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THE EFFECTS OF RAPID AND SLOW STRETCH-SHORTENING CYCLE MOVEMENTS ON PERCEIVED SORENESS AND PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Research has indicated that neuromuscular fatigue and recovery levels do not differ with changes in the speed of the stretch-shortening cycle. Previous studies have shown no differences between a rapid speed stretch-shortening cycle activity (e.g., countermovement jump [CMJ]) and a slow speed stretch-shortening cycle activity (e.g., squat jump [SJ]) during maximal exercise. However, less is known about the effects on perceived soreness, which may impact adherence and, ultimately, performance. PURPOSE: To determine the differences in repetitions to fatigue and perceived muscle soreness between CMJ and SJ in active young adults. METHODS: Resistance-trained young adults (n = 8; 21.8 ± 2.2 y; 5 females and 3 males) completed two sessions in a randomized and counterbalanced order, separated by at least 72 hours. Participants were asked to perform as many jumps as possible until fatigue using a CMJ or SJ. The number of jumps was recorded, and participants reported muscle soreness levels using a Likert scale from 1 (no soreness) to 10 (worst soreness) at 24, 48, and 72 hours following the exercise. Data were analyzed using a paired samples t-test for repetitions to fatigue (mean ± SD; a = .05) and the Wilcoxon signed rank tests for differences in soreness [median (IQR)] at each time point (a = .017 after Bonferroni adjustment). RESULTS: Repetitions to fatigue were higher with the CMJ (45 ± 14 jumps) than the SJ (32 ± 11 jumps; p < .001). There were no differences in perceived muscle soreness between jump conditions at 24- (CMJ: 3.0 (1.0, 5.0) vs. SJ: 2.5 (1.0, 4.0); p = .26), 48- (CMJ: 2.0 (1.0, 4.5) vs. SJ: 1.0 (1.0, 3.5); p = .18), or 72-hours (CMJ: 1.0 (1.0, 3.8) vs. SJ: 1.0 (1.0, 3.5); p = .18). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there may be no differences in muscle soreness between a CMJ and SJ up to 72 hours after exercise. However, participants performed more repetitions to fatigue with the CMJ than the SJ, suggesting that the speed of the stretch-shortening cycle may play a role in endurance performance. These findings are limited by a small sample size, impacting statistical power and the ability to generalize findings. Future research should explore differences in other jump exercises using a more sensitive measure of perceived muscle soreness.

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