Effects of combined balance and plyometric training on athletic performance: a systematic review.

TL;DR

A systematic review of 14 studies involving 522 athletes found moderate-certainty evidence that combining balance and plyometric training enhances balance and agility, but evidence for improvements in speed and explosive power remains inconsistent and low-certainty .

What the Study Found

Researchers conducted a systematic review examining whether combining balance training with plyometric exercises (explosive movement training) produces better athletic results than either approach alone. The team screened thousands of studies across four major databases and ultimately included 14 randomized controlled trials involving 522 athletes across six sports: badminton, basketball, handball, soccer, dance, and taekwondo. Most participants were adolescents aged 11 to 24 years, and training programs typically ran for 6 to 12 weeks at 2 to 3 sessions per week.

The distinction here matters: researchers specifically looked at studies where balance training and plyometric training were performed as separate components within the same program, not plyometric exercises done on unstable surfaces (which combines both stimuli simultaneously). This methodological focus helps clarify what "combined training" actually means in the literature and reduces confounding from mixed-stimulus approaches.

The key finding was a tiered evidence picture. Combined training showed moderate-certainty evidence for improving balance and agility markers. Athletes who completed combined programs demonstrated measurable gains in dynamic stability and movement coordination tasks. However, when researchers looked at speed (measured via sprint tests) and explosive power (vertical jump height, broad jump distance), the results became murkier. Some studies showed improvements; others showed no difference compared to single-mode training. The evidence quality for these performance measures dropped to low certainty, meaning confidence in the true effect size is limited.

The authors noted that intervention heterogeneity partly explains the inconsistency. Programs varied substantially in structure, duration, exercise selection, and how balance and plyometric components were sequenced and integrated. This variation makes it difficult to identify which specific combinations work best for which athletes or outcomes.

What This Means for You

If you're an athlete or coach designing training, several practical points emerge:

Balance and agility appear to be the strongest targets. The moderate-certainty evidence suggests that deliberately adding balance-focused work alongside plyometric training meaningfully improves dynamic stability and agility. This could translate to better change-of-direction ability, footwork control, and reactive positioning, particularly relevant for court and field sports where rapid direction changes matter.

Power and speed gains are less clear. If your primary goal is maximizing vertical jump height or sprint speed, the current evidence doesn't strongly support that combined training beats specialized plyometric training alone. This doesn't mean combined training prevents power gains, just that the advantage over single-mode approaches remains unproven. You may still see improvements, but the research hasn't yet established a superiority effect.

Duration and frequency matter, but optimal parameters aren't established. All included studies used 6 to 12 weeks of training at 2 to 3 sessions weekly. This suggests that shorter or lower-frequency protocols haven't been adequately tested. Whether 8 weeks of combined training at 3 sessions per week outperforms 12 weeks at 2 sessions remains unknown.

This is most applicable to younger athletes. The evidence base comes almost entirely from adolescent participants. Whether these findings extend to adult or older athletes requires direct testing.

Complementary training principles still apply. While combined training showed benefits, this doesn't negate the value of sport-specific skill work, tactical training, or sport-specific conditioning. The research evaluates a training component, not a complete program.

Practically, if balance deficits or agility limitations are constraining your performance, explicitly adding balance drills to your plyometric sessions appears worth trialing. Resistance training and high-intensity interval training remain foundational for other performance qualities. The take-home is nuanced: combined training isn't a shortcut to all adaptations, but it does appear to address balance and agility effectively.

Study Details

Sources

Marques MC, et al. Effects of combined balance and plyometric training on athletic performance: a systematic review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024. PubMed.