What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to compare the effects of weighted vests and elastic bands during plyometric jump training on volleyball players' physical performance.

March 7, 2026Frontiers in Physiology0 citationsOpen Access

Effects of weighted vests versus elastic bands plyometric jump training on lower-body physical performance adaptations in volleyball players

YBYichen Bao YQYuankai Qiao SYShuowen Yang

Key Points

The aim is to compare the effects of weighted vests and elastic bands during plyometric jump training on volleyball players' physical performance.
32 male volleyball players were randomly assigned to four groups (weighted vests, elastic bands, unloaded, control).
Participants performed an 8-week plyometric jump training intervention.
Physical performance was assessed using vertical jump, sprint, change of direction speed tests, and anaerobic power tests before and after training.
A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was applied to analyze performance differences.
All training groups showed significant physical performance improvements with effect sizes ranging from small to large.
Weighted vest training yielded greater leg press strength adaptations than elastic band training.
Elastic band training resulted in superior reactive strength index and anaerobic power improvements compared to weighted vest training.

Abstract

Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different plyometric jump training (PJT) loading strategies, using either weighted vests (WV) or elastic bands (EB), on the physical and physiological performance of young volleyball players. Methods Thirty-two male volleyball players participated in the study and were randomly assigned to WV-PJT (n = 8), EB-PJT (n = 8), unloaded PJT (UL-PJT, n = 8), and a control group (CG, n = 8). The players in the WV and EB groups performed PJT with resistance equivalent to 10% of body mass, while the UL group engaged in PJT without any additional loads. Moreover, the players in the CG only performed regular volleyball practice. Countermovement vertical jump (CMVJ), 10-m sprint, T-test change of direction speed (T-CODS), reactive strength index (RSI), 1 repetition maximum of leg press (1RM LP ), and Wingate anaerobic power tests were measured before and after the 8-week training period. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) (4 group x 2 time), followed by Bonferroni post hoc testing, was employed to identify any significant differences in pairwise comparisons. Results All training groups (i.e., WV-PJT, EB-PJT, and UL-PJT) showed significant improvements (p = 0.001) in physical and physiological performance outcomes, with effect sizes ranging from small to large over the training period. Both the WV-PJT and EB-PJT groups exhibited greater adaptive changes (p 0.05) compared to the UL-PJT group after the intervention. For the 1RM LP , the WV-PJT group demonstrated significantly greater adaptive responses (p = 0.011, standard mean difference SMD = 0.51, 95% CI = −0.51–1.48) than the EB-PJT group. Conversely, the EB-PJT group showed greater adaptations in the RSI (p = 0.041, SMD = 0.46, 95% CI = −0.53–1.45), as well as in peak power (p = 0.006, SMD = 0.49, 95% CI = −0.53–1.46) and mean power output (p = 0.017, SMD = 0.33, 95% CI = −0.67–1.30) compared to the WV-PJT group. Conclusion Loaded PJT is an effective method for producing greater adaptations in volleyball players. Specifically, WV-PJT is more beneficial for strength gains, while EB-PJT is superior for improving RSI and anaerobic power output.

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