Comparable effects of aqua-plyometric and land-based plyometric training on kicking distance in football players

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. Kicking distance is a component of football performance and depends on lower-limb explosive power generated through the stretch-shortening cycle. Land-based plyometric training is used to develop this quality, whereas aqua-plyometric training provides a lower-impact alternative by reducing landing forces through water buoyancy while preserving the stretch-shortening stimulus. Although both training modalities are used to develop lower-limb explosive performance, their relative effectiveness in improving kicking distance remains a matter of practical interest. This study aimed to determine the effect of a six-week aqua-plyometric training programme on kicking distance in football players and to compare its effectiveness with traditional land-based plyometric training.

Materials and Methods. Thirty male football players from Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, North-East Regional Centre, Guwahati, Assam, recruited via convenience sampling, were randomly divided into two equal groups: Group A, which performed aqua-plyometric exercises in water up to chest height, and Group B, which performed traditional land-based plyometric exercises. Both groups trained three times a week for six weeks. Kicking distance was assessed pre- and post-intervention on a standardized 60 × 15 m grid, with the best of three trials recorded. Paired-samples t-tests examined pre- to post-test changes in the pooled sample and separately within each group. A one-way ANCOVA, with the pre-test score as a covariate, examined the between-group difference in post-test scores.

Results. In the pooled sample, mean kicking distance increased from 40.9 m at pre-test to 42.0 m at post-test (t(29) = −4.43, p < .001, d = −0.809). Group A showed an increase from 41.4 m to 42.8 m (t(14) = −4.64, p < .001, d = −1.20), whereas Group B showed an increase from 40.4 m to 41.1 m that did not reach statistical significance (t(14) = −2.05, p = .060, d = −0.529). After adjustment for pre-test scores, no statistically significant between-group difference in post-test kicking distance was observed (F(1, 26) = 2.11, p = .158, partial η² = 0.075).

Conclusions. Aqua-plyometric training can be used as an alternative to land-based plyometric training for developing kicking distance in football players. Its lower-impact training environment may be considered when reducing mechanical loading during plyometric exercise is required. The relative effects of aqua-plyometric and land-based training should not be interpreted as evidence of equivalence between the two modalities.