Effects of plyometric vs. traditional resistance training on kick performance and anaerobic power in elite taekwondo athletes

Background: Taekwondo requires high-velocity kicking actions and repeated explosive efforts, which depend heavily on lower-body power and stretch-shortening cycle function. Plyometric training may offer greater improvements in these demands than traditional heavy-resistance training, but direct evidence in elite taekwondo athletes is limited.

Objective: This study compared the effects of 8 weeks of plyometric training and traditional resistance training on roundhouse kick performance, lower-body maximal strength, and anaerobic power in elite male taekwondo athletes.

Methods: Twenty-four elite male taekwondo athletes (age 18–24 years, body mass 58–68 kg) were randomly assigned to either a plyometric training group ( n = 12) or a traditional resistance training group ( n = 12). Elite status was defined as holding a National First-Class Athlete certification and having won a provincial championship or placed in the top three at a national-level competition. Both groups trained twice per week for 8 weeks in addition to their regular taekwondo training. Before and after the intervention, participants were assessed for squat one-repetition maximum (1RM), roundhouse kick speed, kick power, 20-second continuous kick repetitions, countermovement jump (CMJ) height, reactive strength index (RSI), and Wingate peak and mean power. Data were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results: Significant group × time interactions were observed for squat 1RM (F₁,₂₂ = 16.14, p = 0.001, partial η 2 = 0.423), kick speed (F₁,₂₂ = 42.99, p < 0.001, partial η 2 = 0.661), kick power (F₁,₂₂ = 35.46, p < 0.001, partial η 2 = 0.617), kick repetitions (F₁,₂₂ = 9.54, p = 0.005, partial η 2 = 0.303), CMJ height (F₁,₂₂ = 27.14, p < 0.001, partial η 2 = 0.552), RSI (F₁,₂₂ = 52.90, p < 0.001, partial η 2 = 0.706), and Wingate mean power (F₁,₂₂ = 125.56, p < 0.001, partial η 2 = 0.851). The PT group showed greater pre-to-post improvements than the RT group in these variables: squat 1RM (+5.83 vs. + 3.00 kg; 95% CI for between-group difference in change: 1.37 to 4.30 kg), kick speed (+0.44 vs. + 0.07 m/s; 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.49 m/s), kick power (+142.75 vs. + 58.58 N; 95% CI: 54.86 to 113.48 N), kick repetitions (+1.92 vs. + 0.91; 95% CI: 0.33 to 1.67), CMJ height (+1.72 vs. + 0.65 cm; 95% CI: 0.63 to 1.49 cm), RSI (+0.09 vs. + 0.03; 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.08), and Wingate mean power (+64.83 vs. + 26.33 W; 95% CI: 31.37 to 45.63 W). No significant group × time interaction was found for Wingate peak power ( p = 0.460). At post-intervention, RSI and kick repetitions were significantly higher in the PT group than in the RT group (both p = 0.007), whereas other variables did not differ significantly between groups.

Conclusion: Eight weeks of plyometric training resulted in greater pre-to-post improvements in roundhouse kick performance, reactive strength, and mean anaerobic power compared with traditional resistance training in elite male taekwondo athletes. These

Findings: should not be interpreted as evidence that plyometric training is universally superior, because several outcomes did not differ significantly between groups at post-intervention.