The Comparison of the Effect between Unilateral Plyometric and Bilateral Plyometric Training on Vertical Jump Height and Agility in Wushu among Adolescents

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of 6-weeks of unilateral plyometric training and bilateral plyometric training on vertical jump height and agility in Wushu among adolescents. A total of 30 wushu student athletes from SMJK Yu Hua Wushu Team with mean age of 14.97 ± 1.129 years old, height of 160.77 ± 4.25 cm and weight of 50.93 ± 7.90 kg were recruited in this study. The experimental group (n=10) participated in the unilateral plyometric group training and the second experimental group (n=10) participated in the bilateral plyometric group training whereas the control group (n=10) only participated in the regular wushu training session. The analysis of the result was done using paired sample t-test and one-way ANOVA Test. The vertical jump test and the Illinois agility test were used in the pre and post test phase. The experimental group who participated in the 6-week bilateral plyometric training showed significant difference in vertical jump height compared to control group (p=0.03). For agility test, all three groups showed improvement but only the bilateral group had a better rate of improvement. The outcome of the result suggested that the male and female subjects should be separated evenly before the training and future research should include students from different schools. Lastly, some exercise drills that involve in twisting and turning should be included in the training programme.