Functional and Performance Effects of a 4-week Weightlifting Program in Highly Trained Adolescent Basketball Athletes

University of Valencia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Athletic Injuries

Treatments: Other: Exercise training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05824780

UV-INV_ETICA-1523453

Details and patient eligibility

About

Weightlifting is an increasingly used intervention in the sport field to improve both function and performance outcomes. However, the effects in a pediatric and adolescent population are not well described, and require further research to elucidate the benefits and potential adverse effects compared to other strength training methods, such as plyometric training.

Full description

Highly trained male and female adolescent basketball athletes aged 12-16 years will be recruited for the study. Participants will be randomly assigned to a 4-week program (12 sessions) of weightlifting or plyometric training. The training programs will be identical in sets and repetitions, progressively evolving each week towards fewer sets and fewer repetitions. The training intensity will be the same in both groups, calculated from the RM, starting at 70% in the first week and progressing by 5% each week until a final intensity of 85% in the last week. Therefore, both interventions evolve towards sessions with fewer sets and repetitions and higher loads.

The weightlifting intervention refers to the performance of highly technical and explosive multi-joint strength exercises. The program consists of six basic weightlifting maneuvers (hang power clean, overhead squat, hang power snatch, clean, split jerk, snatch), two of which are performed in each of the three weekly sessions. The order of execution of the exercises in the weekly sessions is always the same. To ensure the correct execution of the maneuvers, before starting the intervention, a brief familiarization program will be carried out. This consists of an explanation of the exercises by the research staff and practice by the participants with simultaneous correction.

The plyometric program follows the same structure, consisting in a total of 6 exercises (Max countermovement jump, double leg side jump, maximum squat jump, dropjump (20cm), single leg hurdle jump, doble leg multi hop) performed in groups of 2 for each weekly training session.

The design of the intervention program is based on previously published related articles.Training sessions will be supervised by a member of the research team with expertise in strength and conditioning in basketball athletes.

Enrollment: 46 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 16 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy highly-trained basketball athletes

Exclusion criteria

• Current injury or complaining limiting sports activity
• No histoy of injury receiving non-operative treatment in the last 3 months
• No history of injury receiving operative treatment in the last 9 months
• Subjects who have previously carried out weightlifting training for at least 4 weeks of duration.
• Subjects physically unable to perform a strength training program

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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46 participants in 2 patient groups

Weigthlifting

Experimental group

Description:

It consists of a 4-week strength training program based on weightlifting. Participants received previously education-training program on how to correctly perform the technique.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise training

Plyometric training

Active Comparator group

Description:

It consists of a 4-week strength training program based on plyometric exercises.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise training