Abstract
Background: Acute studies suggest that resistance training with an unstable load suspended from the barbell increases core muscle activation with negligible detrimental effects on phasic muscle activation and force production compared to traditional barbell loading, but the effect of a suspended load program on athletic performance is unclear. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a six-week program where the back-squat was performed with a suspended load (SL) on vertical jump (VJ), change of direction ability (COD), single-leg balance, and one repetition maximum squat load (1RM). Methods: Thirty-two collegiate baseball players (20.4 ± 1.4 y, 86.0 ± 11.0 kg, 1.82 ± .065 m) were assigned to perform the back-squat with SL or traditional loading (CON). Additional exercises were done with traditional loading. Athletes completed VJ, T-tests to measure COD, star excursion balance test (SEBT) to measure single-leg balance, and 1RM PRE and POST program. A MANOVA was used to assess the dependent variables. Significance was set to p < .05. Results: Effect of group × time (p = .152) and group (p = .095) were not significant, indicating CON and SL had similar performance. Effect of time (p < .0001) was significant, suggesting POST performance improved relative to PRE. When groups were pooled, 1RM (p < .0001) and T-test (p = .038) improved, but VJ (p = .255) and SEBT (p = .167) did not improve. Conclusion: Performing squats with SL does not appear to be detrimental to development during a six-week program.
Highlights
Baseball players use a variety of exercise training programs designed to enhance skeletal muscle strength and size, motor programming, and sport specific skill
It was hypothesized that suspended load (SL) would elicit greater improvements in vertical jump (VJ), T-test, and star excursion balance test (SEBT) compared to compared to traditional barbell loading (CON), and that 1RM improvements would be similar between SL and CON
A significant effect of group was not identified (F (4,27) = 2.207, p = .095, ηp2 = .246), which means there is no evidence of a difference in athletic performance between CON and SL when the factor for group is adjusted for the factor of time
Summary
Baseball players use a variety of exercise training programs designed to enhance skeletal muscle strength and size, motor programming, and sport specific skill. Optimal athletic performance greatly depends on the ability to produce, transfer, and control force and motion from one bodily segment to the as well as to attenuate perturbations and maintain an upright trunk posture (Kibler, Press, & Sciascia, 2006; Sciascia, Thigpen, Namdari, & Baldwin, 2012; Yaggie & Campbell, 2006). This is relevant in baseball because produced ground reaction forces are sequentially transferred to the terminal segment directing the force output to the ball or bat (Sciascia et al, 2012). Conclusion: Performing squats with SL does not appear to be detrimental to development during a six-week program
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