Acute and chronic effects of elastic band resistance training on athletes' physical performance: a systematic review

PurposeResistance training aids in the improvement of key aspects of athletic performance. Elastic bands are among the various instruments used to apply resistance load. Despite their popularity, scientific evidence supporting their efficacy in sports remains limited. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the existing literature regarding the acute and chronic effects of elastic band resistance training (EBT) on performance parameters in male and female athletes, across different age groups.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in January 2024, following the PRISMA guidelines and the PICOS approach. The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus via EBSCOhost, and Web of Science were searched using the terms: (elastic band training) AND ((athlete*) OR (performance) OR (sports)). Once extracted, studies were included if they incorporated the assessment of the relationship between elastic band resistance training and performance in competitive athletes (male or female), ages between 14 and 35, from individual or team sports.ResultsMale athletes were predominantly studied, with 15 out of the 22 included studies. Furthermore, performance parameters such as jumping, sprinting, upper and lower limbs strength variables received the most attention, showing an overall positive chronic effect. However, due to scarce literature regarding acute effects of EBT, further research is warranted to provide conclusive evidence on its effects.ConclusionWhile recognizing the limited amount of high-quality evidence reviewed, EBT appears to address positive chronic effect on various performance parameters (i.e., sprinting and jumping) in athletes of both genders and various competitive levels.