Plyometric training and explosive strength improvement: Experimental study in children and youth from Maputo, Mozambique

The main controversies related to the participation of children and young people in strength training programs are related to the lack of appropriateness of these training sessions, qualified supervision and the correct teaching of the techniques. This scientific gap concerns the use of the plyometric model for sports initiation. For the context of Maputo, Mozambique; and with the purpose of searching for intervention models that influence the development of explosive strength: the effect of the 8-week plyometric training program on the development of explosive strength in pubertal children is analyzed. The study involved 60 pubertal children, divided into two groups according to group and sex. These children underwent anthropometric tests. Explosive strength was evaluated through battery tests of Horizontal Jump, running-based anaerobic spring test, and Vertical Jump; with the method of jumping with counter movement. The data was analyzed with the statistical program SPSS, 21.0, with a significance level of 5%. Additionally, inferential Student's t tests of paired measures and Analysis of Variance were applied to evaluate the results of the somatic variables and the parameters of explosive force, in the Pre and Post-test. As a result, a significant effect of the plyometric training program was observed, with statistically significant results in all the force evaluation parameters in the experimental group. It provided an improvement in the somatic variables of physical fitness, without exposing young children to injuries.