree turning ability. The test may also be adapted for specific testing by having the subject dribble a soccer ball, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Ability to control and manipulate the ball using their head | Head ball juggling tests in soccer players are commonly used to assess and develop specific skills related to heading the ball. The number of consecutive headers or the time a player can keep the ball in the air using only their head can provide insights into their heading proficiency and coordination, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Instep Juglling the Football Skill | To check the instep skill of football players, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Footbal Driblling Skills | To check dribble in tight space, control, speed and agility. The figure 8 dribbling test in soccer is a drill designed to assess a player's dribbling skills, agility, and control of the ball while maneuvering through a set course, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| ability to maintain control of the ball while dribbling | The controlled speed dribbling test in soccer is a drill designed to assess a player's ability to maintain control of the ball while dribbling at a controlled and consistent speed. It evaluates their ball control, touch, coordination, and decision-making skills, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Passing and receiving accuracy | The passing and receiving test in soccer is a drill designed to assess a player's passing accuracy, technique, communication, and ability to receive a pass effectively. It focuses on the fundamental skills required for successful passing and receiving in a game scenario, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Ability to Generate Power and Accuracy | The power shooting test in soccer is a drill designed to assess a player's ability to generate power and accuracy in their shooting technique. It focuses on evaluating a player's shooting strength, technique, and ability to strike the ball with power and precision, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 
| Ability to Execute Accurate and Powerful Long-Distance Passes | The driven long ball test in soccer is a drill used to evaluate a player's ability to execute accurate and powerful long-distance passes with speed and precision. It focuses on assessing their technique, decision-making, and execution of driven passes over extended distances, changes from the Baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week and 8th week will be assessed. | 8 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Plyometrics, physical fitness, technical skill and football.