Effects of plyometric training on strength, explosive performance, and agility in female team-sport athletes: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis

IntroductionPlyometric training (PT) is widely used in team sports, but its outcome-specific effects in female team sport athletes and the influence of key programming variables remain unclear.MethodsThis systematic review and three-level meta-analysis examined the effects of PT on strength, jumping, sprinting, throwing, and agility in female team sport athletes and explored whether training frequency, intervention duration, and ground contacts per session moderated these effects. Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials were identified through database searches and manual screening. A three-level random-effects meta-analysis with cluster-robust variance estimation was performed. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions examined potential moderators, and certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Thirty-six studies involving 921 participants were included.ResultsPT significantly improved vertical jump (SMD = 0.67), horizontal jump (SMD = 0.70), sprint (SMD = -0.85), throwing (SMD = 0.91), and agility (SMD = -1.09). Effects on strength were inconsistent (p = 0.0025), with improvements in upper-body (SMD = 1.09) but not lower-body strength (SMD = 0.08). Competitive level moderated agility outcomes, whereas age was not a consistent moderator. Meta-regression showed no clear associations of training frequency, intervention duration, or ground contacts per session with performance changes. Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.Discussion/conclusionPT can be an effective training strategy for improving multiple outcomes in female team sport athletes, particularly jumping, sprinting, throwing, and agility. However, adaptations appear outcome-specific, and evidence is insufficient to identify programming variables that consistently influence outcomes. Further studies with larger and more diverse samples are needed.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261328856, identifier CRD420261328856.