Do Bilateral Vertical Jumps With Reactive Jump Landings Achieve Osteogenic Thresholds With and Without Instruction in Premenopausal Women?

Abstract

Jumps have been investigated as a stimulus for bone development; however, effects of instruction, jump type, and jump-landing techniques need investigation. This study sought to identify whether ground reaction forces (GRFs) for bilateral vertical jumps (countermovement jumps and drop jumps) with reactive jump-landings (ie, jumping immediately after initial jump-landing), with instruction and with instruction withdrawn, achieve magnitudes and rates of strain previously shown to improve bone mass among premenopausal women. Twenty-one women (Mean ± SD: 43.3 ± 5.9y; 69.4 ± 9.6kg; 167 ± 5.5cm; 27.5 ± 8.7% body fat) performed a testing session 'with instruction' followed by a testing session performed 1week later with 'instruction withdrawn.' The magnitudes (4.59 to 5.49 body weight [BW]) and rates of strain (263 to 359BW·s-1) for the jump-landings, performed on an AMTI force plate, exceeded previously determined thresholds (>3BWs and >43BW·s-1). Interestingly, significantly larger peak resultant forces, (↑10%; P = .002) and peak rates of force development (↑20%; P < .001) values (in relation to BW and BW·s-1, respectively) were observed for the second jump-landing (postreactive jump). Small increases (ES = 0.22-0.42) in all landing forces were observed in the second jump-landing with 'instruction withdrawn.' These jumps represent a unique training stimulus for premenopausal women and achieve osteogenic thresholds thought prerequisite for bone growth.