Effects of Plyometric Training on Physical Performance: An Umbrella Review

Abstract Background Plyometric training can be performed through many types of exercises involving the stretch-shortening cycle in lower limbs. In the last decades, a high number of studies have investigated the effects of plyometric training on several outcomes in different populations. Objectives To systematically review, summarize the findings, and access the quality of published meta-analyses investigating the effects of plyometric training on physical performance. Design Systematic umbrella review of meta-analyses. Data Sources Meta-analyses were identified using a systematic literature search in the databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scielo. Eligibility Criteria for Selecting Meta-analyses Meta-analyses that examined the effects of plyometric training on physical fitness in different populations, age groups, and sex. Results Twenty-nine meta-analyses with moderate-to-high methodological quality were included in this umbrella review. We identified a relevant weakness in the current literature, in which five meta-analyses included control group comparisons, while 24 included pre-to-post-effect sizes. Trivial-to-large effects were found considering the effects of plyometric training on physical performance for healthy individuals, medium-trivial effects for the sports athletes’ groups and medium effects for different sports athletes’ groups, age groups, and physical performance. Conclusion The available evidence indicates that plyometric training improves most related physical fitness parameters and sports performance. However, it is important to outline that most meta-analyses included papers lacking a control condition. As such, the results should be interpreted with caution. PROSPERO number: CRD42020217918.