Effects of Plyometric Training on Physical Fitness in Male Basketball Players: A Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE: To perform a meta-analysis of the effects of plyometric training on the physical performance of male basketball players.METHODS: The Google Scholar, PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched for relevant studies published between 2016 and 2024. Subsequently, a meta-analysis was performed on variables extracted from 19 studies that corresponded to the study design.RESULTS: The effect of plyometric training on the physical fitness of male basketball players, divided into 2 groups (≥7 and <7 weeks), revealed that countermovement jump (0.55), vertical jump (1.05) and T–change of direction test (-1.30) had greater effects after 7 weeks, whereas Illinois agility test (-1.39), 20 m sprint test (-0.85) demonstrated greater effects in <6 weeks.CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that plyometric training can effectively enhance game-related physical abilities in adult male basketball players. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the effects are particularly pronounced when the training duration is considered during the design of a plyometric training program.