The Acute Effects Of Hip Thrust and Glute Bridge Exercises With Different Loads on Sprint Performance and Horizontal Force-Velocity Profile in Adolescent Soccer Players: A Post-Activation Performance Enhancement Approach

This study examines the acute effects of post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) with different loads (84% and 60% 1-RM) and exercises (hip thrust; HT and glute bridge; GB) on sprint performance (SP) and horizontal force-velocity (HF-V) profile components in adolescent male soccer players. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups: hip thrust group (HTG; n = 13), glute bridge group (GBG; n = 13), and control group (CG; n = 14). Sprint tests at distances of 10, 20, and 30 m were conducted pre-PAPE and post-PAPE protocols with a 7 min rest period. HTG and GBG executed HT and GB exercises at 84% and 60% of their 1-RM loads. Hedge's g was computed to assess within-group (pre-PAPE vs. post-PAPE) comparisons (Within-ES) and between-group (post-PAPE protocols) comparisons (Between-ES). PAPE protocols at 84% and 60% 1-RM loads demonstrated moderate effects on F0rel, Pmaxrel, FVslope, and DRF and small effects on V0, RFmax, and S20m in both HTG and GBG. Conversely, the CG exhibited trivial effects across parameters. Compared to the HTG 84% 1-RM protocol, the GBG 84% 1-RM protocol showed small effects on V0 and S10m. The HTG 60% 1-RM protocol had a small effect on RFmax compared to both GBG 84% and 60% 1-RM protocols. Both HTG and GBG 84% and 60% 1-RM protocols demonstrated small effects on S30m compared to the CG. These findings suggest that GB exercises may offer a viable alternative to HT exercises for eliciting PAPE effects, particularly in enhancing SP and related mechanics in adolescent soccer players.

Optimizing Post-activation Performance Enhancement in Athletic Tasks: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis for Prescription Variables and Research Methods

BACKGROUND

Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) has demonstrated efficacy in acutely improving athletic performance. However, its distinction from general warm-up (GW) effects remains ambiguous, and experimental designs adopted in most PAPE studies exhibit important limitations.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this work are to (i) examine the effects of research methodology on PAPE outcomes, (ii) explore PAPE outcomes in relation to comparison methods, performance measures, GW comprehensiveness, recovery duration, participants' characteristics, conditioning activity (CA) parameters, and (iii) make recommendations for future PAPE experimental designs on the basis of the results of the meta-analysis.

METHODS

Four databases were searched for peer-reviewed English-language literature. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified Cochrane Collaboration's tool and PEDro scale. PAPE groups were compared with control groups, pre-conditioning activity (pre-CA) performances were compared with post-conditioning activity (post-CA) performances throughout a verification test in PAPE groups, and control groups were compared before and after the "rest" period using a three-level meta-analysis. Further analyses, including subgroup analysis and both linear and nonlinear meta-regression methods, were used to explore the effect of different moderating factors on PAPE magnitude. A subgroup analysis of GW comprehensiveness was conducted using four classification methods. One method classified GW as non-comprehensive (stretching or jogging only), partially comprehensive (stretching, jogging, and low-intensity self-weighted dynamic exercises), and comprehensive (adding maximal or near-maximal intensity CAs to a partially comprehensive GW). The other three classifications were adjusted according to the type and number of GW exercises. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

The final analysis included 62 PAPE studies (1039 participants, male: n = 857, female: n = 182) with a high risk of bias and low certainty of pooled evidence. A trivial PAPE effect was observed from pre- to post-CA (effect size [ES] = 0.12, 95% CI [0.06 to 0.19], prediction intervals [PI] = - 0.29 to 0.54); a small PAPE effect was observed when compared with a control group (ES = 0.30, 95% CI [0.20 to 0.40], PI [- 0.38 to 0.97]). The slightly greater effect against control resulted from a small decrease in performance in control groups (ES = - 0.08, 95% CI [- 0.13 to - 0.03], PI [- 0.30 to 0.14]), but there was no relationship with between PAPE recovery time (β = - 0.005, p = 0.149). Subgroup analyses showed that PAPE magnitude was greater for non-comprehensive GWs (ES = 0.16) than comprehensive (ES = 0.01) and partially comprehensive GWs (ES = 0.11). In contrast, the control group showed a decline in performance after comprehensive GW (ES = - 0.20). An inverted U-shaped PAPE was noted as a function of recovery time. In some cases, PAPE appeared to manifest at < 1 min post CA. Additionally, participants with longer training experience (ES = 0.36) and higher training levels (ES = 0.38) had larger PAPE magnitudes. PAPE effect was higher in females (ES = 0.51) than males (ES = 0.32) and mixed groups (ES = 0.16) but did not reach a significant difference (p > 0.05). Plyometric exercise (ES = 0.42) induced greater PAPE amplitude than traditional resistance exercise (ES = 0.23), maximal isometric voluntary contraction (ES = 0.31) and other CA types (ES = 0.24).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the overall pooled results for both PAPE pre- versus post-CA and PAPE versus control group comparisons showed significant improvement, the wider and past-zero prediction intervals indicate that future studies are still likely to produce negative results. The comprehensiveness of the GW, the time between GW and the pre-CA test, participant sex, training level, training experience, type of CA, number of CA sets, and recovery time after CA all influence the PAPE magnitude. The PAPE magnitude was trivial after comprehensive GW, but it was greater in studies with a control group (i.e., no CA) because performance decreased over the control period, inflating the PAPE effect. Finally, two theoretical models of PAPE experimental design and suggestions for methodological issues are subsequently presented. Future studies can build on this to further explore the effects of PAPE.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

The original protocol was prospectively registered (osf.io/v7sbt) with the Open Science Framework.

Variable Resistance-An Efficient Method to Generate Muscle Potentiation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Variable resistance (VR) is a methodology that has shown good results in developing muscular strength and power. However, no updated information relates to the use of VR as an activation to trigger post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE). The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to review and qualitatively describe studies published between 2012 and 2022 that used VR to generate PAPE in muscle power-dominant sports. The secondary objective was to calculate the effect size of the different power outcomes reported in the selected studies. The search was designed following the PRISMA® guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and performed in the Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and MEDLINE between 2012 and 2022. The methodological quality and risk of bias were evaluated with the Cochrane Collaboration tool. The main variables were the throwing speed, time in sprint tests, and jump height. The analysis was conducted with a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) through a Hedges' g test (95% CI). Twenty-two studies were included in the systematic review and ten in the meta-analysis, revealing a trivial effect for throwing speed (SMD = 0.06; CI = 95%: -0.23-0.35; p = 0.69), a small effect for the time in sprint tests (SMD = -0.37; CI = 95%: -0.72--0.02; p = 0.04), and a moderate effect for jump height (SMD = 0.55; CI = 95%: 0.29-0.81; p ˂ 0.0001). All forms of VR used for neuromuscular activation effectively triggered PAPE. Specifically, the results showed that activation with VR generates performance increases in time, in sprint tests and jump height, and a trivial effect in throwing tests (speed and distance).

Acute Effects of Different Postactivation Potentiation Protocols on Traditional Rowing Performance

Postactivation potentiation (PAP) describes an initial muscular activation with a submaximal or maximal load intensity that produces acute improvements in muscle power and performance in subsequent explosive activities. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of different PAP protocols in rowing performance. A crossover design involving seven rowers was used, in which two different PAP protocols were applied: PAP of maximal conditioning contractions (PAP MCC) on a rowing ergometer to provide greater transferability and, thus, enhance the magnitude of PAP stimuli on subsequent rowing performance; and PAP of maximal strength contractions (PAP MSC) in half squat and bench pull exercises, similar to the main exercises in rowing strength training, to perform a 20 s "all-out" test simulating a competition start. Student's t-test was used to compare means of the variables (p < 0.05). Effect size statistics were calculated using Cohen's d. The PAP MCC protocol resulted in significant differences, with an extremely large effect size in average power output (p = 0.034, d = 0.98) in the first 3 (p = 0.019, d = 1.15) and first 5 (p = 0.036, d = 0.91) strokes. This group also reached a greater number of strokes (p = 0.049, d = 2.29) and strokes per minute (p = 0.046, d = 1.15). PAP with maximal conditioning contractions in rowing warm-up enhanced subsequent rowing sprint and is an advisable strategy to potentiate performance at the start of rowing competitions and sprint regattas.