Publications

Purpose: This study investigated the acute (10 min) and delayed (5 h) effects of strength, plyometric, and control priming protocols on neuromuscular performance in youth soccer players.

Methods: Fifteen male soccer players (15.6 ± 0.6 years; BMI = 19.7 ± 1.9 kg/m2) completed three randomized sessions: strength training (ST, 1 × 5 × 40% + 2 × 5 × 70% 1RM squat and hip thrust), plyometric training (PT, 3 × 5 hurdle jumps, 3 × 6 bounds), and control training (CT, 12 min jogging/walking). Assessments included countermovement jump (CMJ), repeated sprint ability (RSA, 6 × 20 m), ball shot velocity (BSV), and vastus medialis stiffness via myotonometry at baseline, acute (AE), and delayed (DE) time points.

Results: In the ST, CMJ height declined at AE (34.45 ± 4.62 vs. 32.84 ± 4.69 cm) but significantly improved to DE (35.74 ± 5.02 cm; d = 0.59) compared to baseline (34.45 ± 4.62 cm). No significant CMJ height changes occurred in the PT or CT. CMJ maximal force significantly increased in the PT from AE (1130.4 ± 155.0 N) to DE (1221.7 ± 203.4 N) and also exceeded baseline (1184.8 ± 180 N; d = 0.17). RSA increased across all protocols acutely, but only the CT showed significant improvement from AE (3.46 ± 0.15 s) to DE (3.32 ± 0.15 s; d = 0.89) and from baseline (3.39 ± 0.13 s; d = 0.44) to DE. Neither BSV nor stiffness changed significantly.

Conclusion: Strength priming may enhance jump performance after sufficient recovery, while inconsistent effects on sprinting and shooting highlight the need for individualized strategies in youth soccer.

Keywords: priming, PAPE, strength training, plyometric training, complex training

In this crossover study of U17 male soccer players, neither the strength nor the plyometric activation produced meaningful acute (10-min) enhancements across the tested outcomes. However, strength-based priming was associated with a delayed improvement in CMJ height after 5 h, whereas ball shot velocity and vastus medialis mechanical properties remained unchanged across all conditions. Repeated sprint ability improved only in the control condition at the 5-hour time point, suggesting recovery rather than a true priming effect. Collectively, these findings indicate that youth players may benefit from strength-based priming for jump performance when sufficient recovery is provided, while metabolic-demanding tasks such as repeated sprinting are unlikely to profit from same-day activation stimuli. Future work should examine larger and more diverse samples, incorporate maturation and neuromuscular measures, and test different recovery intervals to refine priming prescriptions for youth soccer.