Short- and Mid-Term Adaptations to Plyometric vs. Strength Training in Elite Soccer: A Randomized Crossover Study With Follow-Up and Machine Learning Classification

This dataset originates from a randomized, crossover controlled trial investigating the short- and mid-term effects of plyometric and maximal strength training on neuromuscular performance in elite male soccer players. Thirty top-division athletes were assigned to three training arms (Plyometric-Strength, Strength-Plyometric, Control) and monitored across three time points: PRE, POST, and FOLLOW-UP (6 weeks post-intervention). The dataset includes countermovement jump height (CMJ A), concentric and peak power (W/kg), unilateral performance (LL, RL), rate of force development (RFD), torque estimates, asymmetry, and composite indices. Secondary measures include heart rate variability (HRV, RMSSD), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), perceived exertion (RPE, sRPE), GPS-derived metrics (HSD, total distance), and training load parameters. Retention indices and responder classification (Δ%, Δz) are also provided. Figures illustrate improvements, retention effects, and feature importance based on machine learning (Random Forest) and multivariate structure (PCA). This dataset supports the manuscript: Short- and Mid-Term Adaptations to Plyometric vs. Strength Training in Elite Soccer: A Randomized Crossover Study With Follow-Up and Machine Learning Classification. All data are anonymized and available for reuse under CC-BY 4.0 license.