Postactivation Potentiation and Change of Direction Speed in Elite Academy Rugby Players

James Marshall ^[1] ; Anthony N. Turner ; Paul T. Jarvis ; Sean J. Maloney ; Jon A. Cree ; Chris Bishop
1. [1] Middlesex University
  
  Middlesex University
  
  Reino Unido
Localización: Journal of strength and conditioning research: the research journal of the NSCA, ISSN 1064-8011, Vol. 33, Nº. 6, 2019, págs. 1551-1556
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- This study investigated the effect of preceding proagility sprints with maximal isometric squats to determine if postactivation potentiation (PAP) could be harnessed in change of direction speed. Sixteen elite under-17 rugby union players (age: 16 +/- 0.41 years; body mass: 88.7 +/- 12.1 kg; height: 1.83 +/- 0.07 m) from an Aviva Premiership rugby club were tested. Subjects performed a change of direction specific warm-up, followed by 2 baseline proagility tests. After 10-minute recovery, 3 x 3-second maximal isometric squats with a 2-minute recovery between sets were completed as a conditioning activity (CA) on a force plate where peak force and mean rate of force development over 300 milliseconds were measured. The proagility test was repeated at set time intervals of 1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes after the CA. Overall proagility times were significantly slower (p < 0.05) at 1 minute post-CA compared with the baseline (3.3%), with no significant differences occurring at 3, 5, or 7 minutes post-CA. Therefore, it appears that performing multiple sets of maximal isometric squats do not enhance proagility performance.