Effects of an Eight-Week Plyometric Training Program on Health-Related Physical Fitness Among Adamu Augie College of Education Argungu, Kebbi State, Nigeria

Background: Health-related physical fitness (HRPF) is a major determinant of chronic disease risk. Although plyometric training (PT) is commonly used to enhance athletic performance, its effectiveness in improving HRPF among non-athletic populations in sub-Saharan Africa remains underexplored.Purpose: To examine the effects of an eight-week plyometric training intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition among male college students. Methods: Forty apparently healthy male students (mean age = 21.95 ± 1.50 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 20) or control group (n = 20). The experimental group performed supervised plyometric training three times weekly for eight weeks. Outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Between-group differences in change scores were analyzed using independent t-tests. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: Significant improvements were observed in the experimental group for cardiorespiratory fitness (p < .001, d = 1.95), muscular endurance (p < .001, d = 2.10), flexibility (p < .001, d = 1.48), and BMI (p = .048, d = 0.42). Conclusion: Eight weeks of structured plyometric training significantly enhance multiple components of HRPF in young adult males and may serve as a scalable intervention in tertiary institutions.