The impact of microdosed plyometric training on speed and explosive abilities of football players during the pre-season
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Peer-reviewed scientific article |
| Magazine / Source | BMC SPORTS SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13102-026-01556-5 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-01556-5 |
| Keywords | Microdosing; Plyometric training; Youth football; Reactive strength index; Countermovement jump; Sprint |
| Description | Background Microdosed training distributes a given training stimulus into shorter, more frequent sessions. This study investigated whether a microdosed plyometric program produces similar adaptations to a traditional plyometric program when the total number of plyometric contacts is closely matched in elite youth football players. Methods In this quasi-experimental, two-group study, twenty-four elite U19 players were allocated to a traditional training group (TRG, n=12, 2 sessions·week-1, ~40 min·session-1) or a microdosed group (MDG, n=12, 3–4 sessions·week-1, ~20 min·session-1). Allocation was nonrandomized and matched on countermovement jump (CMJ) height and modified reactive strength index (RSI mod) from a drop jump (DJ), with standing broad jump (SBJ) used as a tiebreaker. Total plyometric contact volume was closely matched over an 8-week intervention. Primary outcomes were 30 m sprint mechanical outputs (1080 Sprint: peak speed, peak force, peak power), DJ RSI mod, and CMJ metrics. Secondary outcomes were the 15–0–5 change of direction (CoD) test outputs (time, acceleration, and deceleration), and SBJ. Within-group pre–post changes were tested using paired t-tests and between-group comparisons using independent t-tests on change scores (?=0.05). Nonparametric tests were conducted as sensitivity analyses. Effect sizes are reported as absolute Hedges’ g (|g|). Results Primary outcomes improved in both groups: DJ RSI mod increased by 14.3% (TRG) and 12.5% (MDG), CMJ height by 4.5% and 9.6%, and 30 m sprint peak speed by 2.3% and 2.5% (within-group |g| = 0.02–1.09). Secondary outcomes were mixed across SBJ and 15–0–5 metrics (within-group |g| = 0.00–1.17). Between-group comparisons of change scores showed no evidence of differences (all p>0.05). Conclusions With closely matched total plyometric contacts, analyses showed no evidence that short-term adaptations differed between microdosed scheduling and a two-session format in U19 players. Microdosing may allow the same weekly dose to be delivered in shorter, more frequent sessions when scheduling is constrained. |