Weighted vs Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning on Vertical Jump Performance in Young Male Soccer Players

NCT07755345 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: PAPE-PLYO-2025-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Explosive lower-limb power is essential for soccer performance and contributes to jumping, sprinting, and rapid changes of direction. Plyometric exercises are commonly used during warm-up to improve neuromuscular readiness and may enhance subsequent athletic performance through post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE). However, it remains unclear whether adding external load during plyometric conditioning provides greater benefits than performing the same exercises without additional load. The purpose of this study is to compare the acute effects of weighted and unweighted plyometric conditioning on vertical jump performance in young male soccer players. Participants complete two experimental sessions separated by 48 hours. In one session, they perform a standardized single-leg plyometric protocol without external load, and in the other session they perform the same protocol while wearing a weighted vest equivalent to 10% of their body mass. Vertical jump height is assessed before exercise and at several time points after the conditioning activity to examine the time course of performance changes. The findings of this study are expected to improve understanding of the optimal use of weighted plyometric conditioning during warm-up and provide practical guidance for coaches and sports practitioners seeking to maximize explosive performance before training and competition.

Conditions

Plyometric Exercise; Soccer Players; Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE); Vertical Jump Performance

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Vertical Jump Height

  Vertical jump height (cm) measured before the plyometric conditioning protocol (baseline) and at 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after weighted and unweighted plyometric conditioning.

  Baseline, 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after each intervention session

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Area Under the Curve (AUC) of Vertical Jump Performance

  Immediately after completion of each intervention session

• Performance Slope

  Immediately after completion of each intervention session

• Peak Vertical Jump Height

  15 seconds to 8 minutes after each intervention session

• Time to Peak Performance

  15 seconds to 8 minutes after each intervention session

Study Arms (2)

Weighted Plyometric Conditioning

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants performed a standardized single-leg plyometric conditioning protocol while wearing a weighted vest equivalent to 10% of their body mass. Vertical jump performance was assessed at baseline and at 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after the conditioning activity.

Behavioral: Weighted Plyometric Conditioning

Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants performed the same standardized single-leg plyometric conditioning protocol without external load. Vertical jump performance was assessed at baseline and at 15 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 8 minutes after the conditioning activity.

Behavioral: Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning

Interventions

Weighted Plyometric Conditioning BEHAVIORAL

Participants completed three sets of ten single-leg plyometric repetitions while wearing a weighted vest corresponding to 10% of their body mass. Sessions were separated by 48 hours, and jump performance was measured before and after the conditioning protocol.

Weighted Plyometric Conditioning

Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning BEHAVIORAL

Participants completed the identical single-leg plyometric conditioning protocol without external load. Vertical jump performance was measured before and after the conditioning protocol using the same assessment schedule.

Unweighted Plyometric Conditioning

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy male soccer players aged 18 to 30 years.
• Actively participating in organized soccer training.
• Minimum of 2 years of structured plyometric training experience.
• Competing at the regional development league level.
• Free from lower-limb musculoskeletal injury during the previous 4 months.
• Able to perform maximal jumping tasks.
• Provided written informed consent prior to participation.

You may not qualify if:

• History of lower-extremity surgery within the previous year.
• Current lower-limb pain or discomfort during jumping activities.
• Neurological, cardiovascular, or orthopedic disorders affecting neuromuscular performance.
• Use of performance-enhancing substances.
• Failure to comply with study procedures or testing instructions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul Gelisim University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Istanbul Gelisim University

Istanbul, Istanbul, 34290, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Ress. Asst.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2026
• First Posted: August 10, 2026
• Study Start: March 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2025
• Study Completion: April 30, 2025
• Last Updated: August 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Locations

TU (1)