This study investigated the effects of an eight-week pre-season strength training programme on bilateral and unilateral countermovement jump performance and bilateral deficit (BLD) in 14 male Premier League academy soccer players. Players completed one upper-body and one lower-body strength session per week, with jump height, mean force, reactive strength index modified (RSI-Mod) and time to take-off assessed before and after the intervention.
Significant improvements were found in unilateral jump height for both the left and right legs, alongside a significant increase in jump-height BLD. No other group-level jump-performance measures changed significantly, although individual analysis showed meaningful improvements across several metrics that exceeded normal test variability. The findings suggest that a single lower-body strength session per week incorporating bilateral and unilateral exercises can improve unilateral jump performance in academy soccer players. The authors highlight the importance of assessing individual responses to training and suggest combining strength work with ballistic or plyometric exercises to further enhance bilateral and unilateral jump performance.
Chris is the current Head of Department at the London Sport Institute, Middlesex University and has published over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, edited / co-edited 3 textbooks and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the UKSCA’s Professional Strength and Conditioning Journal, as well as a Senior Editor/Associate Editor for NSCA’s 2 flagship journals. From an industry perspective, Chris has a keen interest in all things training and testing for athlete and clinical populations. More recently much of his time is dedicated to the world of Performance Science in Golf, where he is the Principle Investigator for Sports Academy – the health, medicine and performance arm of the PGA of America and also on the Science and Medical Advisory Board for The R&A, DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jep0KcEAAAAJ&hl=en
