Investigation of acute and chronic effects of 4-week plyometric training on reactive strength in taekwondo practitioners

This research aims to examine the effects of plyometric training applied to taekwondo athletes on reactive strength, both in the short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic). The population of the research consists of athletes aged 14-18 who actively compete in taekwondo at taekwondo clubs in Turkey. The sample of the research was composed of 22 athletes aged 14-18, who actively compete in taekwondo in Aksaray province. In the study, a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test control groups was used. The experimental group performed plyometric exercises for 20 minutes before standard taekwondo training over a four-week period (a total of 12 training sessions), while the control group continued with standard taekwondo training. Drop jump data were collected using the My Jump2 program. After calculating the descriptive statistics of the obtained data, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests were conducted. As a result of the study, a significant difference in terms of Reactive Strength Index (RSI) was found in the pre-tests of the experimental and control groups, with the RSI average of the control group being 0,33 m/s higher than that of the experimental group (Z=-3.170; p<0.01). A significant difference was found in the post-tests of the groups regarding RSI, with the RSI average of the control group being 0,06 m/s higher (Z=-2.647; p<0.08). When the 4-week period was examined, it was found that the RSI averages of the experimental group increased above 1 from the 7th training and the training program became especially effective from the 7th session onward, with a noticeable increase in the athletes' reactive strength.