Abstract:

This study investigated how an eight-week plyometric exercise training program modifies the muscular strength characteristic of ball game athletes in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and also determined differences in training effect by sports. The study adopted a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Pre-test (baseline) data were recorded before the plyometric training intervention was administered. Post-test data were recorded within 24hrs of the completion of the intervention. The study population was the ball game athletes of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. One hundred active ball game athletes were drawn from four ball games; football (n=25), volleyball (n=25), basketball (n=25), and handball (n=25), using the purposive sampling technique. Six instruments were used for data collection. Participants’ weight, height, and BMI were estimated with a digital BMI scale, blood pressure was recorded with an aneroid sphygmomanometer and skinfold thickness was measured with a Lange skinfold caliper, plyometric exercise training was conducted using a Plyo-Box, weight training exercises were performed using a multi-station weight training machine, the 8-week plyometric training intervention was guided by a structured training program. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, Student t-Test, and Two-way ANOVA were used to compare pre-test and post-test data and the effect of training among ball game athletes, with significance set at P < 0.05. The results showed that ball game athletes in Obafemi Awolowo University possessed a mean 1RM of 67.36 ± 8.31kg, and the mean of their upper-torso muscle was 32.68 ± 13.46kg and their lower-torso muscle was 160.45 ± 170.01kg strong. There were marked improvements in the strength of the targeted muscles after the eight-week plyometric training as significant gains were noticed in the post-test 1RM t= -3.59, p< 0.05, muscles of the upper torso t=-18.2, p<0.05, muscles of the lower-torso, calf muscle (t= -35.77, p<0.05), and the hip flexors, (t= -17.01, p<0.05). When the effect of the plyometric training program was compared among ball game athletes by sport, the result showed that volleyball players gained significantly more than other ball game athletes in the strength of upper-torso and lower-torso muscles (F= 503.96, p<0.05). The study concluded that eight-week plyometric exercise training produced a significant increase in the muscular strength of ball game athletes.

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