Sprint and explosive performance changes following six weeks of plyometric training in collegiate track and field athlete
Keywords:
Plyometric training, sprint performance, vertical jump, explosive performance, collegiate athletesAbstract
Background: Plyometric training is widely used to improve explosive athletic performance, including sprint and jumping performance. However, evidence from collegiate track and field athletes remains limited, particularly for short-duration training programmes. Objectives: This study examined changes in 30-m sprint performance and vertical jump performance following a six-week plyometric training programme among collegiate track and field athletes. Methods: A one-group pretest–posttest design was used. Twenty collegiate track and field athletes from Universitas Bina Bangsa, Indonesia, participated in a six-week plyometric training programme consisting of three supervised sessions per week. Sprint performance was assessed using a 30-m sprint test, while vertical jump performance was used as an indicator of lower-limb explosive performance. Results: Mean 30-m sprint time decreased from 4.82 ± 0.31 s at pretest to 4.54 ± 0.28 s at posttest, representing a 0.28-s reduction (5.8%), with a statistically significant difference, t(19) = −5.62, p < .001, and a large within-participant effect size (Cohen’s dz = 1.27). Mean vertical jump height increased from 45.30 ± 4.12 cm to 49.85 ± 4.37 cm, representing a 4.55 cm increase (10.0%), also statistically significant, t(19) = 6.18, p < 0.001, with a large effect size (Cohen’s dz = 1.38). Conclusion: Six weeks of supervised plyometric training were associated with improvements in 30-m sprint and vertical jump performance among collegiate track and field athletes. However, because the study did not include a control group or random allocation, the observed improvements cannot be attributed exclusively to the plyometric intervention.
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Author Biographies
Pardiman, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Bina Bangsa, Banten, Indonesia
Sri Wicahyani, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
Septian Williyanto, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Sport and Health Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
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Accepted 2026-08-19
Published 2026-08-30
