Acute and Short-Term Effects of Real-Time Feedback Neuromuscular Training on Vertical Jump Performance and Reactive Efficiency in Youth Basketball Players

Real-time feedback-based training has emerged as a potentially time-efficient approach for enhancing neuromuscular performance, yet evidence in youth basketball athletes remains limited. This study examined the acute and short-term effects of a five-day simulator-based neuromuscular training program incorporating real-time feedback on vertical jump performance and reactive efficiency in youth basketball players. A quasi-experimental, single-group repeated-measures design was employed, with performance assessed at three time points: pre-intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 7-day follow-up (T3). Twenty-one male junior athletes (15.1 ± 0.7 years) completed five consecutive sessions on a condition simulation device (ERGOSIM), designed to enhance force control and neuromuscular coordination through real-time visual feedback. Vertical jump performance was assessed using a 15 s repeated jump test (OptoJump), including bilateral and unilateral conditions. Primary outcomes were jump height (H), mean average power (PU), and contact time (CT), analyzed via the MGM-15 method. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant time effects for bilateral performance: H (F(2,40) = 16.593, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.453), PU (F(2,40) = 19.281, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.491), and CT (F(2,40) = 6.009, p = 0.005, η2p = 0.231). From T1 to T3, bilateral jump height increased by 17.0%, accompanied by a 14.5% increase in average power and a 10.3% reduction in contact time. Unilateral performance improved significantly in both limbs, with progressive reduction in inter-limb asymmetry across the intervention period. Performance gains were largely maintained at T3, indicating short-term retention of neuromuscular adaptations. These findings suggest that simulator-based, feedback-driven neuromuscular training represents a time-efficient strategy for optimizing explosive performance and inter-limb symmetry within competitive microcycles although the single-group design and absence of a control group warrant cautious interpretation.