Post-Activation Performance Enhancement On Change Of Direction Speed: Effects Of Heavy Back-Squat Exercise

Abstract

Aims. - The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of a heavy back-squat exercise on change of direction performance. Methods. - Eighteen male team sports athletes (age 23.6 +/- 3.3y) performed T-test and 505 Test in consecutive sessions with and without heavy back-squat exercise applied as three sets of three repetitions at 90% of 1 RM as a conditioning activity in a randomized order. Change of direction tests were repeated at time intervals of 15 seconds, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 15 minutes after those two different conditions. Results. - In 505 Test, no significant condition effect, time effect or condition-time interaction were found (P > 0.05). In T-test, there was no significant condition effect (P > 0.05); however, time effect and condition x time interaction were significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion. - The findings of this study showed that the conditioning activity applied to elicit post-activation performance enhancement did not have any significant effect on 505 Test; on the contrary, in T -Test, the conditioning activity led to fatigue, rather than a potentiation effect. (c) 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.