Systematic review and meta-analysis of volleyball interventions for physical fitness in healthy individuals

Volleyball, which combines aerobic and anaerobic activities, has been suggested to improve various Physical Fitness (PF) components. However, the specific effects of volleyball-based interventions on fitness among healthy individuals and across different durations have yet to be fully summarised. This study aimed to compile and analyse data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and other controlled studies to assess the effects of volleyball interventions on PF. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus), Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library to identify RCTs and controlled studies examining the effects of volleyball interventions on PF. Eligible studies reported at least one PF outcome. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I² statistic. Twelve RCTs, including 656 participants, were incorporated into this meta-analysis, which showed that volleyball interventions significantly improved muscular endurance (SMD = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.44–1.89), cardiovascular endurance (SMD = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.40–1.05), muscular strength (SMD = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.04–0.36), flexibility (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.17–0.57), agility (SMD = −0.75, 95% CI: −0.99 to −0.51), speed (SMD = −0.32, 95% CI: −0.55 to −0.10), and balance (SMD = −0.98, 95% CI: −1.90 to −0.05). This study demonstrates that volleyball interventions lead to statistically significant improvements in multiple components of PF. These findings support the use of volleyball interventions as an effective movement-training modality for improving PF and performance in healthy populations. https://crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024537624, PROSPERO CRD42024537624.