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NCT Number: NCT07458373

Effects of Plyometric Versus Resistance Band Training on Agility and Rate of Perceived Exertion Among Recreational Football Players

The goal of the current study is to evaluate the plyometrics and resistance band training in recreational football players, aged 18-25 years. The main question it aims to answer are:

Does the plyometrics significantly improve agility and reduce Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)? Does the resistance band training significantly improve agility and reduce RPE? Participants will be assigned to either an experimental group receiving plyometrics or arm comparator group receiving resistance band training, and will complete standardized assessment of agility and RPE before and after the intervention.

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Key information

Conditions

Recreational Football Players

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

This clinical trial is designed to evaluate the effects of plyometrics and resistance band training on agility and RPE in recreational football players. It is commonly linked to reduce rate of exertion and improve agility. All participants will undergo baseline assessment, including agility measured with the Illinois Agility Test and RPE assessed using the Modified Borg Scale. Participants will be randomized into two groups (Experimental Group and Arm Comparator Group). Participants in the experimental group will perform plyometric exercises plus warm up and cool down exercises. Plyometrics exercises are side jumps, countermovement jumps and double bound leg jumps. Warm up exercises include jogging, dynamic stretching and active range of motion. Cool down exercises include jogging and static stretching. Participants in the arm comparator group will perform resistance band exercises plus warm up and cool down exercises. Resistance band exercises are squat, lunges and side lunges using resistance bands. Warm up and cool down exercises are described in experimental group above. The interventions will occur 4 times per week for 6 weeks, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes. Participants will be advised to avoid any external interventions during the study period. Post-intervention assessments will be conducted immediately after six weeks post intervention. This study aims to clarify whether the plyometrics results in superior clinical outcomes compared to resistance band training in the improvement of agility and RPE.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Population selected: Male recreational footballers.
Participants who were football players had been actively participating in football academies for more than 6 months.
Participants must be active and are in good health.

Exclusion criteria

Participants with any neurological and spinal impairments, cardiopulmonary diseases and musculoskeletal disorders.
Participants with history of any lower limb surgeries that affect lower limb function
Participants not regularly attending the training programs.
Participants with history of any lower limb fracture and ligament sprain.

Treatment and study plan

Plyometrics

Other

Participants in this group will follow a 6-week program targeting the plyometric exercises with warm up and cool down exercises. Warm up and cool down exercises are performed before and after the plyometric exercises respectively, only for 5 minutes. Plyometrics exercises include side jumps, countermovement jumps and double bound leg jumps (3 sets X 10 repetitions, with 1 minute resting between each set, performed 4 days a week for 6 weeks) to improve agility. The intervention aims to improve agility and reduce levels of exertion in recreational football players.

Resistance band training

Other

Participants in this group will follow a 6-week program targeting the resistance band exercises with warm up and cool down exercises. Warm up and cool down exercises are performed before and after resistance band exercises respectively, only for 5 minutes. Resistance band exercises include squats, lunges, and side lunges using resistance bands (3 sets X 10 repetitions, with 1 minute resting between each set, performed 4 days a week for 6 weeks) to improve agility. The intervention aims to improve agility and reduce levels of exertion in recreational football players.

Primary outcomes

Agility

Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Agility is the ability to maintain control of body position while changing direction rapidly, whether moving to the left, right, or behind the body. Balance, coordination, strength and speed are all measured as part of agility while moving rapidly through obstacles. Agility is a significant factor in various sports as it helps in acquiring preparedness. Agility is assessed using the Illinois agility Test (IAT). IAT is a timed test including a prone start position followed by a quick transition to standing and running through multidirectional obstacles. It is a widely used tool for assessing agility by evaluating an athlete's ability to change direction and accelerate quickly within a set course, reflecting agility demands across various sports. The change of direction agility test is reported to have high reliability and validity for team sports.

Secondary outcomes

Rate of Perceived Exertion

Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a subjective measure, affected by physiological and psychological factors. It largely depends on how an athlete feels about the heaviness or lightness of a workload provided that mental state and fatigue level experienced during exercise play significant roles. The subjective nature of RPE reflect an athlete's perceived internal effort and help us gain a more complete picture about training load. RPE is measured by using Modified Borg Scale. The scale ranges from 1 to 10 where 1 represents "really easy" and 10 represents "maximal; just like my hardest race". Participants select the number that best represents their current level of exertion, with higher scores indicating maximal levels of exertion.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

MUHAMMAD TARIQ RAFIQ, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+923214495948

Sabeen Sabir, DPT

CONTACT

[email protected]

+923235565534

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Plyometric Versus Resistance Band Training on Agility and Rate of Perceived Exertion Among Recreational Football Players: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Mar 9, 2026
Registry last updated: Mar 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.