Effects of resisted movement training on change-of-direction speed in recreationally active and trained individuals: A systematic review with network meta-analysis and meta-regression

BACKGROUND: The ability to change directions quickly is critical for performance and injury prevention in multidirectional sports, yet the influence of resisted movement training (R-MT) on change-of-direction (COD) speed remains uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of various R-MT methods on COD speed in individuals ranging from recreational to international level and to determine the relationship between test angle and COD adaptations. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google scholar from inception to August 2025. Random-effects pairwise meta-analyses and a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) synthesized effects of vertically resisted plyometric and sprint training (e.g., wearing of weighted vests), horizontally resisted sprint training (e.g., sleds), and combined modalities. Probabilistic rankings were determined using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Meta-regression assessed the moderating role of the COD test angle (0-180°). RESULTS: Twenty-four studies (n = 744) met the pre-specified inclusion criteria. R-MT improved COD speed (Hedges'g = -0.28, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): -0.40 to -0.16) compared to active controls. Within-exercise comparisons showed R-MT outperformed unresisted modalities (g = -0.22, 95%CI: -0.41 to -0.03). NMA ranked vertically resisted plyometric training highest (SUCRA = 93.0%), followed by vertically resisted sprint training (SUCRA = 80.7%). Furthermore, meta-regression revealed no specific effects related to the turning angle applied during COD tests, suggesting that training adaptations generalize across the 0-180° range. CONCLUSION: Overall, R-MT has the potential to meaningfully enhance COD speed in recreationally active and trained individuals, with vertically resisted plyometric training showing the greatest probability for COD improvements. Training-induced adaptations seem to be independent of the magnitude of the turning angle during COD tests.