The Best Warm-up For Optimal Vertical Jump Performance In Collegiate Female Volleyball Athletes

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Previous research has shown that the best warm-up for optimal vertical jump performance in college-aged athletic men is the weighted jump protocol (Burkett L.N. et al., J. Strength Cond. Res. 19:673–676, 2005) however, it is unclear whether this procedure optimizes vertical jump performance in college-aged athletic women. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of no warm-up (control), weighted jump, submaximal jump, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) warm-up methods on vertical jump performance in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II female volleyball athletes. METHODS: Twelve healthy trained female volleyball athletes (mean + SD, age=19.3 + 1.1 y, height=173.4 + 3.0 cm, mass=70.41 + 5.54 kg, body fat=26.3 + 4.0%) volunteered to participate in the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to complete each of 4 warm-up protocols to include: control, weighted jump, submaximal jump, and PNF stretching methods. The weighted jump warm-up method required subjects to perform 5 consecutive countermovement jumps with 10% of their body weight onto a box set at 75% of their maximal vertical jump height. The submaximal jump protocol required 5 consecutive countermovement jumps to a Vertec bar set at 75% of the maximal vertical jump height. The PNF stretching protocol used a contract (5 sec at 75% maximum effort) - relax (10 sec) - stretch (10 sec at moderate tension) sequence that targeted the quadriceps, hamstring, and calf muscle groups using three separate exercises. All stretches were timed and closely monitored by the same investigator. A minimum of 48 hours was required between each vertical jump test and all tests were completed within 14 days. RESULTS: Repeated measures one-way ANOVA analysis with Tukey post-hoc tests indicated that average vertical jump height using the PNF warm-up method (50.80 + 5.66 cm) was significantly greater (p<0.05) than no warm-up (49.53 + 5.74 cm) however, it was not different than the weighted jump (50.17 + 5.59 cm) or submaximal jump (50.17 + 5.38 cm) warm-up methods. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that vertical jump height using a PNF stretching warm-up produces significantly greater vertical jump performance compared to the no warm-up method, but is not different from either the weighted jump or submaximal jump methods.