Abstract
Numerous national associations and multiple reviews have documented the safety and efficacy of strength training for children and adolescents. The literature highlights the significant training-induced increases in strength associated with youth strength training. However, the effectiveness of youth strength training programs to improve power measures is not as clear. This discrepancy may be related to training and testing specificity. Most prior youth strength training programs emphasized lower intensity resistance with relatively slow movements. Since power activities typically involve higher intensity, explosive-like contractions with higher angular velocities (e.g., plyometrics), there is a conflict between the training medium and testing measures. This meta-analysis compared strength (e.g., training with resistance or body mass) and power training programs (e.g., plyometric training) on proxies of muscle strength, power, and speed. A systematic literature search using a Boolean Search Strategy was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, SPORT Discus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar and revealed 652 hits. After perusal of title, abstract, and full text, 107 studies were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed small to moderate magnitude changes for training specificity with jump measures. In other words, power training was more effective than strength training for improving youth jump height. For sprint measures, strength training was more effective than power training with youth. Furthermore, strength training exhibited consistently large magnitude changes to lower body strength measures, which contrasted with the generally trivial, small and moderate magnitude training improvements of power training upon lower body strength, sprint and jump measures, respectively. Maturity related inadequacies in eccentric strength and balance might influence the lack of training specificity with the unilateral landings and propulsions associated with sprinting. Based on this meta-analysis, strength training should be incorporated prior to power training in order to establish an adequate foundation of strength for power training activities.
Highlights
IntroductionIn contrast to the prior myths of health concerns regarding resistance training (RT) for children (Rians et al, 1987; Blimkie, 1992, 1993; Faigenbaum and Kang, 2005), the contemporary research emphasizes the beneficial effect of youth RT for health, strength, and athletic performance (Sale, 1989; Webb, 1990; Faigenbaum et al, 1996, 2009; Falk and Tenenbaum, 1996; Payne et al, 1997; Golan et al, 1998; Hass et al, 2001; McNeely and Armstrong, 2002; Falk and Eliakim, 2003; American College of Sports Medicine, 2006; Faigenbaum, 2006; Malina, 2006; Behm et al, 2008; Granacher et al, 2016)
We reported positive SMDs if superiority of post values compared with pre-values was found
The 4 power training measures within our review used adolescents with only a trivial magnitude improvement compared to large magnitude improvements in all categories (0.88–1.35) with the 45 strength training measures (Figures 11, 12). This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis that compared the effects of strength vs. power training on measures of muscle strength, power, and speed in trained and untrained youth
Summary
In contrast to the prior myths of health concerns regarding resistance training (RT) for children (Rians et al, 1987; Blimkie, 1992, 1993; Faigenbaum and Kang, 2005), the contemporary research emphasizes the beneficial effect of youth RT for health, strength, and athletic performance (Sale, 1989; Webb, 1990; Faigenbaum et al, 1996, 2009; Falk and Tenenbaum, 1996; Payne et al, 1997; Golan et al, 1998; Hass et al, 2001; McNeely and Armstrong, 2002; Falk and Eliakim, 2003; American College of Sports Medicine, 2006; Faigenbaum, 2006; Malina, 2006; Behm et al, 2008; Granacher et al, 2016). There were far fewer RT studies that measured power capacities, which only provided small effects for adolescents and unclear effects of RT on improving power for children (Weltman et al, 1986; Faigenbaum et al, 1993, 2002, 2007b, 1996; Lillegard et al, 1997; Christou et al, 2006; Granacher et al, 2016). Other factors contributing to smaller effects of traditional strength/RT on measures of power in children could be the lack of training mode specificity (Sale and MacDougall, 1981; Behm and Sale, 1993; Behm, 1995) or perhaps maturation-related physiological limitations upon power training adaptations in children. Plyometric exercises involve jumping, hopping, and bounding exercises and throws that are performed quickly and explosively
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