SOURCE:

Faculty: Education
Department: Human Kinetics And Health Education

CONTRIBUTORS:

Uzor, T. N.
Agbanusi, E. C.
Ogu, O.C.

ABSTRACT:

Plyometric training is a form of specialised strength training that uses fast muscular contractions to improve power and speed in sports conditioning by coaches and athletes. Despite its useful role in sports conditioning programme, the information about plyometric training on the athletes cardiovascular system especially on Blood Pressure and Electrocardiogram (ECG) have not been established in the literature.The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of lower body plyometric training (LBPT) and upper body plyometric training (UBPT)on cardiovascular variables and ECG of athletes.The study was guided by sixteen research questions and eight null hypotheses. Quasi–experimental research design was adopted for the study.Seventy-two university male athletes constituted the population of the study.Thirty male athletes aged 18 to 24 years volunteered to participate in the study, but only twenty-three completed the study.The volunteered athletes were apparently healthy, physically active and free of any lower and upper extremity bone injuries for past one year and they had no medical or orthopedic injuries that may affect their participation in the study.Ten subjects each were purposively assigned to one of the three groups: LBPT,UBPT and Control (C).Training consisted of six plyometric exercises: lower (ankle hops, squat jumps, tuck jumps) and upper body plyometric training (push-ups, medicine ball-chest throws and side throws) with moderate intensity.The general data were collated and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 22.0).The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) was also used to test for the hypotheses.The results revealed that athletes who were trained using LBPT and UBPT had reduced Heart Rate, Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure, Mean Arterial Pressure, Rate Pressure Product and Electrocardiogram parameters better than the control group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) also showed that athletes who were trained using LBPT and UBPT indicated lack of significant differences following ten weeks plyometric training and those in the control group in all the parameters. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that coaches should include both LBPT and UBPT as part of athletes’ overall training programme from primary to tertiary institution to optimise performance as well as reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and promotes good healthy lifestyle.