The effects of plyometric training with additional weight applied to football athletes-students on some physical and physiological features and chronic muscle damage

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of plyometric training with additional weight on physical performance and muscle damage findings in faculty of sports sciences athlete-students. Physical performance tests and blood samples of the athlete-students (male 23.41 ± 3.2 years old) were collected both from sample and the control groups at the first week of the study and at the last training of the twelfth week. During the study, plyometric training programs were applied to the additional weight group (AWG) and no additional weight group (AG). By the end of first and twelfth week, players’ BMI and body fat percentage tests were applied together with the physical tests of shuttle, yoyo, vertical jump, horizontal jump, agility and sprint performance tests. Blood samples were also taken to check muscle damage control markers (CK and LDH). Results: According to the results of tests performed at the end of first and twelfth weeks’ plyometric trainings on group with additional weight group (AWG), shuttle, yoyo and horizontal jumping were found to be significantly increased, while sprint performance, BMI and body fat performance tests were significantly decreased. The test results of the group without additional weight (AG) was; significant increase in shuttle, yoyo and vertical jump while significant decrease in sprint performance and fat %. By the end of twelve week plyometric trainings, no muscle damage has been observed in (AWG), CK pre-training (229,00 ± 155,25) and post training values (242,33 ± 193,67) and LDH pre-training (169,75 ± 40,85) and post-training (174,33 ± 39,12) values. As a result of the study, 12-week plyometric training with additional weight applied to football athletes-students not only increased their physical performance, but also muscle damage (CK and LDH) was not observed.