Acute Effects of Muscular Fatigue on Vertical Jump Performance in Acrobatic Gymnasts, Evaluated by Instrumented Insoles: A Pilot Study

Fernando Martínez-Martí,Miguel A Carvajal,Victor M Soto-Hermoso,Pedro A Latorre-Román,Alberto J Palma,María Sofía Martínez-García,Jesús López-Bedoya,Antonio Lazaro

doi:10.1155/2021/8849100

Fernando Martínez-Martí, Miguel A Carvajal + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8849100

Copy DOI

Abstract

The study of fatigue during training is becoming a very useful tool to avoid possible injuries not only during the training sessions but also during recovery time. Many researches have proved that concepts such as muscular fatigue and postactivation potentiation have a close relationship. With this aim, vertical jump can provide a very important information that can help to analyze the muscular fatigue that happened during this type of activity, mainly if the monitoring system is able to measure jumping parameters during their regular training session in their natural training environment. This study was performed with instrumented insoles called ECnsole. These insoles were tested with a group of twelve volunteers. In a tumbling surface, the participants performed a jumping protocol in three conditions: rest, fatigue-induced, and recovery. Using these validated insoles, the acrobatic gymnasts showed an inability to use the stretch-shortening cycle for improving vertical jumping performance after fatigue condition, although no deterioration of jump performance was found.

Highlights

The practice of acrobatic gymnastics is a growing physical activity; the injuries related are increasing [1]
The jumping performance depends on the coordination of the segmental movements, which is determined by the interaction between the neuromuscular indicators and the net moments that have to be generated around the joints to accomplish the mechanical demands [4]
Gymnastics athletes perform a large number of jumps that involve the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC)

Summary

Introduction

The practice of acrobatic gymnastics is a growing physical activity; the injuries related are increasing [1]. From a neuromuscular point of view, the fatigue is defined as an exercise-induced reduction in maximal voluntary muscle force and may be due to peripheral changes at the level of the muscle, and at the level of the central nervous system, rest reverses it [11]. This concept overlooks competing intramuscular mechanisms that potentiate force during strenuous workouts and refers more precisely to a total reduction of performance. The authors hypothesised that an increase of external load would change jumping performance during a typical Bosco protocol [16] in acrobatic gymnasts

Materials and Methods

Results and Discussion

Limitations and Conclusions