Plyometric training effectiveness on vertical jump in junior female volleyball players: a systematic review

Modern volleyball mainly relies on the explosive power of the lower extremities to reach maximum height when specific actions that require jumping need to be performed: spiking, blocking, jump set and jump serve. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the effects/effectiveness of plyometric training on vertical jump height in junior female volleyball players. The search was performed in the PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect databases. The selection included randomised and non-randomised controlled studies that were published in the last 30 years, used samples of junior female volleyball players (aged 10-19) and incorporated plyometric training performed for at least 2 weeks to develop vertical jump; in the reviewed studies, vertical jump height was measured using the squat jump, countermovement jump or drop jump. Analysis of the 14 selected studies highlighted that the effects of plyometric training on vertical jump performance were moderate when the intervention lasted about 4-6 weeks and considerably improved when plyometric training lasted over 8 weeks. In conclusion, regardless of the duration or volume of the intervention, plyometric training seems to be safe and effective but not always sufficient to improve vertical jump height in junior female volleyball players. However, we believe that further studies are needed to determine the potentially moderating effects of age, gender and expertise level, taking into account the physical parameters specific to the development of vertical jump in junior female volleyball players through plyometric training.