Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of the investigation was to compare the occurrence of post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) after drop jumps, or heavy sled towing, and the subsequent effect on repeated sprint ability (RSA).MethodsTen young basketball players (17 ± 1 yrs) performed, in randomized order, RSA test with changes of direction after a standardized warm up followed by drop jumps, heavy sled towing, or no exercise (control condition). Neuromuscular assessments composed of two maximal voluntary contractions of the knee extensors, peripheral nerve stimulation, and surface electromyography (EMG), responses were recorded before and immediately after the RSA. The EMG signal of leg muscles during sprinting were also recorded as well as the blood lactate concentration.ResultsThe drop jumps improved the RSA mean time (P = 0.033), total time (P = 0.031), and slowest time (P = 0.029) compared to control condition, while heavy sled towing did not change RSA outcomes (P > 0.05). All conditions exhibited a decrease of doublet high frequency stimulation force (pre-post measurement) (P = 0.023) and voluntary activation (P = 0.041), evidencing the occurrence from peripheral and central components of fatigue after RSA, respectively, but no difference was evident between-conditions. There was a significantly greater EMG activity during sprints for the biceps femoris after drop jumps, only when compared to control condition (P = 0.013).ConclusionRepeated drop jumps were effective to induce PAPE in the form of RSA, while heavy sled towing had no effect on RSA performance in young basketball players. Furthermore, both conditioning activities exhibited similar levels of fatigue following the RSA protocol. Thus, drop jumps may be used as an alternative to induce PAPE and thus improve performance during sprints in young male basketball players.
Highlights
The aim of the investigation was to compare the occurrence of post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) after drop jumps, or heavy sled towing, and the subsequent effect on repeated sprint ability (RSA)
RSA outcomes were different between the drop jump and control condition with improvements shown following drop jumps in mean time [mean Δ = − 0.18 s; P = 0.039; ES = − 0.35 (CI95%:− 0.60 to − 0.09)], total time [mean Δ = − 1.85 s; P = 0.037; ES = − 0.35 (CI95%: − 0.60 to − 0.10)]and slowest time [mean Δ = − 0.22 s; P = 0.045; ES = − 0.41 (CI95%: − 0.71 to − 0.10)]
Heavy sled towing did not present any differences compared to the drop jumps (ESs = 0.02 (CI95%: − 0.25 to 0.30) for best time, 0.12 (CI95%: − 0.18 to 0.41) for mean time, 0.12 (CI95%: − 0.17 to 0.41)for total time, and
Summary
The aim of the investigation was to compare the occurrence of post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) after drop jumps, or heavy sled towing, and the subsequent effect on repeated sprint ability (RSA). Basketball is a team sport which consists of brief highintensity efforts with frequent changes of direction, interspersed with short recovery intervals [1,2,3,4]. These high-intensity actions during the match may induce a higher glycolytic pathway contribution with concomitant decrease of high-intensity demands (~ 16% decrement) during the second half of a match [5], which may be associated to a ~ 5% reduction in force production. In basketball, competitive players have frequency of occurrences during an official match of 1.06 ± 0.52 sprints and 1.13 ± 0.42 jumps per minute [3], evidencing the relevance of both attributes to basketball performance. The use of ergogenic sources that can enhance performance during these specific actions should be a priority for elite basketball players and researchers in the area
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