Comparative effect of Plyometric training versus Sportsmetrics jump training on Explosive strength, Speed and Agility in Under-18 basketball players-A Randomized Controlled Trial

Title

Comparative effect of Plyometric training versus Sportsmetrics jump training on Explosive strength, Speed and Agility in Under-18 basketball players-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background / Introduction / Review of Literature

·       ***Background :***Played amongst both male and female adolescent athletes, basketball is a fast-paced sport requiring different training methods, due to which coaches and trainers need evidence based guidance on selecting the most effective training for young developing athletes.

·       Introduction : Basketball performance heavily depends on explosive strength, speed and agility. Plyometric training is widely used to enhance these attributes. Hence, plyometric training is the main focus of this research due to its proven impact on dynamic performance, strength and endurance.

·       Review of Literature : Earlier research conducted by Miller G. M (2006) reported that plyometric training was an effective technique to improve an athlete’s agility, while the study carried out by Chimera J. M (2016) concluded that Sportsmetrics jump training improved explosive strength regardless of experience level. These studies focused on one training type in isolation only.

·       Lacunae in Literature : A critical analysis of both these researches revealed a significant lacunae in the existing literature, wherein individual benefits of both the training protocols are well-documented, but there is a scarcity of research that conducts a direct head-to-head comparison of these two protocols against a control group. The present study is designed to fill this gap, as it aims to compare the effects of Plyometric training versus Sportsmetrics jump training on Explosive strength, Speed and Agility in Under-18 basketball players.

Objectives and Hypothesis

·       Primary objective : To analyze the impact of Plyometric training protocol and Sportsmetrics jump training program on explosive strength (vertical jump height test), speed (30m sprint test) and agility (T-test)  in under-18 basketball players.

·       Secondary objective : To compare outcomes between the two plyometric groups and the control group, in order to determine the relative effectiveness of the two training procedures in under-18 basketball players.

·       Null Hypothesis : Neither the plyometric training protocol nor the Sportsmetrics jump training program has any significant effect on explosive strength, speed and agility and also there shall be no significant difference between the effects of the two programs in under-18 basketball players.

·       Alternate Hypothesis : Both the plyometric training protocol and the Sportsmetrics jump training program have a significant effect on explosive strength, speed and agility and also there shall be a significant difference between the effects of the two programs  in under-18 basketball players.

Material and Methods

·       Study Design : The study follows an experimental design with assessment at multiple time intervals. The baseline or pre -test is at week 0, followed by a mid -test after 3 weeks, a post -test after 6 weeks and finally a follow- up test after 8 weeks.

·       Sample Size and method : The total Sample Sizeis 39 divided into three groups of 13 each i.e. two interventional groups and one control group. The Sample Size Calculation was performed using G*Power software with a statistical power of 80%, and an alpha error of 5% and a 95% confidence interval. The calculation was based on an effect size of 0.46 as reported in previous literature for explosive strength.

·       Enrolment Period : Participants shall be recruited for 8 weeks, which includes 6 weeks of training and a follow-up after 2 weeks.

·       Total Study Duration : The entire study is expected to be completed within 4 months.

·       Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria : This study shall includeboth male and female basketball players aged 13 to 17 years who have been playing the game consistently for at least 1 year. Players with any musculoskeletal injury, neurological disorder, surgery or those engaged in Plyometric training as well as those who have missed regular practice in the past 6 months will be excluded.

·       Study Procedure : The participants for the research shall be recruited from Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi via a purposive sampling method. Participants will be randomly assigned into 3 parallel groups using a computer-generated randomisation software. The first Interventional Group will undergo a Plyometric training protocol, while the second Interventional group will undergo a Sportsmetrics jump training program. Both the interventional groups shall follow the training twice a week for 6 consecutive weeks along with their regular basketball practice. The Control Groupwill continue regular basketball practice alone for the same duration. The plyometric protocol varies in intensity from low to high and has a taper off design while the sportsmetrics jump training program is structured in 3 phases and progresses from medium to very high in intensity.

·       Assessment Tools : To evaluate outcomes, explosive strength, speed and agility will be tested using the vertical jump height test,,30m sprint test,and T-test respectively at week 0-pre baseline test, followed by a mid -test after 3 weeks, a post -test after 6 weeks and finally a follow- up test after 8 weeks.

·     Interim Analysis :  After 3 weeks of completion of intervention, an interim analysis shall be performed to assess the preliminary efficacy of the two interventions (Plyometric training versus Sportsmetrics jump training), on explosive strength, speed and agility. It hence shall provide insights into the intervention effects and data trends, without influencing the continuation or modification of the trial procedure.

Statistical Analysis Plan

The data will be analysed in SPSS software version 25 with Descriptive Statistics for both categorical (age, gender) and continuous data (height, weight, explosive strength, speed and agility) via frequency, percentage and mean, median, standard deviation respectively. Normality will be checked using the Shapiro - Wilk test. Depending upon the distribution either parametric tests ANOVA or non-parametric test Kruskal Wallis rank test will be used with a statistical significance level of 5%.

References

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