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Effects of a minimal dose of plyometric training on the FITescola®

Armando Dalla Costa, Rafael Reimann Baptista, Clarissa Biehl Printes, Paulo Malico Sousa, Válter Pinheiro, Raynier Montoro · Human Movement · 2026

Researchers tested whether a very small dose of plyometric (jump) training, added to regular physical education, would improve fitness test scores in 80 students aged 11-13, compared with a control group doing PE as usual. The jumping group changed differently from the control group on all three tests measured: standing long jump, 4x10 m agility shuttle, and 40 m sprint, leading the authors to conclude that a minimal dose of plyometrics is a time-efficient way to boost neuromuscular performance in school-age kids.
Takeaway: Add a short, low-volume jump-training block to regular training sessions to improve jumping, sprinting, and agility without much extra time.
Abstract (source)

Purpose: The FITescola® was designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits, as well as to assess the neuromuscular fitness determinants to know the motor habits of Physical Education students in Portugal. However, to date, it is unclear how a neural training programme can affect FITescola® activities. This study aimed to examine the effects of a Minimal Dose of Plyometric Training (MDPT) on the

Results: obtained from the FITescola® test in adolescents between the ages of 11 and 13 years.

Methods: Eighty students were recruited for this study and randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (EG-P = 40) and a control group (CG = 40). The EG-P underwent a reduced plyometric training programme (PTP), while the CG continued their physical education classes systematically without any specific plyometric intervention. Before and after the programme, the 40 m sprint (V40), standing long jump (SLJ) and 4 × 10 m agility (AG4X10) were assessed.

Results The

Results The results showed significant group × time interactions for all variables, including SLJ [F(1,73) = 13.72, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.158], AG4X10 [F(1,73) = 29.31, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.286], and V40 [F(1,73) = 8.85, p = 0.004, η2p = 0.108], indicating that performance changes differed between the experimental and control groups.

Conclusions: Our

results suggest that MDPT may be an effective and time-efficient strategy to improve neuromuscular performance in school-age students. Therefore, its inclusion in physical education classes may be beneficial provided that the training guidelines described in this study are followed.

Primary studyOpen accessProgramming & Periodization
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