Difference in Vertical Jump Performance by Force Production

Abstract

Vertical jump performance may be influenced by force production there by improving performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between force production and vertical jump performance. Forty-eight healthy students (age men 24.68+/−5.05y women 25.63 +/−7.92y, height men 177.07 +/−8.42cm women 167.24 +/−8.37, body mass men 79.40 +/−16.10kg women 60.94 +/−11.68kg) volunteered to participate in one testing session. Each subject started with a five-minute warm-up on a cycle ergometer at 25W (50rmp). Following warm-up, subjects performed three countermovement vertical jumps with arm swing on the force plate. Dependent variables include relative peak ground reaction force (GRF), vertical jump height (VJH), take off velocity (TOV) and peak velocity (PV). To ascertain the effects of force on jump characteristics, investigators divided subjects into two groups: relative GRF greater than the mean and relative GRF less than the mean. Males and females were analyzed separately. Data were analyzed with one- way ANOVA's with mean relative GRF (men 21.52 +/−4.34 N/kg, women 18.86 +/−3.32 N/kg) as the grouping variable. Comparisons were made on VJH, PV, and TOV. Males possessing relative GRF greater than the mean exhibited significantly (p > 0.05) greater values on all dependent variables compared to males who had relative GRF less than the mean. However, no significant difference (p > 0.05) existed in any variables between females who had relative GRF greater than the mean and females possessing relative GRF less than the mean. These results indicate that males with greater relative GRF produce greater vertical jump performance than males with less relative GRF, yet females exhibited no similar relationship in vertical jump performance in relation to their relative GRF. Males who are greater than the mean vs. males who are less than the mean exhibit differences in vertical jump performance in relation to relative force production while women who are greater than the mean vs. women who are less than the mean appear to exhibit no differences in vertical jump performance in relation to relative force production. Females may benefit from incorporating greater strength work into their training. Utilizing strength training might transfer to enhanced force-generating capabilities of muscle and increased performance.