Chaouachi et al found that plyometric training was >78% likely to elicit substantially better training adaptations than traditional RT for balance, isokinetic force at 60 and 300° • s(-1), isokinetic power at 300° • s(-1), and 5- and 20-m sprints (1).
Sohnlein et al found that the plyometric group showed significant improvement in most of sprinting, agility, and jumping, such as the twenty-meter sprint, agility test, and various jumping protocols (2).
Ozbar et al found that triple hop distance, countermovement jump, standing broad jump, peak power, and 20-m sprint test values were all significantly improved in the plyometric group, compared with the control group (3).
Berryman et al showed a significant improvement in the cost of running when performing plyometrics for eight weeks (4).
Raeder et al found that six weeks of medicine ball training led to a significant increase in throwing velocity (5).
Lockie et al found that plyometric training can improve acceleration (6).
Ramirez-Campillo et al found that plyometric training induced significant (p ≤ 0.05) and small to moderate standardized effect (SE) improvement in the CMJ (4.3%; SE = 0.20), RSI20 (22%; SE = 0.57), RSI40 (16%; SE = 0.37), MB5 (4.1%; SE = 0.28), Illinois agility test time (−3.5%, SE = −0.26), MKD (14%; SE = 0.53), 2.4-km time trial (−1.9%; SE = −0.27) performances but had a trivial and nonsignificant effect on 20-m sprint time (−0.4%; SE = −0.03) (7).
Chelly et al found that the introduction of biweekly plyometric training into the standard regimen improved components important to handball performance, particularly explosive actions, such as sprinting, jumping, and ball throwing velocity (8).
Newton et al found that the medicine ball group showed no significant increase in throwing velocity but did show a significant increase in strength (9).
1 Chaouachi A, et al. Olympic weightlifting and plyometric training with children provides similar or greater performance improvements than traditional resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Jun; 28(6): 1483-96.
2 Sohnlein Q, Muller E, Stoggl T. The effect of 16-week plyometric training on explosive actions in early to mid-puberty elite soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Aug; 28(8): 2105-2114.
3 Ozbar N, Ates S, Agopyan A. The effect of 8-week plyometric training on leg power, jump and sprint performance in female soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Oct; 28(10): 2888-2894.
4 Berryman N, Maurel D, Bosquet L. Effect of plyometric vs. dynamic weight training on the energy cost of running. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jul;24(7):1818-25.
5 Raeder C, Fernandez-Fernandez J, Ferrauti A. Effects of six weeks of medicine ball training on throwing velocity, throwing precision, and isokinetic strength of shoulder rotators in female handball players. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Jan.
6 Lockie RG, et al. Effects of sprint and plyometrics training on field sport acceleration technique. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Jul; 28(7): 1790-1801.
7 Ramirez-Campillo R, et al. Effects of In-Season Low-Volume High-Intensity Plyometric Training on Explosive Actions and Endurance of Young Soccer Players. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 May; 28(5): 1335-1342.
8 Chelly MS, et al. Effects of 8-Week In-season Plyometric Training on Upper and Lower Limb Performance of Elite Adolescent Handball Players. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 May; 28(5): 1401-1410.
9 Newton RU, McEvoy KI. Baseball throwing velocity:a comparison of medicine ball training and weight trianing. J Strength Cond Res. 1994 Aug.