Effects of integrative neuromuscular training on change of direction performance in court-based sports players: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

This study systematically reviewed and quantified the scientific literature on the effects of integrative neuromuscular training (INT) on change of direction (COD) performance among court-based sports players. A comprehensive keyword search was conducted on December 15, 2022, across six electronic bibliographic databases: SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Web of Science, Academic Search Ultra, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Following the application of eligibility criteria, a total of 23 studies with 901 participants were included in this review. Meta-analysis was employed to estimate the pooled effect size of INT interventions on COD performance. The findings demonstrated that INT interventions resulted in a significant reduction in COD task completion time for court-based sports players, compared to control groups (standard deviation [SD]  =  0.38, 95% CI  =  0.27, 0.49; I^2  =  98.76%). However, it was observed that the efficacy of INT on COD performance was influenced by factors such as gender, sport type, and specific metrics of COD task measures. Consequently, it is imperative to consider these potential variations when interpreting the results and planning future research. In conclusion, INT exhibited superior effectiveness in improving COD performance compared to control groups among court-based sports players. We recommend that strength and conditioning professionals incorporate INT into their comprehensive conditioning programs. However, it is important to acknowledge the potential variations in outcomes attributable to participant-specific characteristics, including gender, sport type, and the nature of COD tasks. This understanding will facilitate the optimal application of INT, thereby enhancing athletic performance across diverse sporting contexts.