(36) POSTACTIVATION POTENTIATION EFFECTS OF ASSISTED AND RESISTED PLYOMETRIC EXERCISE ON VERTICAL LEAP IN DIVISION I FEMALE ATHLETES

The use of resisted actions to create a subsequent postactivation potentiation PAP effect has been well-studied. Relatively few studies have used assisted actions to apply PAP and fewer still have involved female subjects.

Purpose: The aim for this study was to investigate the postactivation potentiation PAP effects of assisted and resisted pogo jumps on vertical leap in Division I female athletes. A secondary aim was to detect the presence of chronic training effects throughout the study.

Methods: Data were collected from eleven Division I female basketball players (19.45 + 1.43 y, 70.86 + 2.51 in, 149.57 + 20.78 lb). Baseline, pre-PAP, post-PAP, and post-research vertical leaps were collected across five consecutive days using a pressure activated timing system. For every testing day, a thorough dynamic warm-up was administered to mitigate risk of muscular injury. Baseline and post-research data were performed on days one and five respectively, and consisted of three (best of) vertical leaps from each subject. The interventions – assisted A, bodyweight B, and resisted R pogo jumps – prescribed on days two, three, and four were counterbalanced. The assisted PAP condition was accomplished by subjects gripping nylon straps affixed overhead with instructions to unweight by approximately 10% while performing the pogo jumps. The resisted PAP utilized a pair of 10 lb dumbbells for all subjects.    Each intervention had subjects perform three pre-PAP vertical leaps before proceeding to ten repetitions of their prescribed pogo jump intervention. Forty-five second rest intervals were granted for each subject between the pogo jump intervention and the three post-PAP vertical leaps. Testing days were separated by approximately twenty-four hours to reduce the likelihood of fatigue accumulation over the course of the week.

Results: A dependent t-test examining the differences in the means revealed nonsignificant findings between the baseline BAS and postintervention (chronic CHR) vertical leap heights (16.68 ± 2.26 BAS, 16.94 ± 2.18 CHR; t = 0.65, p = .52). Postactivation data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference among the three activation conditions (A: 16.79 + 2.47 in PRE, 16.66 + 2.79 POST, B: 16.91 + 2.19 PRE, 16.60 + 2.50 POST; R: 16.95 + 2.58 PRE, 17.22 + 2.46 POST; F = .21, p = .81).

Conclusion: Neither assisted nor resisted plyometric exercise showed a clear advantage in potentiating vertical leap scores, both acutely and chronically, in women’s Division I basketball players. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Coaches and trainers may use a variety of methods to prepare athletes and clients for explosive tasks.  Due to none of the interventions here significantly improving upon baseline performance, the role of existing general dynamic warm-up protocols cannot be overlooked. Where specific, brief preparatory protocols are sought, existing research and practice still seem to favor resisted actions. Additional research is warranted.


Acknowledgements: This research received internal funding from the Jasper Scholars Summer Grant Program at Manhattan College.