Combined balance and plyometric training showed better movement-test results
A meta-analysis found better direction-changing and dynamic-balance test results than active controls, while participant details and the duration of training were absent from the abstract.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Pooled studies favored combined balance and plyometric training over active controls for direction-changing performance and several balance tests. For change-of-direction performance specifically, subgroup analyses detected no differences by age, gender, training frequency or duration. These findings do not establish that those factors are irrelevant or that different programs produce equivalent results.
This abstract-based explanation lacks participant descriptions, training durations and confidence intervals for the reported effects. Several outcomes varied substantially between studies, and the results do not establish effects on injuries or everyday functioning.
What researchers found
Change-of-direction test performance
Combined training versus active controls; assessment timeframe not reported. The authors interpreted the negative standardized effect as improved performance.
What was compared
The review examined programs combining balance and plyometric exercise, using direction-changing and dynamic-balance tests as outcomes. It compared these programs with active controls, but the abstract does not describe the control activities.
Understanding the effect scale
The reported effect sizes use Hedges' g, a standardized scale. They indicate differences in test performance rather than percentages of improvement. The abstract reports statistical significance but does not show how those differences translate into practical gains.
The original publication
The effects of combined balance and plyometric training on change-of-direction and dynamic balance: A meta-analysis.
Feng G, Chen R, Wu C et al.
PLoS One · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41915660
- Record checked
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