The Acute Effects of Velocity Loss During Half Squat Exercise on Jump Performance

Abstract

The velocity loss (VL) approach during squat exercise may increase the post-activation potentiation enhancement effect on squat jump performance. If this method succeeds, then different conditions of VL should be researched before its implementation to the field. This study hypothesized that squat jump performance would be increased after different volumed VL conditions during half-squat exercise. Eighteen resistance-trained men (mean [M] ± standard deviation [SD]; age: 24.00±3.53 years; body mass: 78.37±5.53 kg; height: 179.35±7.04 cm; one-repetition maximum (1RM) half squat: 110.85±11.92 kg) voluntarily performed squat jump under unloaded and four different VL conditions (R6: six repetitions, Ruf: repetitions until failure, VL10: velocity loss thresholds 10%, VL20: velocity loss thresholds 20%) after a set of half-squat exercises at 80% of one-repetition maximum separated by at least 72 hours. The results revealed that subjects demonstrated significantly better squat jump performance in VL10, VL20, and R6 conditions than the unloaded and Ruf conditions (p<0.05). According to these findings, if coaches and sports scientists desire to increase the post-activation potentiation enhancement effect, following heavy resistance training with a VL approach, VL10 and VL20 conditions instead of the traditional repetition method for squat jump performances are recommended. © Copyright by International Academic Publishing House (IAPH)