Effect of plyometric training on change of direction ability in elite field hockey players

Introduction: Field hockey is a sport that is often characterised by its repeated short bursts of speed and rapid change of direction and agility manoeuvres. Strength and Conditioning professionals working in team sports such as hockey are constantly searching for the most effective methods of enhancing the speed and change of direction ability of their athletes. The present study compared the effects of a plyometric drop-jump protocol with an emphasis on the eccentric portion of the exercise (H-L) with a more traditional drop-jump protocol (L-H) on short distance sprint and change of direction (COD) performance in elite field hockey players. Methods: The study design was a parallel-grouped randomised control trial. Two variations of the drop-jump exercise were performed by 17 elite field hockey players (23 ± 2.4 yr, 176 ± 7.6 cm, 73 ± 8.5 kg, 45 ± 43 international caps; mean ± SD) twice weekly for a duration of six weeks. Sprint times over 10 m and 20 m, as well as 505 time were assessed in the weeks immediately prior and following the intervention. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to compare within and between groups across the two time points. Results: Significant improvement was displayed by the H-L group in 10 m sprint time from baseline to post training (1.894 ± 0.082 pre vs 1.845 ± 0.063 post). The H-L group also showed an improvement in 505 time (2.318 ± 0.051 pre vs 2.287 ± 0.071 post), although this did not reach statistical significance. The L-H group did not improve on any performance outcomes. Conclusion: Plyometric drop-jump training performed with an eccentric emphasis may be more effective than traditional drop-jump training for improving speed and COD performance over short distances in elite level hockey players. Strength and conditioning practitioners working with highly trained athletes in sports similar to hockey may want to consider this new approach to plyometric training. Future research into the effectiveness of plyometric training performed with an emphasis on the eccentric portion of the exercise is required to further the evidence on this topic. In particular, the effectiveness of this type of training across a variety of plyometric exercises, including those performed unilaterally and horizontally, should be investigated, as well as the precise physiological and biomechanical mechanisms underlying the observed changes in performance.