Effect of 6-week Land-based Plyometric Training versus Regular Basketball Training on Lower Limb Injury Incidence among Basketball Players

Background and Purpose Injuries to the lower limbs are prevalent among basketball players, frequently affecting their performance and longevity. Plyometric training has been demonstrated to improve athletic performance. Therefore, this study examines the effects of 6 weeks of land-based plyometric training compared to regular basketball training on player performance and the incidence of lower limb injuries. Material and methods A randomized trial was adopted in which forty basket players (N=40) aged 18-25 were randomized into two groups of 20 each using a simple randomization technique. The subjects of the land-based plyometric training (LBPT) group received a 10-minute warm-up exercise, 40 minutes of land-based plyometric exercise followed by 10 minutes of cooling period, while the regular basketball training (RBT) group received only regular basketball training for 60 minutes. The intervention lasted three days per week for six weeks. To examine the effectiveness of the interventions, three variables were evaluated: participants' speed (Agility T-test), power (Vertical Jump test), and overuse injury (Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC-H) Questionnaire. The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks and Mann-Whitney Test were employed to assess the pre- and post-mean differences within and between the groups. Results There was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in agility (9.57±0.69) and vertical jump (50.70±3.52), along with a reduction in players' injuries after a 6-week plyometric training compared with regular basketball training. Conclusions Subjects in both LBPT and RBT significantly improved agility and vertical jump performance and reduced the occurrence and severity of lower limb injuries following 6 weeks of training. However, LBPT improves better than RBT in enhancing agility, vertical jump performance, and reducing injury incidence among basketball players.