STUDY REVIEW: The impact of plyometrics and aqua plyometrics on the lower extremities explosive strength in children aged 11-15
Study reviewed by XPT Assistant Performance Director, Mark Roberts
As we look at this study we see that there were no significant differences in performance with the kids in the water compared to the kids on land.
However, we do see a couple of interesting things that are good takeaways:
There were less aches and pains reported by the kids that were training in the water, thus indicating that we can receive the same increased performance, with a reduced risk of injury and post session soreness.
This is a fun environment to train in, especially if you are a teenage boy! This can help keep athletes of a younger nature engaged in a training program without affecting overall performance
There was one area in which we saw no change after the 6-week program from the participants: this was in acceleration/velocity. This came down to the density of the water and the reduced eccentric phase of movement, meaning that as the boys were landing, the speed at which they turned the deceleration into acceleration was slower due to the water. This means that the water should not be used to increase maximal speed in athletes, or to improve continuous explosive movements, a sprint for example.
Overall, this is a good study to help us keep a level head when it comes to training, and to highlight the fact that everything must have a thoughtful prescription when it comes to programming.
Link to full study: http://fsprm.mk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Pages-from-RIK-_1_2015_za-email-25.pdf