TRAINING-SPECIFIC FORCE–TIME ADAPTATIONS FOLLOWING PLYOMETRIC AND CONTRAST TRAINING IN VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

Information from the abstract

This study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of plyometric training (PLY) and contrast training (CT), combined with routine volleyball practice, against a control group (CON) in 45 male collegiate volleyball players. To minimize baseline variability, participants (N = 45) were ranked according to their 0–5 m sprint times, organized into matched triplets, and randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio to the Contrast Training (CT), Plyometric Training (PLY), or Control (CON) group (n = 15 per group). Countermovement jump (CMJ) biomechanical variables, including peak power, relative peak power, rate of force development (RFD), impulse, and jump height, were assessed using a force platform and analyzed using multivariate and repeated-measures ANOVA. The results showed significant improvements in CMJ force–time characteristics in both experimental groups compared with CON (p < .001), with no significant between-group differences at baseline before the intervention (p > .05). Further pairwise comparisons revealed distinct mechanical adaptation profiles between the training modalities. CT demonstrated significantly better outcomes than CON and outperformed PLY in selected late-phase variables, such as Peak RFD90, Relative Peak RFD90, and Gross Impulse300 (p < .05), alongside greater relative peak power and jump height. In contrast, during the initial phase of force development (0–30 ms), both PLY and CT significantly improved early-phase rapid force development, as reflected in Peak RFD30 and Relative Peak RFD30, compared with CON (p < .05), with no statistically significant differences between the two experimental groups (p > .05). In conclusion, both PLY and CT effectively improved jumping performance compared with routine volleyball practice alone, through distinct mechanical adaptation profiles across temporal phases. CT produced greater improvements in late-phase RFD and jump height, whereas both methods significantly improved early-phase rapid force development, with no significant differences between them. These findings highlight the practical application of force–time profiling to individualized training prescription

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Related topics: Sports Performance and Training · Physical Education and Training Studies · Sports Dynamics and Biomechanics