Effectiveness of Lateral Plyometric Jumps on Agility in Football Players

Abstract

Context: Plyometrics are exercises that are designed to improve muscle power using jump activity that involves jumping, hopping, and skipping. This study was concentrated on lateral plyometric jumps training which a type of lateral plyometric exercise is. Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of lateral plyometric training on agility in football players. Setting and Design: This was a single-group pre–postexperimental study conducted on male football players. Methodology: Fifty-six football players participated in the age group between 15 and 25 years. All players were assessed for the Illinois agility test and lateral shuffle test to assess agility pre- and postintervention. Players performed 15 sessions of lateral plyometric jumps with a rest period of 2 days after every session for 1 month and 15 days. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS 26 Software. Mean median, mode, standard deviation, and paired t-test were done. Results: The results of the study showed statistically significant improvement with P = 0.000 (P < 0.05) in both the Illinois agility test and lateral shuffle test. Conclusion: This study concluded that the lateral plyometric jumps helped to improve the agility in football players.