Bouteraa, I, Negra, Y, Shephard, RJ, and Chelly, MS. Effects of combined balance and plyometric training on athletic performance in female basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 34(7): 1967–1973, 2020—The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 8 weeks combined balance and plyometric training on the physical fitness of female adolescent basketball players. Twenty-six healthy regional-level players were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (E; n = 16, age = 16.4 ± 0.5) or a control group (C; n = 10, age = 16.5 ± 0.5). C maintained their normal basketball training schedule, whereas for 8 weeks E replaced a part of their standard regimen by biweekly combined training sessions. Testing before and after training included the squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ), 5-, 10-, and 20-m sprints, Stork balance test (SBT), Y-balance test (YBT) and modified Illinois change of direction test (MICODT). Results indicated no significant intergroup differences in SJ and CMJ height; however, E increased their DJ height (p < 0.05, Cohens'd = 0.11). No significant intergroup differences were found for sprint performance or SBT, but dynamic YBT tended to a significant group interaction (p = 0.087, d = 0.006). Post hoc analysis also showed a significant increase of MICODT for E (Δ 6.68%, p = 0.041, d = 0.084). In summary, the addition of 8 weeks of balance and plyometric training to regular in-season basketball training proved a safe and feasible intervention that enhanced DJ height, balance, and agility for female adolescent basketball players relative to the standard basketball training regimen.

Negra, Y, Chaabene, H, Hammami, M, Amara, S, Sammoud, S, Mkaouer, B, and Hachana, Y. Agility in young athletes: is it a different ability from speed and power? J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 727–735, 2017—Agility is an important physical attribute for successful participation in team sports events. Illinois agility test (IAT) and T-test have been widely used within adult team sports players to assess agility performance. The purposes of this investigation are (a) to study the reliability and the sensitivity of both IAT and T-test scores and (b) to explore to what extend the agility is an independent physical ability from speed time and jumping ability. Competitive-level young soccer (n = 95) and handball players (n = 92) participated in this study (i.e., approximately 12 years old). Reliability analyses were established by determining intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC_(3,1)) and typical error of measurement (TEM). The sensitivity of agility tests was revealed by comparing TEM to the value of the smallest worthwhile change (SWC). The second aim was examined by means of the principal component analysis. Results revealed that the scores of both IAT and T-test showed a high reliability (all ICC_(3,1) > 0.90 and TEM < 5%) and sensitivity (all TEM < SWC). Principal component analysis resulted in one significant component for the soccer and handball group each that explained 72.18 and 80.16% of the total variance, respectively. Significant relationships were recorded between all the selected tests (r = −0.72 to 0.85, p < 0.001). Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that both IAT and T-test provided reliable and sensitive scores. Therefore, these tests could be strongly recommended to evaluate agility within young male competitive-level team sports athletes. In addition, it seems that agility, speed time, and jumping ability assess the same physical attribute in young competitive-level team sports players.

Background: Change-of-direction (CoD) speed is a physical fitness attribute in many field-based team and individual sports. To date, no systematic review with meta-analysis available has examined the effects of resistance training (RT) on CoD speed in youth and adults. Objective: To aggregate the effects of RT on CoD speed in youth and young physically active and athletic adults, and to identify the key RT programme variables for training prescription. Data sources: A systematic literature search was conducted with PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with no date restrictions, up to October 2019, to identify studies related to the effects of RT on CoD speed. Study Eligibility Criteria: Only controlled studies with baseline and follow-up measures were included if they examined the effects of RT (i.e., muscle actions against external resistances) on CoD speed in healthy youth (8–18 years) and young physically active/athletic male or female adults (19–28 years). Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods: A random-effects model was used to calculate weighted standardised mean differences (SMD) between intervention and control groups. In addition, an independent single training factor analysis (i.e., RT frequency, intensity, volume) was undertaken. Further, to verify if any RT variable moderated effects on CoD speed, a multivariate random-effects meta-regression was conducted. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro) scale. Results: Fifteen studies, comprising 19 experimental groups, were included. The methodological quality of the studies was acceptable with a median PEDro score of 6. There was a significant large effect size of RT on CoD speed across all studies (SMD = − 0.82 [− 1.14 to − 0.49]). Subgroup analyses showed large effect sizes on CoD speed in males (SMD = − 0.95) contrasting with moderate improvements in females (SMD = − 0.60). There were large effect sizes on CoD speed in children (SMD = − 1.28) and adolescents (SMD = − 1.21) contrasting with moderate effects in adults (SMD = − 0.63). There was a moderate effect in elite athletes (SMD = − 0.69) contrasting with a large effect in subelite athletes (SMD = − 0.86). Differences between subgroups were not statistically significant. Similar improvements were observed regarding the effects of independently computed training variables. In terms of RT frequency, our results indicated that two sessions per week induced large effects on CoD speed (SMD = − 1.07) while programmes with three sessions resulted in moderate effects (SMD = − 0.53). For total training intervention duration, we observed large effects for ≤ 8 weeks (SMD = − 0.81) and > 8 weeks (SMD = − 0.85). For single session duration, we found large effects for ≤ 30 min and ≥ 45 min (both SMD = − 1.00). In terms of number of training sessions, we identified large effects for ≤ 16 sessions (SMD = − 0.83) and > 16 sessions (SMD = − 0.81). For training intensity, we found moderate effects for light-to-moderate (SMD = − 0.76) and vigorous-to-near maximal intensities (SMD = − 0.77). With regards to RT type, we observed large effects for free weights (SMD = − 0.99) and machine-based training (SMD = − 0.80). For combined free weights and machine-based training, moderate effects were identified (SMD = − 0.77). The meta-regression outcomes showed that none of the included training variables significantly predicted the effects of RT on CoD speed (R² = 0.00). Conclusions: RT seems to be an effective means to improve CoD speed in youth and young physically active and athletic adults. Our findings indicate that the impact of RT on CoD speed may be more prominent in males than in females and in youth than in adults. Additionally, independently computed single factor analyses for different training variables showed that higher compared with lower RT intensities, frequencies, and volumes appear not to have an advantage on the magnitude of CoD speed improvements. In terms of RT type, similar improvements were observed following machine-based and free weights training.

This study aimed to examine the effect of 9 weeks of concurrent resistance training (CRT) between resistance on dry land (bench press (BP) and medicine ball throw) and resistance in water (water parachute and hand paddles) on muscle strength, sprint swimming performance and kinematic variables compared by the usual training (standard in-water training). Twenty-two male competitive swimmers participated in this study and were randomly allocated to two groups. The CRT group (CRTG, age = 16.5 ± 0.30 years) performed a CRT program, and the control group (CG, age = 16.1 ± 0.32 years) completed their usual training. The independent variables were measured pre- and post-intervention. The findings showed that the one-repetition maximum bench press (1RM BP) was improved only after a CRT program (d = 2.18; +12.11 ± 1.79%). Moreover, all sprint swimming performances were optimized in the CRT group (d = 1.3 to 2.61; −4.22 ± 0.18% to −7.13 ± 0.23%). In addition, the findings revealed an increase in velocity and stroke rate (d = 1.67, d = 2.24; 9.36 ± 2.55%, 13.51 ± 4.22%, respectively) after the CRT program. The CRT program improved the muscle strength, which, in turn, improved the stroke rate, with no change in the stroke length. Then, the improved stroke rate increased the swimming velocity. Ultimately, a faster velocity leads to better swim performances.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the effect of flywheel resistance training (FRT) versus traditional resistance training (TRT) on change of direction (CoD) performance in male athletes. Methods: Five databases were screened up to December 2021. Results: Seven studies were included. The results indicated a significantly larger effect of FRT compared with TRT (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.64). A within-group comparison indicated a significant large effect of FRT on CoD performance (SMD = 1.63). For TRT, a significant moderate effect was observed (SMD = 0.62). FRT of ≤2 sessions/week resulted in a significant large effect (SMD = 1.33), whereas no significant effect was noted for >2 sessions/week. Additionally, a significant large effect of ≤12 FRT sessions (SMD = 1.83) was observed, with no effect of >12 sessions. Regarding TRT, no significant effects of any of the training factors were detected (p > 0.05). Conclusions: FRT appears to be more effective than TRT in improving CoD performance in male athletes. Independently computed single training factor analyses for FRT indicated that ≤2 sessions/week resulted in a larger effect on CoD performance than >2 sessions/week. Additionally, a total of ≤12 FRT sessions induced a larger effect than >12 training sessions. Practitioners in sports, in which accelerative and decelerative actions occur in quick succession to change direction, should regularly implement FRT.