Effect of two types of reactive strength training (in the water and in the sand) on vertical jump: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the systematic review and of the meta-analysis was to determine the effect of two types of reactive strength training (in the water and in the sand) on countermovement vertical jump.

Method: The original articles were identified in Google Scholar, Research Gate, PubMed and DOAJ during May to December of 2017. In these electronic bases the studies were consulted with the key words plyometric training and sand and aquatic, drop jump, plyometric training and depth jump. The researcher used the Galna et al.¹⁸ scale to evaluate the studies and including 16 studies were included for this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Results: The systematic review identified a similar result of the countermovement jump (CMJ) minimum of the reactive strength training in the sand (RST_sand, 38,1 ± 3,3 cm) and the reactive strength training in the water (RST_water, 38,4 ± 10,9 cm). However, the maximum CMJ value of the RST_water (66,26±1,16 cm) had a value higher than the RST_sand (52±1 cm). The evolution in % of the CMJ of the RST_sand was 9,41 ± 1,22% and of the RST_water was 11,03 ± 2,48%, but the independent "t" test (p>0,05) and the new statistic of Cumming²⁵ did not detect statistical difference. The meta-analysis identified an effect size of the CMJ of 1,83±2,04 of the RST_sand and 8,54±15,67 of the RST_water, but the Mann Whitney U test (p>0,05) and the new statistic did not detect statistical difference.

Conclusion: It seems that RST_water optimizes CMJ more than the RST_sand.