Effects of plyometric training on the ability to jump in college volleyball players. A sys-tematic review

Abstract

Volleyball is considered a sport that requires power, explosiveness and an accelerated pace, where plyometric training finds relevance. Our purpose was to determine the effects of different types of plyometric training on the performance of volleyball players from the Universidad de La Frontera. A systematic search was per-formed according to (PRISMA) using SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published between 2017 and 2022. The search focused on intervention studies in which players underwent plyometric training, either isolated or combined. Various criteria were applied to the 2,570 articles found to limit the quantity. Thus, duplicate files were removed, titles and abstracts searched, manuscript review and inclusion criteria applied, leaving 6 complete studies to be thoroughly examined. The results showed that the countermovement jump and the length of the jump obtain improvements of up to 16%, which is influenced by the practice of the sport. In addition, it was observed that young athletes (under 18 years of age) were the most studied. The included studies indicated that plyometric training combined with athletic training appears to increase vertical jump performance, strength, flexibility, and agility/speed in volleyball players. However, more studies are needed to understand the benefits of plyometric training on the performance of volleyball players.