Combined jump rope and elastic resistance band training improves agility, body balance and neuromuscular performance in young male basketball players.

The main aim of the present investigation was to explore the effect of eight weeks combined training program based on jump rope and elastic resistance band on agility, body balance, and neuromuscular performances among young male basketball players. Twenty-four young male basketball players (Age ≃ 9 years; Height ≃ 138 cm; Body mass ≃ 34 Kg; Training experience≃ 3.5 years) participated in the current investigation and were randomly assigned to two groups: a combined group (INTER; n = 12), and an active control group (CON; n = 12). INTER completed the 8-week training programs with two weekly sessions while the CON continued their usual training as control group. The static and dynamic balance tests, the T-change of direction (CoD) test, the vertical jump tests, the sprint test were performed by participants before and after the intervention period. A significant time × group interaction was observed for YBT, SBT, T-CoD, 5 m, and 10 m sprint times, as well as for SJ and CMJ performance (p < 0.001). Post-intervention analysis revealed greater improvements in the INTER compared to the CON across all tested variables (from-4.27% to 20.76%; p < 0.001; ES= from 1.57 to 3.87), The adopted training program was associated with improvements in basketball-specific fitness parameters in young male players; however, these findings should be interpreted with caution given the study design and participant characteristics.