Strength, Plyometric and Combined Training in High-Level Male Youth Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with adolescent athletes in sports rehabilitation, return-to-sport programming, or performance and injury-prevention settings, and who want a clear account of what the pooled evidence shows about resistance training in already heavily trained young soccer players.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants; also useful to athletic trainers and strength and conditioning staff who collaborate with rehabilitation teams on youth athlete development.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Intermediate

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course is built on one peer-reviewed systematic review and meta-analysis. No claims, figures or recommendations beyond that source are introduced.

Oliver JL, Ramachandran AK, Singh U, Ramirez-Campillo R, Lloyd RS. The Effects of Strength, Plyometric and Combined Training on Strength, Power and Speed Characteristics in High-Level, Highly Trained Male Youth Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2024;54(3):623–643. doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01944-8. PMID: 37897637. PMCID: PMC10978689.

Scope note

The review included only male players competing at academy, national, regional or international level, aged under 18. The authors state that female players were excluded, partly because of limited available research and partly because of differences in maturation. Findings should be read within those boundaries.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the population, the three training modes and the comparison condition examined in this systematic review and meta-analysis of high-level male youth soccer players.
2. State the direction and relative size of the pooled training effects reported for strength, jump performance, horizontal power, acceleration, change of direction and maximal sprint speed.
3. Distinguish the one outcome for which the mode of training made a real difference from the outcomes for which the three modes produced broadly similar results, and explain the limits the authors placed on their conclusions.

1. Start Here: how this course works, what the source is, and how credit is issued
2. Podcast: Strength, Plyometrics and Combined Training in Elite Youth Soccer (about nine minutes)
3. Who Was Studied: Academy-Level Young Male Soccer Players
4. How the Review Was Assembled: Searching, Screening and Pooling
5. What Improved: Strength, Jumping, Horizontal Power, Acceleration and Sprinting
6. What the Authors Could Not Settle: Study Quality, Bias and Uncertainty
7. What the Findings Could Mean for Youth Athlete Development
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-test and course evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course is built on one peer-reviewed systematic review and meta-analysis. No claims, figures or recommendations beyond that source are introduced.
2. Oliver JL, Ramachandran AK, Singh U, Ramirez-Campillo R, Lloyd RS. The Effects of Strength, Plyometric and Combined Training on Strength, Power and Speed Characteristics in High-Level, Highly Trained Male Youth Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2024;54(3):623–643. doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01944-8. PMID: 37897637. PMCID: PMC10978689.
3. Scope note
4. The review included only male players competing at academy, national, regional or international level, aged under 18. The authors state that female players were excluded, partly because of limited available research and partly because of differences in maturation. Findings should be read within those boundaries.