SynthesisFrontiers in physiology2026
Effects of unilateral versus bilateral training on linear sprint and change-of-direction performance in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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3 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Unilateral training may enhance sprint and change-of-direction (COD) performance in athletes, but existing evidence is inconclusive. Methods: We searched CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO up to 1 September 2025 for randomized controlled trials comparing unilateral versus bilateral training in athletes and reporting speed-related outcomes. Methodological quality was assessed with PEDro. Random-effects meta-analyses computed mean differences (MD), and GRADE was used for certainty grading. Results: Fourteen studies (415 male athletes, aged 9-27 years) were included. Unilateral training showed no significant pooled effects on 10 m, 20-m, or 30 m sprints (overall Conclusion: Unilateral training confers selective, small-magnitude benefits for 5 m sprint and COD-L, but these results are preliminary. The COD-L finding rests on only three studies (63 athletes), and the 5-m finding on four studies (113 athletes). Given the exclusively male sample and wide age range (9-27 years), generalization requires caution. Unilateral training did not universally improve all sprint or COD measures. While results for 30-m sprint, T-test, and COD-R were relatively consistent, the 505-test evidence should be interpreted with caution because of high heterogeneity. Future large-scale RCTs should explore applicability across sports, age groups, and sexes, with attention to maturational status and training age in younger populations. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=1031255, identifier CRD420251031255.
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