Effect of a 6 Week Plyometric Training Program on Agility, Vertical Jump Height and Peak Torque Ratio of Indian Taekwondo Players.
Plyometrics are training techniques used by athletes in all types of sports to increase strength and explosiveness. Plyometrics consists of a rapid stretching of a muscle (eccentric action) immediately followed by a concentric or shortening action of the same muscle and connective tissue. Researchers have shown that plyometric training, when used with a periodized strength-training program, can contribute to improvements in vertical jump performance, acceleration, leg strength, muscular power, increased joint awareness, and overall proprioception.
Agility is the ability to maintain or control body position while quickly changing direction during a series of movements. Performance is often dependent upon the athlete’s jumping ability during offensive and defensive skills.
The most common sports in which one’s vertical jump is measured are track and field, basketball, football and volley ball, taekwondo. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 6-week plyometric training program on agility, vertical jump height and peak torque ratio of Indian taekwondo players.
All subjects agreed not to change or increase their current exercise habits during the course of the study. The plyometric exercises group participated in a 6-week exercises program performing a variety of plyometric exercises designed for the lower extremity (Table 1), while the control group did not participate in any plyometric exercises.
Use of plyometrics can improve strength and explosiveness while working to become more agile. In addition, our results support that improvements in agility can occur in as little as 6 weeks of plyometric training which can be useful during the last preparatory phase before in-season competition for athletes.
Sport Exerc Med Open J. 2015; 1(2): 42-46. doi: 10.17140/SEMOJ-1-107
