(68) NEUROBIOPHYSICAL DIFFERENCES IN COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP PERFORMANCE ACROSS NCAA DIVISION II SPORTS

Vertical jumping is commonly used within the field of strength and conditioning as an assessment of athletic potential, readiness to perform, and effectiveness of training. Furthermore, jumping performance is underpinned by the ability to coordinate locomotion and produce maximal or near-maximal ground reactive forces (GRFs) instantaneously. Understanding sport-specific neurological, biomechanical, and physiological (neurobiophysical) differences in vertical jumping mechanisms can lead to the identification of sport-specific approaches for enhancing performance, training approaches, and the return to play process.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess relationships between neurobiophysical proponents and countermovement jump height (CMJH) between NCAA Division II basketball, football, golf, soccer, and volleyball athletes.

Methods: 93 NCAA Division II athletes participated in this study. Athletes from the university’s football (FB; n=15), men’s basketball (MBB; n=15), women’s basketball (WBB; n=15), women’s golf (WG; n=8), women’s soccer (WS; n=26), and women’s volleyball (WVB; n=14) teams participated in this study. The vertical GRFs during the maximal effort CMJs were sampled at 1000 Hz using a wireless dual force plate system (Hawkin Dynamics Inc., Maine, USA). A Pearson’s r correlation analysis determined the relationship between neurobiophysical proponents and CMJH.

Results: Unique relationships between CMJH and neurobiophysical measures were identified for each sport. For FB athletes, measures of jump velocity, propulsive power, and reactive strength index (r = 0.998 - 0.726; p < 0.001) were significantly related to CMJH performance. For MBB, measures of jump velocity, relative propulsive net impulse, peak propulsive power, reactive strength index, and jump momentum (r = 0.721 – 0.999; p < 0.001) were significantly related to CMJH. For WBB, jump velocity, relative propulsive net impulse and peak relative propulsive power (r = 0.944 – 0.999; p < 0.001) were significantly related to CMJH. For WG, measures of jump velocity, peak relative propulsive power, peak propulsive power, positive net impulse (r = 0.712 – 0.999; p < 0.001) were significantly related to CMJH. For WS, measures of tendon stiffness, jump velocity, relative propulsive net impulse, propulsive power, and propulsive force (r = 0.712-1.000; p < 0.001) were significantly related to CMJH. For WVB, measures of jump velocity, relative propulsive power, and relative propulsive net impulse (r = 0.722 – 0.999; p < 0.001) were significantly related to CMJH.

Conclusion: For NCAA Division II basketball, football, golf, soccer, and volleyball athletes, evidence from this study suggests that there are strong-positive significant relationships between jump velocity, propulsive power, and adequate kinematic sequencing as expressed via the measurement of propulsive impulse and enhanced CMJ performance. Additionally, unique differences in sport-specific neurobiophysical proponents to CMJH were identified which may also be useful for developing targeted and well-timed approaches for improving jumping performance. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results from this investigation suggests that jumping velocity, jump-phase specific power and force, and kinematic sequencing should be emphasized within strength and conditioning programs if the goal is to improve CMJ performance, which may subsequently improve athletic potential and performance.

Acknowledgements: A special thank you to the University of Nebraska at Kearney Athletics Department, coaches, and athletes for their participation.